Cycling through a picture book around Winterswijk

The Winterswijk National Landscape is about 22,000 hectares in size and mainly consists of beautiful semi-open areas with alternating small plots and large ash trees. Here and there you see some bushes, avenues or hedgerows and very occasionally you even come across some high moors. The large open quarry at Ratum is particularly special, because geological deposits from the Tertiary period have been found here that were relatively close to the surface. The Meddose Veen and the Korenburgerveen are nature reserves slightly northwest of Winterswijk. The peat bogs are largely managed by the Vereniging Natuurmonumenten. Raised moors, swamp forest, heathland and nutrient-poor grasslands characterize the landscape. Wool grass grows in the area and you look out over endless yellow seas of curled milk thistle. Two bird species that you will find a lot are the lesser spotted woodpecker and the goshawk. In the swampy areas you can encounter a grass snake here and there. The first is the Molen van Sellink (hull/remnant), which you see in Meddo. This windmill was built in 1873 to grind grain. The mill was named after the first miller, Jan Hendrik Sellink. The mill has always been owned by the miller's relatives and even now only the hull remains, that is. A compound feed factory is located in what was once a round, stone belt mill. De Bataaf (hull/remainder) can be viewed in Winterwijk. This mill was built in 1801 to grind grain and remained in operation until 1958. The wooden octagonal belt mill had two pairs of grinding stones, but has been dismantled since 1964. In that year the blades and the going train were removed. The mill was then used as a warehouse.