Opmeer, Nieuwe-Niedorp and Broek op Langedijk

Alkmaar is of course a huge tourist attraction, but further north you can also enjoy cycling! Take the village of Opmeer. Opmeer is first mentioned in 1310 as a small farming village. The name comes from the fact that Opmeer is located above a lake. In the village of Hoogwoud you will find a beautiful museum farm where you can see how the land was worked in the past.

This route also leads you through the beautiful Nieuwe-Niedorp. This place was first mentioned in 1298 and received city rights in 1415. Together with Oude Niedorp, the city was given a new name: Stede Niedorp. Especially on the village street you will find a number of beautiful monuments that were built between 1600 and 1900.
The first sight of the route is the mill of the Kostverlorenpolder (hull/remains). The mill was built in 1860 as a ground sailor. After a lightning strike in 1860, the mill fell into serious disrepair, after which it was truncated in 1927. Today, only the hull remains of the mill. The mill hull is now used as a home.

Then you cycle to the Polder Waarland, where there is another nice windmill. The mill was built in 1571 as a ground sailor and functioned as a polder mill. The mill was originally built as a paddle wheel mill, but was later jacked up between 1819 and 1863. The mill has a flight of no less than 25 meters. Unfortunately, the mill fell out of operation in 1949 and was restored in 1973. The mill occasionally runs on a voluntary basis.

A little further you come to the De Vier Winden mill. This polder mill was built as a ground sailor in 1891. The mill ran amok in 1960, just barely preventing it from burning down completely. The mill is still operational today and, in case of major flooding, together with the pumping station, it drains the water level of the De Lage Hoek polder.

The last attraction on this beautiful route is the De Lastdrager mill. This beautiful octagonal ground sailor was built in 1650 and served as a flour mill. The mill fell into disrepair after 1935 and was only restored in 1957. The last major restoration was carried out in 1971 and the mill was fully operational again. The mill now runs on a voluntary basis and can be visited when it is running.