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Explore the cozy courtyards of Alkmaar, cycle along the old canals and discover the narrow streets. Do not miss a visit to the traditional cheese market, for which the"Cheese City\\\" became so famous, and soak up the atmosphere of the historic center, which has hundreds of beautiful municipal and national monuments. The city center and the Westerhoutkwartier are a protected cityscape for a reason! Alkmaar has an eventful history full of memorable moments. Obtaining city rights in 1254, the Blood Miracle in 1429, in which blood stains miraculously appeared in a piece of textile, and the fact that the Alkmaarders managed to keep the Spaniards at bay with boiling tar and burning fagots during the Eighty Years' War are highlights . Low points are the great city fire of 1328, the Revolt of the Cheese and Bread People in 1517 and the murder of the martyrs of Alkmaar in 1572 because of their Catholic faith. The first mill to present itself is the Alkmaar Spirit Mill. This polder mill is an oak octagon on a low base and was built in 1565. The mill used to grind the corn that the Geestmolenpolder, a piece of land of 170 hectares, yielded. That function was canceled when a new housing estate was built in the polder. In 2013, the thatched Geestmolen drains the polder on a voluntary basis. The following four windmills that you see in Alkmaar are inextricably linked. Iron B, Iron C, Iron D and Iron E are all a few hundred meters apart and show striking similarities. All four of these mills are ground sailers that were built in 1630, except Strijkmolen E. This was already installed two years earlier. The ironing mills are located on the Molenkade and pumped the water from various polders to the Schermerboezem. A total of fourteen of these mills once stood together. Molenstichting Alkmaar eo owns the ironing mills. The last windmill you can visit during your tour is in Schoorldam. Mill Kijkduin stands here on a small elevation. This round, stone ground sailor was built in 1772 and replaces a standard mill that was already on this site in 1575. The mill grinded grain on a professional basis until 1935, but when this stopped, the municipality of Bergen bought the mill and kept the building as a monument. Nowadays, Kijkduin grinds grain on a voluntary basis and sells flour products. When the mill is running, it can also be viewed from the inside, so it's nice to take a look to see how a mill works exactly.