Egmond aan Zee, Limmen and Uitgeest

The wet dune valleys around the Weide van Brasser and the Heemskerkerduinen are a great area to seek peace and quiet. The sheep shepherd Jan Brasser lived near these valleys until 1914. He earned a living on and around his farm on a site that no longer had a designated area as a field after 1982. Due to the lack of cultivation, the soil began to drift and the wet dune valleys took over. So close to the North Sea, you can get a breath of fresh air and breathe in the salty sea air before heading back to more densely built-up areas.

But Uitgeest also has beautiful sights, mainly formed by two beautiful windmills. The blades of both mills almost touch the ground and therefore both De Dog and De Kat can be classified as ground sailors. De Dog was built in 1896 as a polder mill and had to replace a mill that caught fire a year earlier due to lightning. Two miller's daughters died in the old mill as a result. In 1983, a steam pumping station was installed next to the old mill to help with drainage. In 2013, the Castricummerpolder is still drained by De Dog, although this is done on a voluntary basis.

De Kat, which was originally built as a windmill in 1864 to drain the De Zien polder, has also had a fire in its history. In 1971, an accident caused a blaze, resulting in the loss of the original mill. That is why the current mill, which was built in Alblasserdam in 1842, was moved. This mill also drains its polder on a voluntary basis. The mill can regularly be seen in action on Saturdays. Anyone who wants to view it can make an appointment.