A visit to Middelburg

From the old fortified town of Veere Meer you cycle to historic Middelburg while picturesque villages, old mills and vast landscapes pass by. Several castles were built on Walcheren to protect against the advancing Vikings. Middelburg owes its name to this period because this castle was centrally located in Walcheren at the time. After the threat passed, Middelburg began to take advantage of its favorable location and became a trading center. During the time of the VOC, Middelburg was the most important city in the Netherlands after Amsterdam. The many historic buildings tell you that Middelburg was just as vibrant in the Golden Age as it is now. In Sint Laurens you pass the former windmill De Hoop (hull/remains) from 1721. The mill caught fire in 1943 because the catch had overheated. Since then, only the hull has remained standing. Because much of the inventory is still intact, there are serious plans to restore the mill. The round stone mill De Koe is still relatively young; it was not built until 1909. That happened on the foundation of a ground sailor from 1736, but it burned down. According to Zeeland tradition, the brick mill is white in color and in this case the scaffolding is black tarred. Until the major restoration in 1975/1976, the inner rod was equipped with the Bilau system. The outer rod has always remained Old Dutch. Unique to De Koe is that it is the only wind turbine in the Netherlands with under-drive. De Koe is capable of grinding, but the lower floors are now furnished as a holiday home. Occasionally the mill is left running.