Unique mill route

Cycle between the bulb fields and through the Schoorlse Duinen for the reward of beautiful views. An expansive landscape of fields, dunes and forests, with a small view of the North Sea. The heaths, which can also be found in this area, are unique in combination with the dunes. Nowhere in the Netherlands are they wider or higher than here. With a bit of luck you can see a sand lizard scurrying between the dunes, hear a pheasant or a nightjar chirping. In the right season, 800 different types of mushrooms grow, but if you come in the spring, the color splendor of tens of thousands of blooming flowers will make an indelible impression. One bulb field is even more beautiful than the other! The route starts at Buitenplaats De Luwe Stek. This cozy family campsite attracts young and old with fun play equipment, spacious camping pitches and lots of greenery. When you have parked the car for free, you cycle to the Polder Waarland. Here is a polder mill dating from 1571. The ground sailer was originally built as a paddlewheel mill, but was later crushed between 1819 and 1863. The mill has a flight of no less than 25 meters. Unfortunately, the mill went out of business in 1949 and was restored in 1973. The mill occasionally runs on a voluntary basis. The next ground sailor has always drained section F of the Zijpe and Hazepolder. The mill was built in 1890. De Zijpe F was the first windmill in the Netherlands to operate on a voluntary basis. That happened in 1970. The Hargermolen was built to drain the Harger and Pettemerpolder. This ground sailor, dating from 1804, also does so on a voluntary basis in 2015. This mill, like most polder mills in the Kop van Noord-Holland, is also an inland porter. Grondzeiler Groeter, or the Groetermolen, is an octagonal inner porter. It was built in 1890 to drain the Groeterpolder, which had 220 hectares. Until 1977, the plump mill only operated on wind power, but in that year an electric pump was installed to make grinding easier. The last windmill you can visit during your trip 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.