Explore Groot Ammers and surrounding areas

When you think of Alblasserdam as a cyclist, you can hardly help but think of windmills. The extensive peat area is intersected by ditches, canals and two small rivers: the Alblas and the Giessen. The area derives its characteristic, historical identity with names from the many windmills along the Kinderdijk in Nieuw-Lekkerland.

The mills are on the World Heritage List and are iconic for the area. All these mills ensured that the excess water that reached the Alblasserwaard when flooding occurred was pumped up. It was then discharged into the river through locks. This even happened without electrical assistance during the Second World War.

But along the way you will also come across other windmills that are not on the Kinderdijk. The first mill you see is even a mill ruin. The Fundering Sluismolen (hull/remains) is the remains of a seesaw mill that burned down completely in June 1979. The damage was so extensive that it was never repaired, but the mill was dismantled earlier (in 1970) and thus lost its function anyway. The foundation of the mill has been preserved as a national monument.

The Achtkante Molen is also on the route. This mill is also located in Groot-Ammers, but it stands out among the previous seesaw mills because of its shape. The mill from 1805 replaces a seesaw mill that burned down earlier that year. This mill also drained the Liesveld polder until the mid-1970s.

The construction of the Kleine Molen, also called Kleine Tiendweg Molen, is unknown. What is known is that the seesaw mill used to be part of a mill corridor with three lower and two upper mills. It can be established that the mill dates back to before 1751. The mill was restored in 1977/1978. The mill is operational in circuit, because the two upper mills that drained the water were destroyed by fire.

 The Oude Weteringmolen in Streefkerk is also a seesaw mill. The mill dates from 1751 or earlier and has been in operation for 200 years. The mill grinds in a circuit, because the old waterways no longer exist.

Then you pass the see-saw mill from 1581. The Broekmolen was built with an open paddle wheel. He drained the Streefkerk polder until 1951.

The Goudriaanse mill is proudly located on the Molenkade of the Smoutjesvliet in Goudriaan. This polder mill was built in 1779 to drain the Oud-Goudriaan polder. It replaced another see-saw mill that previously stood here. Because the mill is inhabited, it cannot be visited.

There is still a seesaw mill in Langerak, but this one is even older than the previous one. The mill was installed in 1652, together with two other mills. The mill has always been neatly maintained and parts that needed replacing were replaced. In this way it has stood the test of time and a volunteer miller can still drain the polder with the Westermolen.

Then you see the Achtkante Molen. This mill is also located in Groot-Ammers, but it stands out among the previous seesaw mills because of its shape. The mill from 1805 replaces a seesaw mill that burned down earlier that year. This mill also drained the Liesveld polder until the mid-1970s.

During the second part of the route you will also come across a well-preserved mill corridor of three seesaw mills in Groot-Ammers: the Achterlandse Molen, the Graaflandse Molen, the Gelkenes Molen. The mills are suspected to have been built around 1596 or even earlier. The three mills drained the Liesveld polder until 1965.