Amsterdam Windmills & Parks

As wonderful as it is to stroll through Amsterdam, the best way to explore the city is by bicycle. This route takes you through the Jordaan and the Staatsliedenbuurt, among other things. In addition to monumental buildings, you will also see a number of historic windmills on this route. And you get to know the green side of Amsterdam when you drive through the city parks. Plan plenty of time for this tour, because you will get off regularly to get a better look at the beautiful surroundings.

De Gooyer is the last example of a large group of flour mills that stood on the Buitensingelgracht between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. In that period the windmills still caught enough wind, after the expansion of the city they no longer. De Gooyer has existed since the sixteenth century, but has been moved several times. In 1814 it got its current location.

De Otter, a sawmill from 1631, is the last of Amsterdam's sawmills. It is the oldest of the five paltrok mills still standing in the Netherlands. A little further on you will pass De Bloem, a corn mill from 1768. The mill first stood on the stronghold of Rijkeroort, but was moved to its current location in 1878.

The 1200 Roe is a polder mill from 1632 on the Haarlemmerweg. He drained the Osdorper Binnenpolder. In 1951 he lost his position, but was allowed to remain as a reminder of the past. The 1100 Roe that you see a little later is a polder mill from 1674 that was moved. Originally this mill was also located on the Haarlemmerweg, it drained the Sloterbinnen- and Middelveldse combined polder. In 1965 it was rebuilt at its current location to drain the nearby sports park.

On the last part of your route you will pass through two well-known city parks. The Rembrandtpark was a horticultural area until the 1950s, and the park was laid out in the early 1970s. The history of the Vondelpark, once a peat meadow area, goes back further. In 1865 the first part of the park, laid out in English landscape style, was opened. As early as 1893, people were allowed to cycle through the park, albeit initially only in the morning hours. Because it was a private park, bicycles without lights could not be fined. Now, when the weather is nice, many people lie in the park sunbathing, reading or chatting with each other. It's hard not to get the holiday vibes in this cozy park.

The route starts and ends at Mikes Bike in the heart of Amsterdam. Ideal if you want to come by train, because you can rent different types of bicycles here. There is no text anywhere on the bicycles indicating that it is a rental bicycle, so you can drive'undercover\\\' through the city. Enjoyed your trip? Then feel free to come back to ride route 211575 from Mikes Bike. Or for one of the fun tours that you can book at Mikes Bike.