Walking through Blesdijke and surroundings

On the border between Overijssel and Friesland you will find a varied landscape full of peace and space. Ideal for a walk, especially because you walk along some striking sights.

Blesdijke
You start the route in Blesdijk, a ribbon village in Friesland where you will see some characteristic old farms. You will also pass the village church that dates from 1843. Its fourteenth-century predecessor is said to have collapsed in 1836. Outside the village you walk along grasslands and fields. Every now and then you walk along a path that is enclosed by trees. It is wonderfully quiet here, ideal to clear your head or chat with friends or family.

Easterloo
The village of Paasloo is located in the Kop van Overijssel. Here you will pass the barrel mill, the only one in the Netherlands. The church from 1336 is also striking: the ship resembles an Overijssel farm. Just past the village you can walk a bit over the beautiful Blesdijkerheide. What was once an extensive heathland was planted with forests in the sixties. The silence is no less. At B&B De Markestee in Blesdijke you can enjoy a comfortable holiday.

Unique barrel mill
The barrel mill in Paasloo was built in 1899 by a local farmer, Berend Krol. Just like other farmers in the area, Krol's land was regularly flooded. Krol would have preferred to tackle this problem by grinding the soil dry with a windmill. However, for a traditional mill, too many trees would have had to be cut down to provide sufficient wind. So Krol designed a mill in which the wind was captured by circularly mounted vertical slats that rotate in the horizontal plane. In 1952, the original barrel mill was lost in a heavy storm. The one you see today is a replica from 2002.