Windmills are big in the Netherlands, in more ways than one. There are loads of windmills throughout the country, old and new. When my father, best friend and I were first flying into Amsterdam, we even spotted one of the country’s offshore wind farms. Wind turbines in the ocean? Pretty cool. However, we knew we couldn’t leave Holland without seeing a more old-fashioned windmill, like the type used to produce flour.
Cue, Molen De Adriaan in Haarlem. The mill dates back to the 18th century and has quite the history. The entrance fee for the mill includes a guided tour and the opportunity to climb to the top. The tour was excellent and provided lots of great information about this windmill and windmills in general. Here are some take-aways from our morning at Molen De Adriaan:
The windmill is located in Haarlem. We stayed in Haarlem for a couple days on the recommendation of one of my professors. The city is like a quieter, quainter version of Amsterdam.It was a chilly, overcast morning when we arrived at the windmill, but windy nonetheless.Traversing steep stairs was part of the windmill experience. For each level of the windmill, we got more information learned even more about the mill, its functions, and its history.The mill has lots of miniatures and models. They’re like little windmill skeletons that show the many different parts of a functioning mill.Art in the mill. As a museum, the Molen De Adriaan not only includes artifacts and models of windmills but even a little bit of art. This work depicts a family running the mill. All hands on deck!Back to the grind. The large pair of stones sandwiched between the wood disks are the millstones. They’re used to grind grain to make flour. There’s a miniature version of them atop the actual millstones. When the stones’s groves become worn out, a millstone crane is used to help replace them.End of the line. The flour is captured by a sack once it’s been ground.The millstone crane does the heavy lifting when changing out millstones. You can see its different components (in Dutch) on the diagram behind it.We also got a bit of architectural history. There are lots of these wooden pins sticking out from the walls. They’re used to connect the wooden beams of the mill. They also make for easier disassembly so entire mills could be relocated. Apparently, many mills had the ends of the pins cut off because it was believed that little devils might come to sit on them. But something tells me the staff at De Adriaan aren’t too worried about this…One of the highlights of the windmill visit was making it up to the stage. This is the platform that’s higher up on the mill. From here, you get great views of the city. It may look calm, but it was actually very windy. We got to experience the plentiful natural resource firsthand as we shivered overlooking the canal.While on the stage, our guide pointed out some notable architecture in the city. The tall tower belongs to the Bakenesserkerk. This was once a church but it’s now home to an archeological museum.After sightseeing from the stage, we came back inside and made our way down to the bottom of the mill. I was able to catch one last glimpse of the peaceful town from the window.
At the end of the tour, we thanked our guide and enjoyed the colorful mural that decorates the entryway to the mill. The Molen De Adriaan is a quaint mill in a quaint city where you can get a thorough history of windmills in Holland. There’s a lot more to the mill than I’ve mentioned here and there’s nothing like having a local show you around!
But, wait! There’s more! If you’re really into windmills, I’ve written about a very special mill in Barbados. It really is one of a kind. Check it out! And for more on the Molen De Adriaan, this brochure is super-detailed!
