Brüggener Mühle, Watermill in Brüggen

The Brüggener Mühle is a watermill on the lower Schwalm near Brüggen Castle, with an undershot water wheel driven by water flowing beneath it. The present iron wheel turns an electric generator. Inside, the milling equipment remains visible, including an oil press and a grain mill run.

The mill is first documented in 1289 when Count Walram of Kessel mentioned it as part of a land agreement with the Duchy of Brabant. It remained active for seven centuries before closing in 1955 and later being converted into a restaurant.

The mill's byname, Burgmühle, comes from its position beside Brüggen Castle. Tenants in Brüggen, Bracht and Boisheim were obliged to grind their grain here, except the tenants of St. Pantaleon. An agreement with the Dülken windmill let each mill take over the other's customers when wind or water failed.

The mill stands on the lower Schwalm directly beside Brüggen Castle, with the Vennmühle upstream and the Dilborner Mühle downstream. The water level of the Schwalm here is about 40 metres above sea level. Visitors reach the site on foot from the town centre; the former mill now operates as a restaurant where the milling mechanism can still be seen.

The original water wheel no longer runs on water power but instead drives a small electric generator that produces electricity. This modern adaptation preserves the historical function of the wheel while harnessing newer technology.