De Herder, Windmill in Medemblik, Netherlands
De Herder is a working windmill near the western edge of Medemblik, built on a brick base with a wooden upper section and rotating cap. Its four blades turn in the wind over a flat, grassy spot beside a small house and a shop.
An earlier mill stood at this spot from the 17th century until it was taken down in 1947. In the 1980s, the current building was constructed using parts from an old oil mill from Jisp, and it was opened by Prince Claus in 1990.
The mill shop sells flours ground on site, including spelt and pancake mixes, and the neighboring cottage serves coffee, apple pie and a local beer called Klap van de Herder. The sight and smell of fresh flour connect the building to an everyday Dutch food tradition.
The area around the mill is easy to walk and flat, so most visitors can move around without trouble. Try to come on a day with steady wind if you want to see the blades turn and the machinery moving inside.
Much of the wooden frame came from a 17th-century oil mill that had already been dismantled and moved twice before ending up in Medemblik. Visitors often miss that this is not a copy but a reuse of old timber, with parts older than the mill itself.
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