't Roode Hert, Historic gristmill in Alkmaar, Netherlands
't Roode Hert is a stone and wooden gristmill located in Alkmaar that rises above the surrounding rooftops with its large rotating sails. The structure still operates today, grinding grain using traditional mechanical processes powered by wind.
The structure began as an oil mill when first built in 1620, then shifted its purpose to grain milling in later decades. In 1817, the building was substantially rebuilt using salvaged parts from a mill that once stood in Zaandam.
The mill serves as a working example of traditional Dutch grain processing that shaped local farming communities for centuries. Visitors can observe how grinding happens using methods that local farmers once depended on.
You can view the mill from outside and watch the sails in motion on windy days when the grinding machinery operates actively. The best visits happen when wind conditions allow the mill to function, making the experience more engaging than observing a stationary structure.
Excavations in the 1940s uncovered foundations of two earlier mills buried beneath the current structure, including a post mill and a smaller octagonal mill. This discovery reveals that the same location served milling purposes across multiple centuries before the present building took shape.
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