De Zaandplatte, Corn windmill in Ruinen, Netherlands
De Zaandplatte is an octagonal wooden mill with thatched roof and rotating blades spanning about 20 meters across. The structure displays typical features of 19th-century Dutch mill design with its characteristic shape and materials.
The mill was built between 1866 and 1868 in the village of Echten but was dismantled in 1962 and reconstructed at its present location four years later. This relocation preserved the structure and established it as a lasting heritage site.
The mill operates as a working craft space where volunteer millers grind grain using traditional methods and share their knowledge with visitors. You can watch the water power machinery and see grain transform into flour during the process.
The mill is open on Saturday mornings and can be viewed from outside at any time, though interior access depends on scheduled visiting hours. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear since the wooden floors and machinery require careful movement.
A 2007 survey by the Drenthe Mill Foundation named this mill the most beautiful in the entire province. The location attracts mill enthusiasts from across the Netherlands despite remaining relatively unknown to mainstream tourism.
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