Home - Molen De Adriaan

Welcome to Molen De Adriaan

A visit to Haarlem is not complete without a guided tour of De Adriaan windmill. It is a smock mill, a wooden towered mill, built in 1778 on the foundations of an ancient defensive tower near the centre of the town. Owing to its scenic location on the Spaarne river and its great height De Adriaan was one of the most striking features of Haarlem for centuries until the dramatic end to its existence in 1932, when the windmill burnt to the ground. Through the efforts of many local citizens, De Adriaan has now been rebuilt. Seventy years after the fire Haarlem's skyline, dominated by the Bavo Church, once again includes spinning sails of De Adriaan. The sight of old Haarlem from the platform above the river is truly stunning and not to be missed.

About the Mill

On the ground floor is a shop where you can buy tickets, coffee, tea or bottled water and cookies, mill souvenirs, postcards and printed information about windmills and De Adriaan.

Ground floor

On the ground floor there is a shop where you can buy tickets, coffee, tea or bottled water and cookies, mill souvenirs, postcards and printed information about windmills and De Adriaan. On the semi round background you can see the Panorama of Haarlem around 1800, being painted by Chile Braat.

First floor

The 1st floor has educational and cultural functions. Here audio-visual presentations are running continuously. About Mills in general or Molen De Adriaan specifically. Always well received is the river Spaarne video. It's as if you travel on the river and from the water looking at the most beautiful places and interesting buildings along the banks. The first floor can be rented for marriage ceremonies, dinner parties, business meetings, training sessions, including catering.

Second floor

On the 2nd floor you can find a permanent exhibition about how windmills work in general and the different types of mills for grinding different materials, sawing wood and pump up water from the polder.

Third floor

On the 3rd floor you find a large model of Molen De Adriaan (see if you can point out where are you in the windmill), showcases of the materials ground in De Adriaan over a period of 150 years and a handmill where you can try to grind some grain manually yourself.

Top floors

The 4th floor is the level where the sacks are filled with flour thru the shute from above. On the 5th floor you can see (turning with wind) main axle, the millstones and the system to hoist up the sacks with grain from the ground floor. The cap of the mill contains the 6th (rotating mechanism) and 7th floor (windshaft). The cap is for millers only. Unforgettable is the time when you enter the deck/platform outside: twelve meters above the river there is a spectacular view over the old town. On this floor you can see short audiovisual presentations on wheeling (turning the mill into the wind), milling and changing the sails.

Molen de Adriaan is looking for volunteers

Like many institutions The Adriaan windmill is also dependent on volunteers. However, there is always some turnover, so there is a regular spot for new energetic volunteers who want to receive and guide the guests.

Click here for details

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OUR VISITORS LOVE US

EmOnTheGo
What a great tour we had of the windmill. Loekin our guide was delightful and she seemed to really enjoy telling us about the workings of the windmill and some history. The view from the top is lovely and we were lucky enough to be there when the windmill was running - what a treat.
Zahava L.
Brilliant attraction. Staff and guide very friendly and the interior of the mill is well designed as a museum.
Stuart F.
We had a guided tour, in English, that proved insightful and interesting. The tour provides insights into windmills across the Netherlands. Be prepared to climb ladders and step out onto the platform on which millers set the windmill's sails. Our visit was one of the highlights of our time in the Netherlands.
Michael B.
I was truly amazed at all the detail of work that goes into designing and building this wonderful structures.Great Euro 3.50 invested in the tour.
Simsu66
We visited Haarlem as a day trip from Amsterdam and whilst there we visited the windmill. The tour is really interesting and undertaken by a really knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide with an obvious passion for the windmill, its workings, and sharing this with her visitors. The tour is also excellent value and if you are in Haarlem I highly recommend...