Beekbergen, Eerbeek, Voorst

Cycling past mills in this region is truly like travelling through time. Between Beekbergen and Voorst you follow a beautiful route in the transition area from the Veluwe to the IJssel Valley. Water and wind played an important role here for centuries in the rise of the paper industry and food production for the region. Today, you will discover how this all came together.

On the eastern slopes of the Veluwe, streams once powered an early form of industry. In Loenen, Eerbeek and Beekbergen, watermills operated at full capacity. Paper was produced here, oil was pressed and textiles were processed. The Middelste Molen in Loenen still shows this history: paper is still made here in the same way as it was hundreds of years ago. At the Tullekensmolen and the Ruitersmolen you can also see how mills adapted over time and took on different functions.

Further along, the landscape changes. The streams give way to open fields and villages in the IJssel Valley. Here, windmills took over the work. In Voorst and Klarenbeek, mills such as De Zwaan and De Hoop ground grain into flour. Farmers from the wider area brought their grain here and took it back home once it had been milled.

Many of these mills still exist thanks to restoration efforts and the dedication of volunteers. Hop on your bike and discover how these mills have shaped the landscape and life on the eastern Veluwe.