An octagonal windmill, an ecological landscape garden covering just under a hectare and a canoe route to Eenrum show how varied the discoveries in Molenrij can be. The gardens and waterways are complemented by architectural and culinary traces of the village’s history. You can get to know the place according to your interests through its gardens, tours or historical heritage.

Gardens and tours

De Groene Luwte is an ecological landscape garden covering just under a hectare. It includes a biodynamic vegetable garden and an orchard. Workshops, courses and guided tours are held there regularly. Dates may change: if you are planning your trip around an event, check in advance which dates are available during your stay.

The Mest en Vork cycling tour is also connected with De Groene Luwte: it starts and ends there. The Molenrij canoe route, by contrast, runs from Molenrij to Eenrum. This distinction helps you choose between a cycling tour that starts and finishes at the garden and a canoe route with Eenrum as its stated destination. Check the current options before planning a specific canoe trip.

Water and landscape

Molenrij lies on an old salt marsh ridge that was raised into a dike. Waterways are also part of the village’s history: in the past, the Molenrijgstermaar provided Molenrij with good access by water. The Molenrijgstermaar runs between Leens and the small harbour in Molenrij. This means that Molenrij has two distinct connections to water: the village’s historic access and the canoe route that leads from here to Eenrum.

Windmill, houses and inn

The octagonal tower windmill Windlust replaced an earlier mill in Molenrij. The main street, H. van Cappenbergweg, is lined mostly with broad houses dating from the second half of the 19th century. These buildings and the mill offer tangible points of reference for the village’s history: Windlust recalls the history of milling, while the houses provide a distinct architectural thread.

The inn also has a historical function: the municipal administration of Kloosterburen met there until 1882. Today, the inn is known as Herberg Restaurant Molenrij. The restaurant prepares its dishes using local produce whenever possible. This place thus brings together a historic use and a present-day restaurant, although the two do not serve the same role.

Chicory and mustard

Chicory is one of the traces of the area’s economic history: at the beginning of the 19th century, Musschenga established a chicory factory on his farm in Molenrij. Mustard-making is another culinary trace. Marne mustard was made in Molenrij, and a side street is named Mosterdpad. Together, these details show different aspects of the village’s history: chicory processing, mustard production and street names connected with the local mustard heritage.

Molenrij therefore offers several starting points for planning a trip: garden events may change, while Windlust, the houses on H. van Cappenbergweg and the village’s historical connections provide concrete subjects to explore. If you plan to attend a course or guided tour, or to go canoeing, check the relevant dates or current options in advance.

Discover more destinations: Westernieland, Zoutkamp, Vierhuizen, Warfhuizen, Lauwersoog, Ulrum, Kloosterburen, Pieterburen

For the broader travel overview: De Marne.