Achlum: Waterways, Mill and Walking Routes

Achlum can be considered for travel planning in terms of three specific features: the Achlumervaart in the village centre, historic buildings and routes in the surrounding area. The Slachte crosses the canal at Skieppetille; the Achlumer Molen and several walking routes around the village are also part of the picture.

Waterways in the village centre

The Achlumervaart runs through the centre of Achlum. Dorpsstraat is on one side of the canal, and Tanjabuurt on the other. This positioning gives you a specific reference point for locating the two street names on a map of the village. At Skieppetille, the Slachte crosses the Achlumervaart; a sluice dating from 1893 is located there. A sluice is a structure used to regulate water discharge. This is where the waterway, the Slachte and a historic water-management structure come together. If you are travelling by boat, you can moor for free on the Achlumervaart. Check the local conditions before your trip.

Mill and building history

The Achlumer Molen is a polder windmill built in 1853 and fully restored in 2007. Its construction date and restoration mark two phases in the history of the same structure: its construction and a later complete restoration. Together with the 1893 sluice, it represents a different type of water-management structure; the sluice and mill together provide both a chronological and architectural connection to Achlum’s water landscape. Visits are possible by appointment and while the mill is operating, so arrange your visit in advance. The mill is a specific point of interest for visitors who would like to include building history in their travel plans.

Walking routes around Achlum

There are several walking routes around Achlum, some of which pass through pastureland. The Slachtedyk runs along the village. Further afield in the region, almost the entire Slachtedyk is freely accessible to walkers and cyclists; near Achlum, cyclists must take a short detour. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing between routes around the village and the Slachtedyk along its wider regional course. The short detour applies specifically to cyclists.

Groot Deersum in the nearby area

Groot Deersum lies east of Achlum and adds to the building history of the nearby area. A farm dating from the second half of the 18th century now stands on the site of a former stins; the moat and gatehouse remain. The gate has a stepped gable on each side, with a date stone from 1658. A stepped gable is a gable end with a stepped outline. The surviving features and the later farm make the sequence of buildings on the site clear: the former stins is not the present-day building, while the moat and gatehouse remain. The 1658 date stone also provides an earlier point of reference than Achlum’s 1853 mill and 1893 sluice.

Discover more destinations: Peins, Hitzum, Dongjum, Firdgum, Tzummarum, Sexbierum, Franeker

Go to the regional travel overview: Franekeradeel.