Schermerhorn – Mills, Church and Polder

Schermerhorn offers plenty to explore for a stay that combines cultural history with the open polder landscape. The Grote Kerk, the Museummolen and routes through the Eilandspolder each represent a different side of the destination. When planning your visit, specific details are helpful: historical dates and exhibition content, the mill’s season, and information about walking, cycling and boating options.

Church and Local History

The Grote Kerk Schermerhorn was built between 1634 and 1636 in the Gothic style as a basilica. Its distinctive features include eleven unique windows that rank among the UNESCO Top 10. The church also houses two models of warships: the 1663 model has 64 cannons, while the smaller model has 68. The windows and ship models give the building different historical connections.

’t Regthuysje also tells the story of the region’s history. The building was reconstructed in 1766 and originally served as a courthouse from which justice was administered for the entire region. Het Kleinste Huisje van Schermerhorn offers a different glimpse into past living conditions: it explores life in the village around 1900. Taken together, the subjects range from church architecture and shipping to the administration of justice and everyday life.

Mills and Water Management

Museummolen Schermerhorn is open daily from 1 April to 1 November. At the mill, you can watch a film about how it works and how the land was drained. Visitors can also walk through the mill, see its centuries-old mechanism and discover how a miller’s family lived there. The different exhibits help explain the mill not only as a building, but also as a place of work and home.

The mills are also connected to the drainage of the Schermer: the three best-known mills in the Schermer mill complex are in Schermerhorn; together with 49 other mills, they drained the Schermer. Another historical detail concerns Poldermolen O. It has stood as a polder mill in Section O near Schermerhorn since 1635. These mills offer a way to consider both individual structures and the broader task of water management.

Routes and Practical Information

Schermerhorn lies in an open polder landscape shaped by dikes, waterways and sweeping views. A short walking route through the Eilandspolder covers 17 kilometres. For a different way to explore, the volunteers at Het Kleinste Huisje organise informative boat trips through the Eilandspolder. Check the dates and make a reservation before your trip.

In the area around Schermerhorn, a cycling route follows the numbered junction network past all 15 mills in the Schermer. The Haring- en Hennep fietsroute starts at TOP Schermermolens, Noordervaart 2, 1636 VL Schermerhorn. TOP has parking; from there, you can explore the area by bike, on foot or by boat. The route information offers different kinds of guidance: the walking route focuses on the area and its length, while the cycling route highlights the mills along the junction network.

A tower tour of the Grote Kerk is scheduled as part of the 2026 visitor programme. It takes you up 133 steps to a 33-metre-high balustrade, with views east towards the IJsselmeer and west towards the North Sea. Check the dates and make a reservation before your trip. The VVV in nearby De Rijp, located in the historic town hall at Kleine Dam 1, offers additional background information, routes and tips for exploring the Schermer polder and its landscape of mills.

Discover more destinations: Driehuizen, Stompetoren, Alkmaar, Oudorp, Koedijk.

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