Obdam: Mills, Polders and Historic Routes

Discover Obdam via walking and running routes, historic mills and places of remembrance. The routes offer different perspectives: one short route passes through the oldest part of the village, while others run through Obdam or across more open polder land. The history of the mills also ranges from draining large polders to moving a structure to its present location.

Routes through the village and the polder landscape

The Obdam walking route is 3.6 kilometres long, runs through Obdam and passes several historic sights described in the route brochure. The Oud Obdam route is shorter, at 2.0 kilometres: it passes through the oldest part of the village and, because of its short distance, is considered particularly suitable for seniors. This gives you two different options: a route featuring historic sights and a walk through the oldest part of the village.

An alternative running route is 4.0 to 5.7 kilometres long. It runs mostly through open, park-like terrain and partly beyond the built-up area. Its described surroundings therefore differ from those of the routes through the village centre. The distance and terrain provide two concrete points of comparison, without making it possible to infer how long the route takes to walk.

For a longer walk, the orange route on the walking network is another option: it is 14.3 kilometres long, runs around the Berkmeer polder and starts in Obdam. In contrast to the shorter routes through the village, it focuses on the polder landscape. Check the route details before setting off; for this route, you should also check the conditions and markings.

Mills and the history of the polders

The Obdammermolen is an octagonal internal-post mill. It was probably built in the last quarter of the 17th century; 1698 is generally given as its year of construction. Together with a pumping station, it drained the 905-hectare Obdam polder as part of the Vereenigde Raaksmaats- en Niedorperkoggeboezem. Its design, dating and drainage role each offer a different insight into the mill’s history.

The Weel en Braken mill also played a role in polder drainage: as an under-milling mill, it drained the 76-hectare former Weel en Braken polder for the Obdam polder. Near Obdam, it stands beside a mill path in an open, rural landscape of grassland and ditches. Here, the mill’s historic function and the described features of the landscape come together.

The Berkmeermolen is also an octagonal internal-post mill. It dates from around 1608 and was moved to its present location in Obdam in 1803. Unlike the drainage role of the Obdammermolen, this mill’s history also centres on its relocation to its present site.

Event and places of remembrance

The Wielerronde van Obdam takes place every year on the second Sunday in July and passes through the village centre. The cycling event has grown into a village festival: front gardens along the race route become festively decorated terraces. The decorations along the route are therefore part of the festival’s character, alongside the race itself. The precise programme details vary from year to year; if you would like to plan your stay around the event, check the programme for the relevant year.

The Jozef Buis memorial in Obdam commemorates the resistance fighter from the village who was shot by occupying forces on 24 October 1944. A memorial plaque to Jozef Buis is mounted on the wall of the former town hall on Dorpsstraat. Another prominent landmark is the boundary stone at Dorpsstraat 1, which stands on the road between Hensbroek and Obdam. These places of remembrance offer different perspectives: the memorial recalls the local history of the war, while the boundary stone marks the road between the two villages.

Discover more destinations: Spierdijk, Ursem, Avenhorn, Zuidermeer, Scharwoude, Berkhout, Hensbroek, Oudendijk

For the main travel overview: Koggenland.