Zuidschermer: Churches, Mills and Polder History

Zuidschermer lies on the Zuidervaart, one of the Schermer’s two main waterways. For a stay focused on cultural history, churches, mills and other historic buildings offer different insights into the area’s history and the history of the polder. If you are looking for a hotel for a trip with this focus, these themes can help shape your choice of destination.

Landscape and Water Management

The Zuidervaart is one of the Schermer’s two main waterways and a defining feature of the landscape. In the regional context, the history of the windmills is also significant: surviving mills in the Schermer are recognised as Rijksmonumenten (national heritage sites). In the past, they were used to drain the polder. The mills are therefore also evidence of a practical task that was important to shaping the polder landscape.

The Schermer, in the Land van Leeghwater area of the municipality of Alkmaar, can be explored on foot and by bicycle. This lets you plan your stay around the landscape while also taking in individual stories of architecture and culture. The themes range from water management and church architecture to painting and the buildings’ former use as schools.

Churches and Their History

The Zwarte Kerkje brings together several chapters of the area’s history. It got its name from its black, tarred exterior. During its reconstruction in 1834, the distinctive black wood was replaced with brick. In 1790, a separate school building was added to the church; it was used as a school until 1900. Today, the Zwarte Kerkje also serves a social and cultural role as a village community centre. It is listed as a wedding venue by the municipality of Alkmaar.

A different architectural note can be seen at the Sint Michaëlkerk. Its surviving expressionist detailing and furnishings are considered rare in Roman Catholic church architecture from the interwar period. The paintings in the apse and the left side chapel date from 1946 and were created by Jaap Min (1914–1987). If you are interested in church art, this comparison offers a concrete shift from architectural design to paintings and furnishings.

Polder Mills and Architectural Forms

Poldermolen K was built in early 1635 in a low-lying part of the Schermer and is one of the 14 compartment mills. Its historic purpose was to drain section K of the Schermer Polder, an area of 335 hectares. The mill was fully restored in 2007–2008, enabling its Archimedes’ screw to recirculate water over a spillway. This example offers a chance to consider its construction history and technical function together.

Poldermolen M was also built in early 1635, but had a different place in the system: it was one of four subsidiary mills in a system of 17 mills between Driehuizen and De Vuyle Graft. K is described as a compartment mill, while M had a role within this mill system. This distinction helps keep the two descriptions separate, rather than grouping them together as a single mill complex.

Other buildings add to the picture. Westdijk 10 is a stolp farmhouse dating from the 18th to 19th century, with a projecting wing and a bell gable facing the road. The former De Eendracht cheese factory at Zuidervaart 26 is an L-shaped building dating from around 1880. Together with the churches and mills, these buildings show a range of uses and architectural forms that are relevant to understanding Zuidschermer’s cultural history.

Planning Your Visit to Zuidschermer

If you would like to plan in more impressions of the Schermer, you can explore the landscape on foot or by bicycle. Another way to include the waterways in your plans is the Akersloot ferry, which crosses the Noordhollandsch Kanaal and connects the banks at Akersloot and Zuidschermer. Check the timetable before travelling so your plans match the current ferry service.

Whether you are more interested in church art, historic buildings or past water management, Zuidschermer offers several specific points of interest for a stay, without reducing the area’s history to a single building.

Discover more destinations: Oterleek, Grootschermer.

See the main travel overview: Schermer.