Rijpwetering: Mills and Water Landscape

Rijpwetering can be explored through its historic mills, open stretches of water, polders and church architecture. If you are looking for a hotel in Rijpwetering, these themes offer different starting points for planning your stay: from the history of water management to walking trails through the landscape.

Mills and Water Management

The Moppemolen was built in 1752 after its predecessor, a post mill, burned down. The construction date of the Buurtermolen is only approximate: it was probably built in the 18th century and drained the Buurterpolder until 1968. The Lijkermolen No. 1 used wind power to drain polders until the 1980s. These different dates offer insights into the history of construction and earlier water management.

The Overhaal is located beside the Blauwe Molen. It hauled boats over the embankment between boezem and polder water levels. Both the Overhaal and the mill are Rijksmonumenten (national heritage sites). The Lijkermolen No. 1 and No. 2 also represent a distinctive architectural form: together, they are the only pair of twelve-sided stone mills in the Netherlands.

Church Architecture and Local Details

The Onze Lieve Vrouw Geboortekerk was consecrated on September 20, 1860, by Haarlem Bishop F. J. van Vree. Theo Molkenboer designed it as a three-aisled pseudobasilica in the Neo-Gothic style. The terms describe different aspects of the design: three-aisled refers to its layout, pseudobasilica to its building form, and Neo-Gothic to its style.

A smaller but striking detail is the tarred black circle on a white background above the cellar window of the Moppemolen. Locally, it is known as the “Duivelskruis” (“Devil’s Cross”). Alongside the major buildings, specific local details and their local names are also points of cultural interest.

Water Landscapes and Walking Trails

The Lijkermolen No. 1 stands on the Kleipoel in Rijpwetering, set against a landscape of open water and deep polders. From Rijpwetering, the Kagerplassen can be reached via Lake Koppoel. The village has several marinas. Water is therefore both part of the landscape and a reference point for routes and historic mills.

The two walking routes also differ in their paths. “Green Loops: Rijpwetering” runs along the Koppoel and Kleipoel and through the polders of Rijpwetering. “Molens, Water en Meer” (Mills, Water and Lake) passes through Roelofarendsveen, Oude Wetering, Nieuwe Wetering and Rijpwetering in the municipality of Kaag en Braassem. When choosing a route, you can consider whether you prefer the water and polder landscape of Rijpwetering or a trail through several named places.

Visiting and Access Conditions

The Adermolen stands on an island and can only be visited by boat. The Buurtermolen is also on an island, in the Kagerplassen, and has significant landscape value. From the Poeldijk in Rijpwetering, it can only be reached by an unattended private ferry. The Lijkermolen No. 1 can be visited when it is turning, or by appointment. Conditions vary; check the arrangements for each site before your trip.

These places offer different focal points for your stay: mill history and water management, church architecture, walking trails or the open polder landscape. You can use whichever of these topics interests you most to guide your choice of hotel, without turning the individual sights into a fixed itinerary.

Discover more destinations: Hoogmade, Roelofarendsveen, Kaag, Woubrugge.

Return to the main travel overview: Kaag En Braassem.