Items | Haarlem: Windmill Visit and Spaarne River Cruise
Haarlem: Windmill Visit and Spaarne River Cruise
(39) Reviews
Haarlem
About
Step into the calm charm of Haarlem, just minutes from Amsterdam.
This relaxed experience combines a scenic cruise along the Spaarne River with a visit to one of the Netherlands most iconic windmills. Cruise past historic warehouses, elegant houseboats and green riverbanks while your skipper shares stories about Haarlems trading past and daily life today. Seen from the water, the city reveals a peaceful and authentic side many visitors miss.
After the cruise, visit a working Dutch windmill with a guided tour. Discover how wind power shaped the Netherlands, see the machinery up close and learn how millers once controlled land and water.
Ideal for travelers seeking true Dutch heritage awa...
Highlights
1 hour and 15 minutes
Offered in German (Deutsch) & 4 Others
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
1 hour and 15 minutes
Offered in German (Deutsch) & 4 Others
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
WiFi on board
All Fees and Taxes
Air-conditioned vehicle
Restroom on board
Meeting Points
Departure
Spaarne 11A
The tour starts at our floating Boathuys!
Return
Windmill De Adriaan (1779)
Important Information
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Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
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Service animals allowed
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Public transportation options are available nearby
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Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
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Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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Please note that except for service animals, pets are not allowed on board.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
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Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
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If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
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This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
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Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
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Step into the calm charm of Haarlem, just minutes from Amsterdam.
This relaxed experience combines a scenic cruise along the Spaarne River with a visit to one of the Netherlands most iconic windmills. Cruise past historic warehouses, elegant houseboats and green riverbanks while your skipper shares stories about Haarlems trading past and daily life today. Seen from the water, the city reveals a peaceful and authentic side many visitors miss.
After the cruise, visit a working Dutch windmill with a guided tour. Discover how wind power shaped the Netherlands, see the machinery up close and learn how millers once controlled land and water.
Ideal for travelers seeking true Dutch heritage awa...
Highlights
1 hour and 15 minutes
Offered in German (Deutsch) & 4 Others
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
1 hour and 15 minutes
Offered in German (Deutsch) & 4 Others
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
WiFi on board
All Fees and Taxes
Air-conditioned vehicle
Restroom on board
Meeting Points
Departure
Spaarne 11A
The tour starts at our floating Boathuys!
Return
Windmill De Adriaan (1779)
Itinerary
1
Spaarne
The Spaarne is a river in North Holland, Netherlands. This partially canalized river connects the Ringvaart to a side branch of the North Sea Canal. It runs through Haarlem, Heemstede, and Spaarndam.
The historic canals of Haarlem's moats are connected to the Spaarne. A lock at Spaarndam separates it from the North Sea Canal.
According to Sterck-Proot, a historian, the name Spaarne probably comes from Spier, which means reed in old Dutch.
2
Waag
The building was designed by Lieven de Key around 1597 and is built with Namense steen from Namur, Belgium. It is the only building in Haarlem that was built this way, and was designed in its day as a landmark that befits an authority. The weigh house masters needed to be able to judge the correct measure of a shipload of grain that was delivered in Haarlem. Inside the large cast iron balance can still be seen. The location of the weigh house was strategically located where the Spaarne river joins the beek, a small canal that according to tradition was used to carry fresh water from the dunes to serve the brewers of Haarlem. Haarlem was known for its beer brewing in the 15th-17th centuries. A large wooden crane operated by wheels driven by manpower was used to hoist the grain on ships into the Waag building and back into other ships or carts for further transport. The wooden crane can be seen on most historic pictures of the Spaarne up until 1872.
3
Teylers Museum
Teylers Museum is an art, natural history, and science museum in Haarlem, Netherlands. Established in 1778, Teylers Museum was founded as a centre for contemporary art and science. The historic centre of the museum is the neoclassical Oval Room (1784), which was built behind the house of Pieter Teyler van der Hulst (1702–1778), the so-called Fundatiehuis (Foundation House). Pieter Teyler was a wealthy cloth merchant and banker of Scottish descent, who bequeathed his fortune for the advancement of religion, art, and science. He was a Mennonite and follower of the Scottish Enlightenment.
4
Heemstede
Heemstede formed around the Castle Heemstede that was built overlooking the Spaarne River around 1286. Before 1296, Floris V, Count of Holland, granted Heemstede as a fiefdom to Reinier of Holy. During the 14th century, a village formed near the castle, which was destroyed and rebuilt several times in this period. A resident of this castle was Adriaan Pauw, who bought it in 1620. In 1653, Bennebroek split off from Heemstede, becoming a separate fiefdom.
5
Molen De Adriaan Museum
In 1778 the Amsterdam businessman Adriaan de Boois bought an old defense tower. He received permission from the city of Haarlem to build a windmill. Adriaan built his windmill on top of the old Goê Vrouw tower. As a result, the mill blades rise high above the Spaarne and catch every breeze possible.
On 19 May 1779 the Adriaan smock mill is put into use. For years Adriaan de Boois ground tuff, a sort of volcanic stone, into trass. Trass is a special additive added to mortar to make walls waterproof.