Cycling through the fog near a windmill on a sunny morning by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

About "Cycling through the fog near a windmill on a sunny morning"

by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

About the artwork

The Twiskemolen is an octagonal ground-sailer with a thatched roof between Landsmeer and Oostzaan in recreation and nature reserve Het Twiske, which owes its name to the small river of the same name. It has a flight of 24.00 meters. The mill was built here in 1974, after it was originally located in Barsingerhorn to drain the Hoogland polder. Therefore the years 1572 and 1974 are mentioned on the beard, although the mill in Barsingerhorn was already known in 1525. The mill was bought to drain the Polder Oostzaan.

On October 18, 2016, a small tornado struck the stationary mill, destroying the cap and breaking the top shaft, causing the sails to fall down. The heavy, wooden wind spindle was also blown 100 meters away. In 2017-2018, the hood was restored and new rods were inserted. Meanwhile, it can be milled again on wind power, but the mill also comes out great on a foggy, sunny morning. :)

The Twiske is 650 hectares in size and consists of one third water. Therefore it is very popular with swimmers, divers and surfers. There are beaches, an adventure and water playground, a diving platform, a harbor, a visitors center, a farm, day campsites and a polder mill, the Twiskemolen. The area is a Natura 2000 site.

Because of the large amount of water, many marsh, reed and water birds, such as the bittern, shoveler, bearded reedling and wigeon, stay here. Around the water lie meadows with, among others, Scottish Highlanders, foxes and ermines, and forests with, among others, the great spotted woodpecker, jay and nightingale. Birds of prey, such as the hawk, buzzard and kestrel, also breed in the area.