Zaanse Schans, Zaandam, the Netherlands
Daily: 9.30am - 4.30pm
De Kat is the world's only remaining windmill that makes paints using traditional methods. Built in 1646, it originally functioned as an oil mill. The octagonal mill sitting on top of the storehouse was that of the former paint mill known as De Duinjager that was torn down in 1960.
The entrance fee is €4.50 (~S$7.15) per adult and €2.00 (~S$3.20) per child.
De Kat was actually consumed by fire in 1782, but it was quickly rebuilt. The mill was in use till 1904 before it was partially demolished
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| Each of the grinding stones is made of granite and weighs 3,000 kg. |
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| A portion of a grinding stone salvaged from De Reizenaar, a colour mill destroyed by fire in 1824 |
It's said that De Kat receives more than 100,000 visitors every year, making it the busiest windmill in the whole of the Netherlands.
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| The display showcases some natural products from which colour pigments can be extracted. |
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| Don't you love the blue colour of cobalt compounds? |
Let's go up to the second floor.
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| Seeing those bottles somehow reminded me of making V-Jolt Solution in Resident Evil 1. |
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| A view from the past~ |
Catch your breath at and enjoy the scenery from the platform.
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| "Born free, as free as the wind blows, as free as the grass grows~" |
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| Thumbs up for the view! |
Given how steep the staircase is, you have to descend it backwards. Having a fear of heights, it sounded really scary to me at first, but I felt alright after taking the first step down.
De Kat is able to process a huge amount of chalks in a day, which is about 80 kg per hour. Talk about efficiency!
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