Molenmuseum De Valk

About the museum

Leiden's ramparts were once home to 19 windmills; De Valk is the only one that survives. A post mill stood on the site on the Valkenburger Bollwerk (bastion) from 1611 and was replaced in 1667 by a wooden gallery mill. In 1743 the city permitted a taller new stone mill: the body of the mill, now 29 meters high, was built in just three months. The lower floors contained homes for two families and a horse stable; milling only took place from the fifth floor up.

In 1869 the miller Pieter van Rhijn bought the mill; after his death, his widow and later his son Willem continued the business, which supplied flour well into the 20th century, in the end with electrically powered millstones. During World War II the mill briefly served as an observation post; during the Hunger Winter, grain was secretly milled here and much of the woodwork was burned as fuel. In 1947 the municipality had the badly damaged mill thoroughly restored.

After the death of Willem van Rhijn, the last miller, De Valk became a municipal museum on June 2, 1966. Its core consisted of the family's estate and a large collection of milling equipment from the Vereniging De Hollandsche Molen; models and a horse mill on the grounds were added later. Today the museum is part of Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken. The mill is in working order again, and its sails turn regularly.

Highlights

• The only surviving city miller's home in the Netherlands, with original furniture from around 1900
• Gallery 14 meters up with a view over Leiden
• Working milling machinery with millstones and a sack hoist up to the Luizolder (hoisting loft)
• Windmill models from tower mills to sawmills and the exhibition "De molen, het symbool van Holland"
• Cogwheel with the year 1697 carved into it, reused when the mill was built in 1743
• Horse mill on the grounds

Permanent exhibitions

• De molen, het symbool van Holland – Exhibition across three floors on tools, mill construction, the Leiden millers' guild and the city's mills, as well as the history of grain milling, with models of various types of mills.
• Molenaarswoning – The living quarters of the Van Rhijn miller family on the first floor, with kitchen, living room and parlor, largely preserved as they were around 1900.

Founded

1966

Operated by

Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken (Gemeente Leiden)

Admission & discounts

Free with the Museumkaart, ICOM card and the Leiden Sleutelpas. The Museumkaart is not sold at the museum.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Because of the steep stairs, the mill is not wheelchair-accessible and is unsuitable for people with limited mobility; the museum recommends going down backward while holding the handrail. A virtual 3D tour of the mill is available online.

Kids & families

• Stroller-friendly: not available

Children up to age 5 are free and must be supervised by adults; tight spaces and steep stairs. During school tours, children are sometimes allowed to turn the kruirad (winding wheel), which is used to turn the cap into the wind.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

Food and drink are not allowed in the mill.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit