Next time you’re in Geel, take a look at the brand-new visitors’ centre of the Field Mill (Molen van ‘t Veld).
© Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 / Noorse)
The mill was built in 1796 in nearby Heist-op-den-Berg, was later moved in 1823 and was finally transported some 30 kilometres away to its current location in 1992 after it was restored.
Thirty years later, a local non-profit concerning itself with the mills of Geel decided it was time to give the old visitors’ centre a more modern feel, with an interactive exhibition called ‘from grain to flour’ that explains the workings of a mill from A to Z.
That includes an explanation not only how they get from grain to flour, but also of how these mills were built. But if you already know how they’re built and you just want to bask in that trademark Belgian sun, there are tables and benches at your disposal to do just that.
Alternatively, you can sample different grains in the mill’s tasting field.
So come and enjoy the fruit of Geel’s labour, relax in the mill’s shade or even find its origins in Heist-op-den-Berg. In any case, that’s a fresh wind for this landmark in the province of Antwerp.
