3.5 km | 3.7 km-effort
You are now walking down the 'Kruisvest', a pleasant footpath with rows of poplar and other majestic trees, along Bruges 'Ringvaart' (circular main canal). The path is part of the 'Vesten', the green belt around the town.
In the 16th century, there used to be at least 30 different wind mills along this former defence line (actually, the outer defence wall of Bruges, dating back to the 13th century). They however started to be abandoned as from the 18th century, when demand for bread started to drop (because of the apparition of potato in the area, as well as the introduction of steam machines that took over the jobs performed up to then by the mills), and disappeared the one after the other. Only four of them remain today, which were all rehabilitated by Bruges Town Council. They are all located on small earth mounts: 'Sint-Janshuismolen', 'Bonne-Chièremolen', 'Koeleweimolen' and 'Nieuwe Papegaai' (''New Parrot4'). In 'Sint-Janshuismolen', wheat is still processed today... but only during the tourist high season anymore, from 1 April to 30 September!
From the top of the small hills where the wind mills stand, you can experience nice sights on the old town in the distance, and also on nice residential areas in front of you. Even if they look quite peaceful and serene today, in the 19th century they were impoverished and feared areas where even the police preferred not to visit, which is testified by the name once given to the place: 'Verloren Hoek' (or Lost Corner)!
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