Elsartmolen

Elsartmolen is a historic watermill on the Herk river in Stevoort, a village that belongs to the municipality of Hasselt in the Belgian province of Limburg. Standing at Herkkantstraat 58, it is one of several old mills that once lined this small river, harnessing its current to power local grain production.

How far back does its history go?

Records of a mill at this location date back to at least 1237, when it was already mentioned as an existing structure on the Herk. That makes Elsartmolen one of the oldest documented mill sites in the wider Hasselt area. Like most watermills that survived for centuries, it was rebuilt and adapted many times as agricultural needs and milling technology evolved.

What does the building look like today?

The current mill house dates from the 19th century, though parts of it may rest on an older core. Attached to it is a miller's house built in 1926, while the present sluice works — the system of gates that controls water flow to the wheel — dates from 1930. Elsartmolen is an undershot mill, meaning its wheel is turned by water striking the lower part of the wheel rather than falling onto it from above, a design well suited to a modest, slow-flowing river like the Herk. The metal waterwheel and the internal mechanism connecting it to the milling equipment have both been preserved.

Is the mill still operational?

The mechanism is in working order and the wheel can still be turned, but Elsartmolen no longer performs its original industrial function of grinding grain into flour. The building has been converted into a restaurant, allowing visitors to experience the historic architecture and machinery firsthand while dining inside. This kind of adaptive reuse is common among old watermills in Belgium and the Netherlands, since it keeps the structure maintained and open to the public even after milling activity ends.

Where exactly is Elsartmolen located?

The mill sits in Stevoort, a village within the municipality of Hasselt, the capital of Limburg province. The Herk, the small river that flows past it, historically fed several mills along its course, including another one in the same village, the Dorpsmolen Stevoort. The surrounding area offers a quiet, rural landscape typical of Limburg, with visible traces of centuries of milling activity along the riverbanks.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors go inside the mill? Since the building now operates as a restaurant, visitors can enter as diners, giving them a close-up look at the preserved wheel and internal woodwork.

What is an undershot mill? It is a type of watermill where the waterwheel is driven by water flowing beneath it and striking its lower paddles, a design typically used on rivers with a gentle current, such as the Herk.

Does the mill still produce flour? No — the mechanism can still be operated for demonstration purposes, but commercial milling has stopped, and the site's main function today is its restaurant.

Why is it called Elsartmolen? The name reflects the historic local naming conventions along the Herk valley, where mills were often identified by the surrounding land or by past owners, much like several neighboring mills in the area.