Explore Holland’s 19 Magnificent Windmills In Beautiful Kinderdijk

In Kinderdijk, you can visit the largest and most dense concentration of windmills in the Netherlands. Officially made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, the story of Kinderdijk is now part of world history.

Pro Tip: For those that may be confused, Holland is a province located in the north of the Netherlands. Furthermore, people from Holland are called Hollanders while people of the Netherlands are collectively called the Dutch.

One of the best-known Dutch sites for windmills is Kinderdijk. Situated in the Alblasserwaard polder, the village lies about 15 miles east of Rotterdam. The windmills are built of brick or wood, some standing as high as 128 feet. And even though they have been replaced by modern pumping stations, the Dutch have managed to integrate their windmill history and culture into an attraction, drawing international tourists who come to marvel at their preservation, purpose, and ingenuity.

Kinderdjik features 19 pristinely preserved windmills built in the mid-18^th century. They were specifically designed to drain the polder, which means they are actually watermills.

So, just what is a polder? After all, it seems to be key to the purpose of a windmill. Briefly stated, a polder is reclaimed land from below sea level that has been salvaged from the ocean, rivers, or wetlands.  Dykes, drainage canals, and pumping stations are instrumental in the reclamation process.

The Kinderdijk windmills stretch out over a wide area. The area has many paths to walk or bike while enjoying the countryside. Tourists as well as local families come to enjoy the rural outdoors.

Pro Tip: Be sure to wear good walking shoes as the distance between the 19 windmills covers some territory. On the plus side is the fact that most of the land and pathways are relatively flat. You might also want to bring an umbrella for shade from the sun and to keep dry from frequent rains.

Legend has it that Kinderdijk got its name from a devastating flood in the year 1421. After the storm, a wooden cradle was spied on the flood waters, along with a cat jumping to and fro to keep the cradle floating. When the cradle approached dry land on the dyke, a baby was found safe inside. This installation commemorates the tale. Kinderdijk is Dutch for “children’s dyke.”

Wooden shoes (klompen), worn since the 13^th century, are an age-old symbol most often associated with the Netherlands. Today, these traditional Dutch clogs are the choice footwear for farmers, gardeners, and windmill keepers. The water-resistant wooden shoes provide practical foot protection in the Dutch polder countryside.

Life in a windmill was arduous at best. Cramped quarters, poor insulation, and isolated living added to the challenges of keeping the windmill operational and pumping out water.

Nowadays, the Kinderdijk Windmills still remove water from the Alblasserwaard polder on an emergency basis. (The area is about 10 by 20 miles wide before it empties into the sea.) However, more efficient screw pumps have replaced the windmills and perform the necessary drainage on a regular basis.

Visit Kinderdijk by vintage barge on a Viking River Cruise exclusive boat tour that takes you to the oldest Kinderdijk windmill: Blokker Windmill dates back to 1630 and visually details the life of the windmill keepers. Bikes are available for renting and strolls in the country are most inviting.

The Kinderdijk Windmill complex is unique: You won’t find anything like this anywhere in the world. The Dutch have managed to control the waters over the centuries through an ingenious system of windmills and pumping stations. Visitors come from faraway countries to experience the amazing story of wind triumphing over water.