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Kinderdijk is one of those "must see" places in The Netherlands; you're in Holland and these are the spectacular windmills! The 19 windmills built in the 18th century dating back to around 1740 are a glimpse of how the Dutch managed water and were able to drain water from the lower polder regions. The windmills are in excellent shape and continue to function as a testament to Dutch engineering. Amazing some are still occupied by Miller families of many generations and they continue the work of maintaining and operating them. Kinderdijk is a living museum, an engineering marvel displaying Dutch ingenuity and harmony with nature. It is a beautiful spot to enjoy the natural flowers and take pictures of the windmills.
Small village located near Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Kinderdijk hosts 19 windmills, 17 occupied by private residents, and 2 open to the public. Stopover on our Viking Rhine river cruise after Cologne and before Amsterdam. Guided tour with local guides arranged by Viking cruises. Bring your comfortable waterproof walking shoes, and windbreaker as windy with long walking distances, and it rains a lot, even in late May. Got to go into two of the windmills, up and down steep stairways to see how the Dutch people lived in these structures. Would not want to walk too far in those wooden cogs that the locals use -or is it all tourist talk? Outside museums with exhibits on how the Dutch managed the waterways throughout the centuries. Almost all the windmills were still, despite the wind. Picturesque countryside with more cows than people in sight. Tourist shops where we bought lots of Dutch chocolate. No cash accepted , only credit cards. Still working it off four months later- the chocolate, not the credit cards.
We had a guided tour of the Kinderdijk windmills as part of our Rhine river cruise. These windmills are one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Netherlands and have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was a cloudy, cold November day with a biting wind but that didn't diminish the beauty of the windmills. I of course had known of windmills all my life, but actually seeing them - what a thrill! They are much bigger than I had suspected, and you would *not* want to be under those swooshing blades! The optional, guided tour was excellent and worth taking if there is an opportunity. The tour, done by a local guide, went into the history of the windmills, their use for pumping water and keeping the below-sea level land as land (!) and more. If you choose you can go inside a windmill and climb to the top to see it working and where the windmill keeper's family lived. The stairs are narrow and very steep, a claustrophobia nightmare - I opted out but my wife went up. Even she felt a little claustrophobic on those stairs! But she enjoyed seeing the windmill in operation and marveled at the tiny living space that a family raised 12 children in! Well worthwhile for Netherlands visitors.
This place is so freaking cool! No one was particularly excited when my Godmother planned this for us, but we quickly changed our minds upon arrival! We went on a very windy day so we got to see the windmills in action. Before we got started, we stopped at some of the vendors near the entrance and we purchased incredible fresh cheese & stroopwaffles. We spent so long here, walking around, listening to the tour via our phones, and just marveling at the beauty. I really felt like I was walking around in a painting. We also got to tour the inside of a working windmill which was just fascinating! Do not miss this spot!
The windmills sence at Kinderdijk was amazing! A little haze over the water as the sun rising up is mesmerizing! With windmills reflection in the water, they are picture perfect! The visit to Blokker windmill, the oldest working windmill, felt like being transported back in time when the miller was living there tending the mill. It felt like a living museum. The keeper there showed us how the miller would turn the mill into the wind, release the brake, and put on the sail. I enjoyed every minute of the presentation. Highly recommended!
We first saw the Windmills of Kinderdijk from a distance at sunrise, from our Viking Rhein River Cruise boat. The Kinderdijk name comes from a 1421 legend (see photo), where a wave was said to have washed ashore a cradle, that contained a sleeping baby. This is well before the Harry Chapin's 1974 song "Cats in the Cradle" btw. LOL But the view of these ancient windmills, were stunning to see up close. We were even able to go inside one and see how it is operated by the family living there. These Kinderdijk windmills (photos) are an UNESCO world heritage sites. They are fully functioning and working windmills. The family we met, takes a lot of national pride living here and operating them. These windmills are gorgeous and wonderful to see both from afar and up close.
From our cruise ship, we walked down to Kinderdijk. Because there were many of us, from our ship, our group went straight to the Gift Shop, after that, we went to another building where we saw a extensive presentation about how windmills work. Then we walked out (in the very windy cold day), to a windmill, we met a man who live there, we were able to see the windmill including climbing up the steps. We saw the living areas and outside the windmill, we saw how it was pumping water. We learned that the windmills are there to preserve the heritage. They are no longer necessary to operate. Kinderdijk has the largest concentration of windmills. All millers wear wooden shoes. The willows around there were cut into wooden shoes (see photo). Everything was great, except for the windy weather, which almost blow us into the water.
The Kinderdijk windmills is an UNESCO world heritage site and another landmark of the Netherlands. There are other windmills spots in the Netherlands, but Kinderdijk is the most well-known. We walked around the premise for about an hour and took photos of the windmills. You would have to pay admission if want to enter the museum mills, so check their website for more info. We also went to the café at the visitor's center prior to visiting the windmills since we wanted a snack and beverages.
A stop on our Viking River Cruise, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The grounds are extensive and in addition to the windmills, also contain 2 pump houses, an educational building, and a gift shop. I recommend doing a tour since the history is very interesting. In a nutshell, the windmills were used for water management, but pump houses now have replaced them. FYI- The windmills are no longer operational. I'm not sure how many are open, but we got to go inside one windmill, which was neat. Only the first floor of the windmill is handicap friendly, if you want to climb up there are steep stairs to do so. Great spot for photos! Highly recommend checking out if you're in the area.
Kinderdijk has been a World Heritage Site since 1997. It is about 15 miles east of Rotterdam. Parking will cost you 5 Euros. The Molenkade bus has a stop nearby as an alternative. One thousand years ago Kinderdijk was a peat bog trapped between Lek and Noord rivers and the fury of the sea. Then in the 13th century the Dutch began managing the lowlands by establishing a Waterboard Administrative Council under Flores V. These waterboards were administrative agencies to manage flooding. If nature were to run it's course 26 percent of the Netherlands would be flooded with an additional 60 percent under threat from flooding. Since the 13th century there has been a steady stream of innovation in water management. Dykes, sluices, reservoirs, windmills, steam pumping stations beginning in 1868, diesel-powered pumping stations in 1924 and today computer-operated pumping stations. Kinderdijk has the highest concentration of windmills in the Netherlands. Of the 19 windmills built in 1740, 13 original windmills exist today. The basic entrance fee is 11 Euros at the gate or 9 Euros online. There is additional costs for a boat tour or a professional tour guide. Go online and download the free app. on your smartphone. The app will help you arrange your ticket purchase, book a boat tour and download your audio-guide. I highly recommend the app.. Bring your own headphones and a fully charged battery. There are several audio-tours to choose from, shorter or extended, kids or adult. The audio-tours cover the history of the area, wildlife, regional history, life of the millers and the windmills. There is a digital map of Kinderdijk and the surrounding area, as well. Kinderdijk is situated in the Albasserwaard polder at the confluence of the Lek and Noord rivers. There is a visitor center, gift shop and small cafe. There are only two windmills that allow entrance. It is an extra 8 Euros. Stairs that climb to the top are steep and narrow with living quarters at the top. Once you climb to the top and see the living quarters you will be amazed that the Hoek family with their 13 children all lived in that tiny living space. The Hoeks have been millers for 10 generations. Millers today must have a miller's certificate. This is a part time job for millers today. By day they are schoolteachers, plumbers, lawyers and various other professions.
This is for the windmills only. Toured them via a Viking cruise tour, and the guide was a local who gave a great informative tour of the working windmill and immediate area. We were told the sad story of the child walking out of the wrong door while the blades were spinning, the mother raced out and saved the child, but perished herself when hit by the whirling blades. Gruesome end. Never knew the windmills were for pumping water! I thought they were for grinding corn or similar...very impressive to see these things, so glad they saved a few before demolishing most of them...
If you have half a day to spare in the Netherlands, get out of Amsterdam and come here! You just need to hop on the train to Rotterdam (make sure you buy the supplement for your train ticket), take the tram to Erasmusburg to board the ferry that takes you to the entrance of the kinderdijk windmills. You don't need to buy tickets if you don't plan to visit the museum which is essentially the inside of two of the windmills. What I suggest is renting a bike to go around all the windmills, relax, take photos and have fun. Biking in NL is very pleasant as the country is as flat as a pancake, which is also why it will be flooded one day. If you want to go to the last windmill, walking is probably not a good idea when you can bike on nice paved bike lanes, but watch out for some serious big pile of dung. The museum is worth seeing especially for €9 only. It's nice to climb to the top and see the gears. When I went, none of the windmills was running so it's too bad not to be able to see the actually mechanism in place. The other museum which is further away won't let you climb up. It looks like a miller is actually living there. But don't miss out on the 2 goats, rabbits and pretty plants in the yard! We had so much fun. Definitely worth a trip here!
We took a walking tour while here- it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I loved looking at all the windmills & there is even one that you can climb up in to (small admission fee). The whole place is just beautiful with benches to sit on to enjoy and relax. Definitely check out climbing up in to the windmill- you can see the huge gears & how the living situation is set up in there with the small spaces. They have a few food stands to order snacks/food by the entrance/gift shop. We ordered a stroopwaffle which was freshly made in front of you & you had the option of picking toppings. read more
Kinderdijk is one of the most iconic and beautiful places in the Netherlands -- a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its 19 historic windmills, scenic canals, and peaceful countryside atmosphere. Kinderdijk literally means "Children's Dike" in Dutch. The Origin Story is a Famous Dutch Legend -- that during a massive flood in the 1400s, rescuers found a cradle floating on the water. Inside was a baby -- and a cat jumping back and forth to keep the cradle balanced so it wouldn't tip over. When people saw this cradle drifting toward the dike, they called the place Kinderdijk = Kinder (child) + dijk (dike). Once you walk into the area, you would feel like you've entered a fairy, legendary place. The area is absolutely beautiful and so peaceful, with tall, majestic windmills rising above the landscape. It is a must visit spot whenever you're in the Netherlands. read more
Absolutely a charming and historic place to visit. These 19 remaining Wind-mills and their hardworking Miller Families began transferring water from the lowlands from below sea level by pumping water to upper canals and out to sea some 300 years ago and those that remain still operate! We stopped as part of a Viking River Cruise taking a tour in a restored canal barge, transformed during an extensive renovation to 21st century electric power! Our tour guides: A retired school teacher and the barge owner/Captain were wonderful guides presenting an in depth history lesson of the Kinderdijk region the Millers and wind-mill's vital roll in maintaining dry lands from being over taken by seawater. The main facility includes an educational center, gift shop, snacks, comfort station with more modern plumbing! Rooftop observation for a Birds Eye view. An amazing achievement given the technology of the day and a must see while in the area. read more
Kinderdijk is one of those "must see" places in The Netherlands; you're in Holland and these are the spectacular windmills! The 19 windmills built in the 18th century dating back to around 1740 are a glimpse of how the Dutch managed water and were able to drain water from the lower polder regions. The windmills are in excellent shape and continue to function as a testament to Dutch engineering. Amazing some are still occupied by Miller families of many generations and they continue the work of maintaining and operating them. Kinderdijk is a living museum, an engineering marvel displaying Dutch ingenuity and harmony with nature. It is a beautiful spot to enjoy the natural flowers and take pictures of the windmills. read more
Small village located near Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Kinderdijk hosts 19 windmills, 17 occupied by private residents, and 2 open to the public. Stopover on our Viking Rhine river cruise after Cologne and before Amsterdam. Guided tour with local guides arranged by Viking cruises. Bring your comfortable waterproof walking shoes, and windbreaker as windy with long walking distances, and it rains a lot, even in late May. Got to go into two of the windmills, up and down steep stairways to see how the Dutch people lived in these structures. Would not want to walk too far in those wooden cogs that the locals use -or is it all tourist talk? Outside museums with exhibits on how the Dutch managed the waterways throughout the centuries. Almost all the windmills were still, despite the wind. Picturesque countryside with more cows than people in sight. Tourist shops where we bought lots of Dutch chocolate. No cash accepted , only credit cards. Still working it off four months later- the chocolate, not the credit cards. read more
We had a guided tour of the Kinderdijk windmills as part of our Rhine river cruise. These windmills are one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Netherlands and have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was a cloudy, cold November day with a biting wind but that didn't diminish the beauty of the windmills. I of course had known of windmills all my life, but actually seeing them - what a thrill! They are much bigger than I had suspected, and you would *not* want to be under those swooshing blades! The optional, guided tour was excellent and worth taking if there is an opportunity. The tour, done by a local guide, went into the history of the windmills, their use for pumping water and keeping the below-sea level land as land (!) and more. If you choose you can go inside a windmill and climb to the top to see it working and where the windmill keeper's family lived. The stairs are narrow and very steep, a claustrophobia nightmare - I opted out but my wife went up. Even she felt a little claustrophobic on those stairs! But she enjoyed seeing the windmill in operation and marveled at the tiny living space that a family raised 12 children in! Well worthwhile for Netherlands visitors. read more
2 years ago
This place is so freaking cool! No one was particularly excited when my Godmother planned this for us, but we quickly changed our minds upon arrival! We went on a very windy day so we got to see the windmills in action. Before we got started, we stopped at some of the vendors near the entrance and we purchased incredible fresh cheese & stroopwaffles. We spent so long here, walking around, listening to the tour via our phones, and just marveling at the beauty. I really felt like I was walking around in a painting. We also got to tour the inside of a working windmill which was just fascinating! Do not miss this spot! read more
The windmills sence at Kinderdijk was amazing! A little haze over the water as the sun rising up is mesmerizing! With windmills reflection in the water, they are picture perfect! The visit to Blokker windmill, the oldest working windmill, felt like being transported back in time when the miller was living there tending the mill. It felt like a living museum. The keeper there showed us how the miller would turn the mill into the wind, release the brake, and put on the sail. I enjoyed every minute of the presentation. Highly recommended! read more
4 years ago
We first saw the Windmills of Kinderdijk from a distance at sunrise, from our Viking Rhein River Cruise boat. The Kinderdijk name comes from a 1421 legend (see photo), where a wave was said to have washed ashore a cradle, that contained a sleeping baby. This is well before the Harry Chapin's 1974 song "Cats in the Cradle" btw. LOL But the view of these ancient windmills, were stunning to see up close. We were even able to go inside one and see how it is operated by the family living there. These Kinderdijk windmills (photos) are an UNESCO world heritage sites. They are fully functioning and working windmills. The family we met, takes a lot of national pride living here and operating them. These windmills are gorgeous and wonderful to see both from afar and up close. read more
From our cruise ship, we walked down to Kinderdijk. Because there were many of us, from our ship, our group went straight to the Gift Shop, after that, we went to another building where we saw a extensive presentation about how windmills work. Then we walked out (in the very windy cold day), to a windmill, we met a man who live there, we were able to see the windmill including climbing up the steps. We saw the living areas and outside the windmill, we saw how it was pumping water. We learned that the windmills are there to preserve the heritage. They are no longer necessary to operate. Kinderdijk has the largest concentration of windmills. All millers wear wooden shoes. The willows around there were cut into wooden shoes (see photo). Everything was great, except for the windy weather, which almost blow us into the water. read more
The Kinderdijk windmills is an UNESCO world heritage site and another landmark of the Netherlands. There are other windmills spots in the Netherlands, but Kinderdijk is the most well-known. We walked around the premise for about an hour and took photos of the windmills. You would have to pay admission if want to enter the museum mills, so check their website for more info. We also went to the café at the visitor's center prior to visiting the windmills since we wanted a snack and beverages. read more
We really enjoyed our guided tour to learn about the history of the area and the windmills. It was neat to get inside one and scope it out. They have a nice gift shop and I got to enjoy my first stroll waffle. The areas is really pretty with plenty of walking paths to stroll about. read more
A stop on our Viking River Cruise, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The grounds are extensive and in addition to the windmills, also contain 2 pump houses, an educational building, and a gift shop. I recommend doing a tour since the history is very interesting. In a nutshell, the windmills were used for water management, but pump houses now have replaced them. FYI- The windmills are no longer operational. I'm not sure how many are open, but we got to go inside one windmill, which was neat. Only the first floor of the windmill is handicap friendly, if you want to climb up there are steep stairs to do so. Great spot for photos! Highly recommend checking out if you're in the area. read more
6 years ago
Kinderdijk has been a World Heritage Site since 1997. It is about 15 miles east of Rotterdam. Parking will cost you 5 Euros. The Molenkade bus has a stop nearby as an alternative. One thousand years ago Kinderdijk was a peat bog trapped between Lek and Noord rivers and the fury of the sea. Then in the 13th century the Dutch began managing the lowlands by establishing a Waterboard Administrative Council under Flores V. These waterboards were administrative agencies to manage flooding. If nature were to run it's course 26 percent of the Netherlands would be flooded with an additional 60 percent under threat from flooding. Since the 13th century there has been a steady stream of innovation in water management. Dykes, sluices, reservoirs, windmills, steam pumping stations beginning in 1868, diesel-powered pumping stations in 1924 and today computer-operated pumping stations. Kinderdijk has the highest concentration of windmills in the Netherlands. Of the 19 windmills built in 1740, 13 original windmills exist today. The basic entrance fee is 11 Euros at the gate or 9 Euros online. There is additional costs for a boat tour or a professional tour guide. Go online and download the free app. on your smartphone. The app will help you arrange your ticket purchase, book a boat tour and download your audio-guide. I highly recommend the app.. Bring your own headphones and a fully charged battery. There are several audio-tours to choose from, shorter or extended, kids or adult. The audio-tours cover the history of the area, wildlife, regional history, life of the millers and the windmills. There is a digital map of Kinderdijk and the surrounding area, as well. Kinderdijk is situated in the Albasserwaard polder at the confluence of the Lek and Noord rivers. There is a visitor center, gift shop and small cafe. There are only two windmills that allow entrance. It is an extra 8 Euros. Stairs that climb to the top are steep and narrow with living quarters at the top. Once you climb to the top and see the living quarters you will be amazed that the Hoek family with their 13 children all lived in that tiny living space. The Hoeks have been millers for 10 generations. Millers today must have a miller's certificate. This is a part time job for millers today. By day they are schoolteachers, plumbers, lawyers and various other professions. read more
This is for the windmills only. Toured them via a Viking cruise tour, and the guide was a local who gave a great informative tour of the working windmill and immediate area. We were told the sad story of the child walking out of the wrong door while the blades were spinning, the mother raced out and saved the child, but perished herself when hit by the whirling blades. Gruesome end. Never knew the windmills were for pumping water! I thought they were for grinding corn or similar...very impressive to see these things, so glad they saved a few before demolishing most of them... read more
7 years ago
10 years ago
If you have half a day to spare in the Netherlands, get out of Amsterdam and come here! You just need to hop on the train to Rotterdam (make sure you buy the supplement for your train ticket), take the tram to Erasmusburg to board the ferry that takes you to the entrance of the kinderdijk windmills. You don't need to buy tickets if you don't plan to visit the museum which is essentially the inside of two of the windmills. What I suggest is renting a bike to go around all the windmills, relax, take photos and have fun. Biking in NL is very pleasant as the country is as flat as a pancake, which is also why it will be flooded one day. If you want to go to the last windmill, walking is probably not a good idea when you can bike on nice paved bike lanes, but watch out for some serious big pile of dung. The museum is worth seeing especially for €9 only. It's nice to climb to the top and see the gears. When I went, none of the windmills was running so it's too bad not to be able to see the actually mechanism in place. The other museum which is further away won't let you climb up. It looks like a miller is actually living there. But don't miss out on the 2 goats, rabbits and pretty plants in the yard! We had so much fun. Definitely worth a trip here! read more
8 years ago
Had such a fun time! Rode the boat and went to various windmills. Didn't know biking was so common, I do wish I would of had that opportunity but not entirely sure where you rent them from. Met a man who lived in the windmill and he explained to use how they worked and about his life. The windmill had all sorts of cool decorations and it was neat getting to go inside of one. Chose to come here on a whim and am I so happy to say that we chose to go! read more
7 years ago
11 years ago
I visited Kinderdijk on the beginning of a river cruise a few months ago. The area is part of the Dutch countryside and is home to 19 historic windmills that were built in the mid-18th century. Kinderdijk is also a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Obviously you are going here for the windmills. There are a couple areas to explore though in Kinderdijk besides the windmills. One area focuses on the water management systems in the region while another examines the carving of the wooden clogs and the various wooden parts for windmills. The main site to visit is of course the working windmill. The windmill you do have to pay an entrance fee to enter, but it is really fascinating to get up close to a windmill. One windmill is open to the public and 3 floors are open for touring. The family who used to live here many years ago still feel like a part of this place today because the windmill was where they worked and lived. Additionally there photos on the wall showing you who the family was that lived here. Overall I recommend going to Kinderdijk if you have a chance, since it is a fascinating and truly Dutch experience. read more
This is a beautiful place to walk around and enjoy a view that is different from what I may see in my the U.S. or other places. I came here just as the sun was setting and left right before it started raining. So the sky was absolutely magnificent - a photographer's dream. I give this 4 stars instead of 5 because there is not so much to do other than walk the route and visit the souvenir store. read more
11 years ago
I enjoyed every second!! Gorgeous scenery. I rented a bike. It was the best decision of the day read more
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