Although windmills dot the landscape in various parts of The Netherlands, the 19 remarkably preserved windmills in Kinderdijk make them a must-see on any tour of the region. “The area is located amid low-lying polders, tracts of land reclaimed from the sea by the power of the windmills and enclosed by embankments, or dikes.” (Viking Daily, May 17, 2022)
For their endurance since the early 1700s and their continued ability to pump water to this small region, the windmills of Kinderdijk (Dutch for “children’s dike”) have been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site — and a beautiful area to visit.
A debriefing at the site taught us terminology and engineering — well, at least what we could understand — helping us to appreciate the windmills even more. Our leader emphasized the frugality of the Dutch, a quality that has helped people of the area preserve, rework, reuse, and cherish the properties we were about to see.
We noted the landscape on this cloudy day, a landscape dotted with brick windmills bearing large sails — appropriately nicknamed “ground sailors.” And by standing at the base, we could look up and marvel at the details, structures, and almost-artsy assemblage of boards, bricks, and sails.
From the inside, we noted the view from the top as well as the inner workings of the gears. The tour allows visitors to climb the stairs inside and take pictures and, in one windmill still used as a home, to wander throughout and get a sense of the size of the living space.
In the water leading to the gift shop, a “cat’s cradle” replica reminds visitors of a legend surrounding the St. Elizabeth’s Flood of 1421. As the story goes, a local boy went to look at the damage done to a dike after the storm only to find a wooden cradle on the water. But even more surprising was his sighting of a cat rocking back and forth on the cradle trying to keep it from tipping over. Inside was a little girl asleep and unaware of the storm.
Perhaps one of our favorite sights was this one of a millwright climbing up the side of the windmill to unfurl the sails. If you look closely, you can see his wooden shoes with a band of metal on each shoe. We asked our guide about these, and he replied that this man repaired his shoes that had broken with primitive but workable handcrafted “patches.” Dutch frugality, still in operation!
Kinderdijk is a must-see no matter the time of year or time of day. As with other remarkable places, it’s a treasure whether you see it on a cloudy or a sunny day.
And we, along with many others, were pleased that treasures such as these 19 windmills are not only preserved but also still working.
Travel with the wind,
Rusha & Bert
This post is one in a series prompted by a recent trip to The Netherlands and Belgium. Thank you to Viking cruises (Holland & Belgium 2022) and our travel agent, Lauren Gunnels of Ortelius Travel Advisors, for the arrangements and free time to enjoy the scenery!
travelgarb
We had a lovely day out at Kinderdijk too, despite the rain which conveniently fell while we were indoors! I think it’s the best place to see and learn about windmills in Holland.
Oh, the Places We See
Every time I see a windmill now, I remember that morning in Kinderdijk. What a remarkable place! So glad they allow tourists to walk around and even through some of them.
Amy
I so enjoy your Netherland series, Rusha! These windmill photos are all beautifully captured. These reflections, wow…
Latitude Adjustment: A Tale of Two Wanderers
Great post.
WanderingCanadians
What a beautiful collection of windmills. It’s neat that you can even go inside and look around.
Oh, the Places We See
I’m glad they still allow people to go inside. I never dreamed a whole family could live in one of the these, but several do.
Anonymous
Old windmills have a class that is totally lacking in today’s giant that have made their cookie-cutter way around the world, Rusha. (Admittedly, they are doing an important job from an energy/environmental perspective.) We see them everywhere, it seems— even flying over the North Sea yesterday.) I particularly liked your reflection shot. Other windmills that always strike my fancy: those found in the ‘Wild West,’ a relic of the past but still doing a job, and those found on the Greek Isles. –Curt
Oh, the Places We See
We also loved the windmills in the Greek isles, although we’ve only seen Mykonos. And those windmills had no sails, only the staves, or whatever those are called. Liked them anyway. Glad you’re enjoying your new lifestyle, but I bet the deer miss you.
Toonsarah
Could a landscape look more Dutch than this?!! It sounds like a fascinating visit 🙂
Oh, the Places We See
One of our favorite excursions in Holland!
thegenxtravels
Wow! So cool! So much I didn’t know about these windmills!!
Oh, the Places We See
We agree! A lot to learn about the engineering, purpose, and maintenance. Glad they still allow visitors inside.
kzmcb
What fun! Certainly something that we’d love and I thoroughly enjoyed your recount, perhaps especially the cat’s cradle story. Lovely photos.
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks so much. I’ll never forget the number and appearance of so many windmills all in one place! Divine!
dawnkinster
So interesting! We have a Holland, Michigan and there is at least one and probably more windmills there. We went to see the tulip festival when I was a kid, more than 50 years ago. I think we went inside a windmill too. But I’d love to see them over in the REAL Holland!
Oh, the Places We See
I had no idea they were still being used — both as homes for the millwrights and their families and as pumps for regulating water. A fascinating site.