The Kinderdijk Windmills
The iconic image of the old Netherlands - nineteen historic windmills lined along the dykes of a green polder, a UNESCO monument to the Dutch mastery of water.
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Illustrative image - a scene in the spirit of the place, not a photograph of it. Real photos are below.
UNESCO World Heritage
Kinderdijk is the iconic image of the old, water-fighting Netherlands, a UNESCO site where nineteen historic windmills stand in a stately line along the dykes and canals of a green polder below sea level. Built in the eighteenth century to pump water from the low land, they are the largest concentration of old windmills in the country and a monument to the Dutch centuries-long battle with the sea.
What you actually see
- The line of windmills - the nineteen historic mills along the dykes.
- The working mills - the visitor mills you can enter to see how they worked.
- The polder landscape - the green, water-laced land below sea level.
- The walking and cycling paths - the routes along the canals between the mills.
When to go
Spring to autumn for the best weather and open mills, and to walk or cycle the paths; some mills turn on set days. It is lovely and quieter early or late in the day, and can be reached scenically by waterbus from Rotterdam.
Honest expectations
It is a very popular day trip, so the paths and car park get busy midday; go early or late. It is a landscape to walk or cycle rather than a single sight, so allow time and good weather. Only a couple of mills are open to enter.
Nearby
Rotterdam's modern skyline is close; the historic town of Dordrecht is nearby.
What to pack for The Kinderdijk Windmills
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
