Visit this Kinderdijk mills and see the largest concentration of old windmills in the Netherlands
Kinderdijk is a small village 15 km east of Rotterdam with the largest concentration of old windmills in the world! The 18th century windmills of Kinderdijk are one of the major tourist sites in the Netherlands and are on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The best things in life are free: The windmills in Kinderdijk are located at a public road and can be visited for free, but if you want to enter the mills, you have to buy a ticket at the vistor centre.
The windmills in Kinderdijk have got a long history, that goes back to around 1740. The windmills were built to keep the inhabitants of the Kinderdijk polder dry. The windmills played an important role as a pump to regulate the water level to protect Kinderdijk from flooding, as the most of the land in Kinderdijk is below sea level. Nowadays the windmills have been replaced by a fully automated water pump stations, but the windmills are still in a pretty good condition. The Kinderdijk windmills are still operational but serve other purposes.
Kinderdijk offers 19 historic windmills, which are located along the dikes and roads which are also used by the local villagers. At night the windmills are beautifully illuminated. Cars are not allowed and to get really close to the mills you have to go for a walk or ride a bike, but this is the best way to take some pictures anyway!
The two museum windmills named ‘Blokweer’ and ‘Nederwaard’ are open to the public and you can experience yourself how the Dutch ancestors kept their lowlands dry. Nowadays, the museum mill is not inhabited anymore, but you can still get a good impression of how the life of a miller must have been. All the old pots, pans, wooden shoes and traditional tapestry that were used in the mill are still there. To make the historic setting more realistic, you get to wear an authentic miller’s overall and dutch wooden shoes. Pictures, please!
A boat tour through Kinderdijk is a great way to explore the Windmills. During the 30 minutes tour you get very close to the beautiful old mills! Tickets are sold on board and reservations are not required! Please note that the boat tours only depart from April till October!
The easiest, cheapest and most original way to discover the old windmills is by a bike tour across Kinderdijk. At Alblasserdam Tourist Information they have rental bikes at 12,50 per day. From Rotterdam Central Station, get there by Waterbus line 20 to Alblasserdam Kade. The Alblasserdam Tourist Information is located within walking distance from the waterbus stop. You could also bring your rented bike from Rotterdam, as bicycles are allowed on board the Waterbus ferries!
Rebus shipping company offers boat excursions from Rotterdam to Kinderdijk. On a ferryboat you sail nonstop from Boompjes (next to the Erasmus Bridge) to the windmills in Kinderdijk. During this 60 minute boat trip you will see the skyline of Rotterdam and you will get information in English about all sights. After your arrival in Kinderdijk you have an hour to visit the Kinderdijk windmills before the departure back to Rotterdam. ´The boat tour to Kinderdijk takes place from noon till 4pm and costs 16 per passenger. If you prefer to organize your own boat tour from Rotterdam to Kinderdijk you can also take the regular Waterbus service.
Are you staying in Rotterdam, but you don’t have enough time to visit the Kinderdijk windmills? The historic windmills which are located nearby at Lake Kralingen in Rotterdam are also worth a visit.
On motorway A15 (direction Den Bosch /Arnhem) take exit 22 Alblasserdam and follow the signs Kinderdijk. You can pay to park your car close to the windmill park for €5,00. During the weekend you can park your car for free at the corporate car park of IHC Holland.
From Rotterdam Central Station, get there by Waterbus line 20 to waterbus stop Alblasserdam Kade.
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