Kinderdijk - the Famous Dutch Windmills

Monday – Today, following the morning activities we were on the road at midday on the way to see the windmills on the Kinderdijk (children’s dyke). It was a cold grey day with light rain showers and at times a biting wind (very Dutch weather). We arrived at 12:30 and notwithstanding the weather took some great photos showing the true Holland that I remember. It was 14:00 before we went home having had a warming cup of tea in the restaurant first. Interestingly some parts of Holland in this area are nine meters below sea level. During the afternoon we brought our partially packed suitcases downstairs because they are too heavy to bring down when fully laden. Tonight, another movie after dinner, but I slept through most. Tomorrow back on the road again, but then it’s to Paris.

The Kinderdijk windmills are a group of 19 monumental windmills in the Alblasserwaard polder, in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. Most of the mills are part of the village of Kinderdijk in the municipality of Molenlanden, and one mill, De Blokker, is part of the municipality of Alblasserdam. Built in 1738 and 1740, to keep water out of the polder, it is the largest concentration of old windmills in the Netherlands and one of the best-known Dutch tourist sites. The mills are listed as national monuments and the entire area is a protected village view since 1993. They have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, and as such are officially named as the Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout.Read more