Kinderdijk, Netherlands2-3 hoursSunset
Kinderdijk Windmills
UNESCO windmills pumping water from polders below sea level.
Ideal: Ideal for photography, outdoors, classic Dutch scenery, and cultural nature routes.
The 19 windmills standing side by side were built between 1738 and 1740 to step water up from the polder below sea level — decoration, not; still an understandable engineering system. The site joined UNESCO's list in 1997. The name means 'children's dike' and comes from the legend that after the great flood of 1421 a cat was found balancing a cradle on the water. Some mills are still home to miller families today.
Why go?
- To see classic Dutch windmills on the UNESCO list
- For canal, waterway, and windmill landscapes
- To add a strong half-day route around Rotterdam
Travel tip
In clear weather cycling or walking is much nicer; be prepared for windy conditions.
