Kinderdijk, the Land of Windmills

Actually I have a plan to write about this topic a year ago. But I think this is the best time for me to share this information. I just want to say that this was another of fairyland as well. Kinderdijk itself is a village in the Netherlands, at the province South Holland, about 15 km east of Rotterdam. From this place we can see 19 windmills was built around 1740 where Kinderdijk is situated in a polder at the confluence of the Lek and Noord rivers. The nineteen windmills of Kinderdijk are situated in an area of Alblasserwaard between Lek and Merwede, about 25 kilometers from Rotterdam.

These windmills have function to assist in the draining of the lowland area, much of it below sea level. None is still functioning since they have been replaced by mechanical pumps which monitor. This is a great technology can be made by human to overcome the geographic problem. Netherland is one of the greatest country can create such of this technology. These windmills are effective in the extraction of excess water in the lowlands of Holland. That’s why Kinderdijk has been recorded as a UNESCO site and the area in 1997 was placed into the World Heritage List in recognition of its unique character.

Why this place was so unique? nowhere around the world you can find a place like Kinderdijk. This is the only place in the world where you can find so many windmills on such a short area. These windmills complex consists of 8 stone brick windmills which were built in 1738, 8 thatched windmills were built in 1740, 2 stone windmills of the polder Nieuw-Lekkerland built in 1760. But unfortunately, 1 windmill of the polder Blokweer had burned down in 1997. This windmill was built in 1521. But after restoration and has been operational since 2000. These windmills were built to overcome the water problem. It happened more apparent in the 13th century at Alblasserwaard. Large canals, were dug to get rid of the excess water in the polders. So, keeping the polders dry was required and decided to build a series of windmills. These windmills which would pump the water into a reservoir (boezem) until the level of the river had reached a level that pumping the water into the river was possible again. Kinderdijk is the final station of the water of the Alblasserwaard, but since the 1950's the function of the windmills has been taken over by the pumping station which is one of the largest in the world. That’s why Netherlands also called as the land of windmills. The windmills in symbolize Kinderdijk the way in which the Dutch has managed the water.

The group of windmills in Kinderdijk is the largest concentration of old windmills in the Netherlands as the best known Dutch tourist sites. So, what can we see here? We can find meadows with grazing livestock, mills and tree, river, elongated villages situated next to dikes, orchards in blossom and historic farm as well. There are several activities we can do here, like:

• Visiting windmills. The windmill operates daily. One of the windmills is opened for visitors during the tourist season, and at most of the days its operational too.
• Taking a boat trip. The boat starts and stops at the beginning of the windmill boulevard, across the giftshop. It costs about €4 for adult and €3 for children. It takes about 30 minutes.
• Mills in foodlight. This is an unforgettable memory for every visitor. Because of all mills are lighted at night during the second complete week of September. Which is called mills in floodlight.
• National Windmills Day. National Windmill day of the Netherlands celebrated on the second saturday of May. All mills which is showing a Dutch flag are opened for visitors, many times and there is no entrance fee. But sometimes a small donation is required. It still became nice tour for the visitor as the special day.
• Museummolen and the Wisboomgemaal. These places are opened 09:30-17:30 daily in the summer season, at April 1 until October 31. They are only opened 11:00-16:00 on weekends, outside the summer season, they. With the entrance fee ticket about €6 and can be bought at the parking lot. The Wisboomgemaal has an introductory film, a digital scale model and visitor centre. Other facilities are free restrooms and soda machines.
  
  

This was truly wonderful tour where the tourist can get a pretty good idea about the functioning of the windmills and the lifestyle back then. I heard that the best way to see the windmills is on foot or by bicycle. The good news is bike rental is available over there. Don’t worry about public facilities. We can stay at the best hotel, like: Hotel Kinderdijk, Wapen van Alb.dam, Mercure, and Bastion. Several cafeteria and snackbar, bars and restaurant, campings, casino, cinemas. Please enjoy the beauty of Kinderdijk from the pictures and video inside this hub.

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