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What you NEED to know before taking an ultimate day trip to Kinderdijk?

The village of Kinderdijk, home to a network of Unesco World Heritage windmills, is perhaps among a host of spectacular spots that should be listed on your bucket list in the Netherlands. However, if you are still wondering whether Kinderdijk is worth your time and money, then read on because this blog will help you have a better grasp of its history, provide interesting facts about windmills, and suggest the best things to do while enjoying your precious trip here. What are you waiting for? Book your Kinderdijk ticket now!

Overview of Kinderdijk village.

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Kinderdijk, located in the southern Netherland province of Alblasserwaard, is an attractive little hamlet. Its extensive network of windmills, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, has made it a popular and genuine tourist attraction. The Netherlands is a wet and swampy place due to its natural topography. Therefore, windmills were constructed as a means of water management to drain the swampy ground and make it suitable for farming and livestock raising. Still today, it continues to serve an important function in the Dutch ecology, helping to keep an otherwise relatively low-lying area dry.

Windmills at Kinderdijk.

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It would be hard to picture a more quintessential Dutch scene than Kinderdijk, with its landscape covered with operating windmills. Only at Kinderdijk can you see a genuine polder (a low-lying piece of land enclosed by dikes) with so many windmills in such close proximity to one another.
The low-lying polders rely on an inventive water management system made up of 19 mills, pumping stations, low and high ‘boezems’ (storage basins), ditches, and sluices. It goes without saying that such beautiful vistas, towering clouds, and breathtaking scenery of the Kinderdijk windmills characterize this classic Dutch countryside.

Other things to do in Kinderdijk village:

1. Walk or cycle through Kinderdijk Windmills.

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Perhaps the best way to see all the 19 UNESCO World Heritage Kinderdijk Windmills is by taking a leisurely walk or by biking over the dike. Remember to always bring along your camera to capture the mesmerizing landscapes. Such tranquility of the scenery might brighten up your day and help you escape from the rat race.

2. Visit the Wisboom Pumping Station.

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Next on your list should be the majestic Wisboom pumping station. Here, in the early 1990s, the Kinderdijk method of water management first gained traction. You can learn about the Kinderdijk windmill within the walls of the Wisboom. You may journey back in time at your own pace by turning the wheels and reading about different periods. In addition, the windmill complex has a café and gift store selling a wide variety of items with Dutch or windmill themes.

3. Take a boat trip.

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Don’t miss out on a chance to go out on the water and see the sights throughout your trip. It’s ideal for taking pictures of the Knderdijk and viewing it from a fresh perspective. The sights are, without a doubt, stunning. While the “Cruiser” will take you around for 30 minutes, the “Hopper” will stay on a set path all day, stopping at both the Museum Mills in Nederwaard and Blokweer.

4. Watch the film at the secondary pumping station ‘Hulpgemaal De Fabriek’.

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The Overwaard’s Lower Basin is home to this enormous structure. It’s a reproduction of the original auxiliary pumping station that helped keep the Wisboom pumping station running well until 1995. This short history of Kinderdijk and how it came to be known as “Children’s Dike” (Kinderdijk) is shown in a multi-screen video at the De Fabriek Auxiliary Pumping Station today.

Some facts about the Windmills of Kinderdijk:

  • What’s special is that Kinderdijk’s windmills are all privately owned dwellings, often handed down through generations.
  • The residents are referred to as millers, and they are required to get a “mill certificate,” which demonstrates their dedication to maintaining the mills and keeping them operational in case contemporary machinery ever breaks down.
  • The name “Kinderdijk” derives from a legend about a villager who saw a cat attempting to keep the cradle balanced by hopping back and forth in a manner that would prevent it from being flooded by water. As the cradle approached the dike’s dry ground, there was an infant girl inside the cradle. Thus, this is how the Dutch word “Kinderdijk” (meaning “children’s dike”) associated with the area.

    Tips: For more incredible things to do in the Netherlands, take our guides to other incredible places as well. There is so much to cover in the Netherlands. Check it out!

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Maris Lopez
Maris Lopezhttp:////my-lifestyle.co
Hey there! I'm Maris, an American girl who is passionate about adventure, the outdoors and all things travel!
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