Kinderdijk is one of the most popular day-trip destinations in The Netherlands, yet I had never visited this famous UNESCO world heritage site. Last summer, on a gloriously warm and sunny day, my little boy and I set off on our own little adventure to marvel at the windmills of Kinderdijk. If you’d like to visit to: I have written up all you need to know to visit UNESCO Heritage landmark Kinderdijk in The Netherlands.
Plan your trip to Kinderdijk
Kinderdijk is tucked away in a beautiful nook of The Netherlands. Still, it’s not so hard to get there. The windmilss are easy to reach from Rotterdam. Buy your ticket well in advance as Kinderdijk is one of the most popular attractions in The Netherlands.
Getting to Kinderdijk
- If you travel by car, you can park at Marineweg in Alblasserdam. be sure to get there early, as parking spaces are (very) limted.
- Traveling by public transport, you take the train to Rotterdam. From Rotterdam take the waterbus to Kinderdijk, a really fun (and cheap!) way of getting there.
- If you’re travelling with a group, there’s the possibility to take a small group tour to see the highlights of Rotterdam and Kinderdijk.
Hotels in Kinderdijk
Leonardo Hotel Papendrecht
Leonardo Hotel Papendrecht (formerly Apollo Hotel) is located just 7 km from the windmills of Kinderdijk, it only takes a few minutes to get there by car or rental bike. The rooms in this hotel are very spacious and comfortable and you can enjoy both a lovely breakfast and dinner in the restaurant. From the hotel it’s also easy enough to explore other beautiful places in The Netherlands like Rotterdam and Delft.
Van der Valk Hotel Ridderkerk
Van der Valk Hotel Ridderkerk is located only 6 km from the windmills of Kinderdijk and if you don’t have a car, simply rent a bike (or e-bike) at the hotel to find your way to the windmills in minutes. The hotel offers superior rooms as a standard, so you can expect spacious rooms for a very good price. Dinner at the hotel restaurant as exellent, as well as the very extensive breakfast choices.
About Kinderdijk
The windmills of Kinderdijk are unique. There isn’t anything like it, anywhere in the world. The water being slightly higher than the land will immediately catch your eye. And you’re right, as Kinderdijk is below sea level. Over the centuries the windmills were built to pump the land dry and keep it from flooding. And this was all powered by the grand blades of the windmills.
Over a thousand years ago the Alblasserwaard, the site of Kinderdijk, was trapped between rivers and the sea. The area could only be entered by hunters and fishermen if the water levels were low enough. Over the centuries a system, using windmills, was used as pumping station to get rid of the excess water. This could be released into the land in times of drought. The windmills of Kinderdijk are a beautiful example of the finest cooperation between men, technology and nature.
Top things to do in Kinderdijk
Funnily enough, a visit to Kinderdijk is completely free. You can take a walk or bike ride along the windmills without having to pay. The views are amazing. However, I would advise you to buy a ticket before you visit. Not only will this help with the (expensive) upkeep of these 19 giant historical monuments, but a ticket also grants you access to three windmills. In one of them, you can see what it was like to live in a windmill, another windmill shows the technology behind the windmills and there’s also a windmill with a little petting zoo and café.
With the ticket you can also take a look at an interesting movie in the visitor centre, explaining the history of Kinderdijk and how the windmills have helped to keep the land from flooding. From the visitor centre, there’s an impressive view over all 19 windmills and you can board a boat to take a look a the windmills from the water. You’ll be sailing above the land, which is a pretty special experience.
Kinderdijk, The Netherlands
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