Best windmills in Kinderdijk

Kinderdijk's Essential Windmills and Waterways

This collection features the 19 historic windmills of Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage site illustrating Dutch hydraulic engineering. The list includes the brick polder mills of Nederwaard, the octagonal thatched-roof mills of Overwaard, and the 17th-century De Blokker. Beyond the mills, it covers the Wisboom pumping station visitor centre, designated viewpoints, and canal boat routes. These structures form a functional 18th-century drainage system designed to manage water levels in the Alblasserwaard polder.

Kinderdijk's Essential Windmills and Waterways — Map

Lucas Hirschegger / CC-BY-SA-3.0

A

Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout

Kinderdijk is a village in the municipality of Molenlanden, in the province of South Holland, Netherlands.

Quistnix / CC BY-SA 3.0

B

Museum Windmill Nederwaard

This 1738 brick polder mill is open to the public, allowing visitors to explore the original living quarters and internal machinery of a working windmill.

C

Visitor centre Wisboom pumping station

Housed in a former steam-powered pumping station from 1868, this center features educational films and exhibits about the site's hydraulic engineering history.

Ed Chuchaisri / CC-BY-SA

D

Unesco viewpoint - Kinderdijk

Elevated platform providing a panoramic view of the 19 windmills and the intersecting canals of the Nederwaard and Overwaard polders.

Tarod / CC BY-SA 3.0 nl

E

Canal tour

Guided boat trip along the Lage Boezem, offering a water-level perspective of the 18th-century windmill network and the surrounding marshlands.

F

De Blokker / Blokkerse wip

Also known as the Blokkerse Wip, this is the oldest mill in Kinderdijk, a hollow post mill originally dating from 1630.

G

Kleine of Lage Molen

A ground-sailer polder mill located in Nieuw-Lekkerland, forming part of the historical drainage system for the Schoonrewoerdse polder.

H

De Hoge Molen

A ground-sailer windmill built in 1740 to assist in the drainage of the Alblasserwaard polder.

I

Nederwaard Molen No.1

One of the eight brick polder mills of the Nederwaard, constructed in 1738 to pump water into the reservoir.

J

Nederwaard Molen No.4

An 18th-century brick polder mill, part of the Nederwaard series used for water management.

K

Softpak BV

IT Specialist

L

Overwaard Molen No.5

An octagonal, thatched-roof polder mill built in 1740, part of the Overwaard drainage system.

Dmytro Balkhovitin / CC BY-SA 4.0

M

Overwaard Molen No.4

One of the eight thatched octagonal mills of the Overwaard, dating from 1740.

N

Overwaard Molen No.6

Historic octagonal mill with a thatched exterior, built in 1740 for the Overwaard polder.

O

Overwaard Molen No.7

Thatched octagonal polder mill constructed in 1740 to manage water levels in the Alblasserwaard.

P

Overwaard Molen No.8

Part of the Overwaard series, this 1740 thatched windmill is a classic example of Dutch polder drainage technology.

Q

Nederwaard Molen No.6

Brick-built polder mill from 1738, situated along the Nederwaard canal.

R

Nederwaard Molen No.3

A 1738 brick windmill belonging to the Nederwaard group, designed for large-scale water displacement.

S

Nederwaard Molen No.7

Historic brick polder mill constructed in 1738 as part of the UNESCO-listed windmill network.

T

Nederwaard Molen No.8

The eighth mill in the Nederwaard series, built in 1738 to drain the surrounding lowlands.

U

Overwaard Molen No.2

Octagonal thatched-roof mill from 1740, located within the Overwaard polder section.

V

Overwaard Molen No.3

One of the thatched-roof mills of the Overwaard, built in 1740 to assist with water management.

W

Overwaard Molen No.1

The first of the Overwaard's eight octagonal thatched mills, dating back to 1740.

X

Kinderdijk

Arrival point for the Waterbus ferry service, connecting the UNESCO site to Rotterdam and Dordrecht.