The largest number of historical working windmills in the Netherlands is at Kinderdijk near Rotterdam and Dordrecht in South Holland. Admission is free.
Kinderdijk near Rotterdam and Dordrecht in South Holland has the largest collection of historical working windmills in the Netherlands. The 19 windmills (windmolen) at Kinderdijk are on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list and a very popular day-trip destination from Rotterdam and even Amsterdam. Public transportation is available, but most visitors find bus tours and minibus excursions more convenient, especially when traveling from Amsterdam or seeing Kinderdijk en route to Belgium. The watershuttle from Rotterdam is a very convenient way to get to Kinderdijk.
Visit 19 Historical Windmills at Kinderdijk in the Netherlands
Kinderdijk is the best place in Holland to see working windmills. The 19 windmills of Kinderdijk form an idealistic panorama of historic rural Holland as it was a century or two ago. In contrast to most other open-air museums with windmills in the Netherlands, these windmills have always been here and were not brought to Kinderdijk as museum exhibits.
The windmills at Kinderdijk date from the 18th century. These windmills were watermills – wind-powered mills used to pump water from low-lying land back into the Lek River. Steam-powered pumps took over in the late 19th century (and eventually electricity), but the windmills were still operational in emergencies up to the mid-20th century.
Visiting Historic Windmills at Kinderdijk in the Netherlands
Admission to most of the Kinderdijk is free, and the windmill area is freely accessible at any time. The best time to visit is on Saturdays in July and August, when all mills are turning if sufficient wind is blowing.
Most of the windmills at Kinderdijk are inhabited, and the owners take privacy very seriously. Don’t stray into private land.
To see the inside of the only two open windmills, buy a Kinderdijk Ticket (around €22), which includes:
- A boat tour along the mills
- A visit to the Museum Mill Nederwaard
- A visit to Museum Mill Blokweer
- An informative film and exhibition in the De Fabriek auxiliary pumping station
- Viewing the engine room of the Wisboomgemaal
The windmills at Kinderdijk can be admired from paths along the canal, which are open to pedestrians and bicycles. It is possible to rent bicycles nearby. As in most of Holland, inclines are not a problem.
- See Cycling at Kinderdijk for more detailed information.
Windmills are emblematic of rural Holland and the typical rural idyll of the Netherlands, expected by many tourists and visitors from all over the world. Thus, it is not surprising that Kinderdijk is exceptionally popular with bus parties. Kinderdijk is the best place to see windmills in Holland. Early mornings or late afternoons usually see a respite from the tourist masses.
Getting to the Windmills at Kinderdijk in South Holland
Getting to Kinderdijk is easy by car, but detailed maps (or GPS navigation systems) are useful, as small country roads are needed to reach the windmills. A car ferry service transports cars, cyclists, and pedestrians from Krimpen aan den Lek over the river very close to Kinderdijk. Parking is around €10 irrespective of the time.
Public Transportation to Kinderdijk
It is possible to reach Kinderdijk on public transportation:
- The Watershuttle from Rotterdam is the easiest and fastest option. It travels to Kinderdijk from Rotterdam Willemskade (at Erasmus Bridge, Leuvehaven metro and tram stops) in half an hour. The service is available at least hourly daily for most of the year (but only Friday to Sunday for much of January, February, and early March). In 2026, the watershuttle is a tourist service and no longer part of the public transportation waterbus network. Buy tickets online or by card on the boat if still available — around €10 one-way (€20 return, no saving but cuts out the hassle of buying twice).
- Qbuzz R-net Bus 489 public transportation bus stops directly at the windmills — Use “Kinderdijk Molens, Kinderdijk” as destination when planning a journey at 9292.nl. The bus mostly goes to parts of Rotterdam you are unlikely to be interested in, but with connections to other buses or trains, it is easy, if a bit slow, to reach any part of the Netherlands.
Bus Tours and Day Trips to Kinderdijk
Many bus tours and minibus day trips are available from most parts of the Netherlands to Kinderdijk. These tours make logistics simple and are an easier way to combine many further sights in a single day of travel.
Rotterdam is the closest big city to Kinderdijk, but day trips from Amsterdam are easily arranged too. Kinderdijk is often included in longer day-trips to other cities, even Antwerp in Belgium.
Kinderdijk has the finest collection of working windmills in the Netherlands. It is a popular day-trip destination, especially from South Holland cities such as Rotterdam and Den Haag (The Hague). Day trips are also available from Amsterdam, but independent travelers may find the historical windmills at Zaanse Schans easier to reach by public transportation from Amsterdam.
For More on Seeing Windmills in the Netherlands:
- Cycling at Kinderdijk
- Book Day-Trip Tours to Kinderdijk
- Book Watershuttle boat trips from Rotterdam to Kinderdijk.
- Buy the Kinderdijk UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Ticket
- Visit the historical windmills at Zaanse Schans on public transportation from Amsterdam.
- Photos of Kinderdijk on Flickr