Kinderdijk in autumn: a water landscape still at work
Nineteen windmills, two walking routes and a story of water management. Kinderdijk remains accessible in autumn, while entry to the visitor sites requires a ticket.
The windmills of Kinderdijk cannot be separated from their landscape. They formed part of a system that drained water from the Alblasserwaard. The area has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997. All nineteen mills remain in their original locations, and some are still home to millers’ families.
According to Kinderdijk, the oldest drainage mills in the Alblasserwaard date from around 1450. Sixteen reservoir mills were added between 1738 and 1740 to pump water farther away. The mills can still serve as a reserve for present-day water management. A walk past them reveals a historic landscape preserved for more than its appearance.
A visit need not follow a fixed programme. Kinderdijk suggests a short route of about an hour and a longer one of two to three hours. A ticket includes entry to three museum windmills and the Wisboom pumping station, as well as a boat tour. Sailing times may vary per day; the official timetable gives the current status.
For Monday 19 October, Kinderdijk lists hours of 09:00 to 17:30 for the season running from 6 March to 1 November. The visitor sites require a ticket. The address is Nederwaard 1b, Kinderdijk. Hours and availability of the boat tour may change.