Windmills of Holland in Kinderdijk-Elshout

The Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout is part of the list of  The World's Heritage of UNESCO in 1977.

 

 

 The Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout
The contribution made by the people of "the low countries" to the technology of handling water is enormous, and this is admirably demonstrated by the installations in the Kinderdijk-Elshout area. Hydraulic works to drain the land for agriculture and settlement began in the Middle Ages and have continued uninterruptedly to the present day. The site contains all the relevant elements of this technology - dikes, reservoirs, pumping stations, administrative buildings, and a series of impeccably preserved windmills. (Source: whc.unesco.org)

Ideal place to run or do your powerwalk but choose a day when tourists are not invading this cozy village.

Yes, was there on the first day of the year, the first non-raining day of my stay in NL. Lucky with the weather although it was a bit windy and wintry cold.

View of the village of the windmills

The Netherlands is famous for its windmills. Today there are still more than 1.000 mills. Nowhere in the world you will find as many windmills as near (the Dutch village) Kinderdijk. Around 1740 no less than 19 sturdy mills were built here. They have been well preserved to the present day. The mills drain the excess water from the Alblasserwaard polders - which are situated below sea-level - after which the water is sluiced into the river Lek (the Rijn).The powerful mill sails serve to transmit the force of the wind on to large paddle-wheels which scoop up the water. Nowadays power-driven pumping engines do the job, including one of the largest water screw pumping-stations in Western Europe.
(For detailed info, please see  http://www.kinderdijk.com)