The Windmills of Kinderdijk

Rightly or wrongly whenever I think of Holland I think of clogs, tulips and windmills.

A great area to stretch your legs, and to take in the sights, is the village of Kinderdijk and it's impressive windmills.

At around a 30 minute drive east of Rotterdam, Kinderdijk is home of around 18 windmills - the largest concentration in the Netherlands and a designated UNESCO site.

Dating back to between 1738 and 1740 the windmills were used to prevent the polders (low land) flooding by pumping the water into reservoirs. The polders are now pumped by machine - one of which is located next to the main car park.

The windmills themselves are impressive pieces of architecture and provide a dramatic backdrop as you walk along the canals.

There site has a gift shop and tourist information point selling canal boat tours and providing information on the mills (you can also purchase a ticket and take a historical tour around one of mills).

With loads of views and wildlife the windmills are a great sight to behold and they pull in crowds from around the world. If you make it there keep an eye out for the man on his hotdog bicycle!