We look back on 2025 with satisfaction. The museum locations in the mill area welcomed approximately 370,000 paying visitors. This means that visitor numbers remained stable compared to 2024, underlining that Kinderdijk continued to be a popular destination for both domestic and international visitors in 2025.
The past year was marked by a strong focus on preservation and future resilience. Extensive work was carried out on the careful maintenance of the mills, the pumping station and the surrounding landscape. These activities are essential to keep the World Heritage site in good condition and to pass it on to future generations.
To ensure this in the long term, we aim to carry out more maintenance in-house. The restoration of the former barn of the Gebroeders Pot—once the world’s finest makers of windmill sails—contributes to this ambition and helps preserve the craftsmanship of mill making.
At the same time, attention was given to further improving the visitor experience. A visible result of this effort is the renewal of several museum locations. In the spring of 2025, a new film and exhibition opened at the secondary pumping station De Fabriek, presenting the story of water management in a contemporary way.
In addition, more traditional crafts were made visible to visitors. Several of the site’s 270 volunteers demonstrate how bread was baked in the past in the bakehouse and how the Wisboom pumping station was operated.
Alongside investments in the site and the museums, we also took steps in the field of innovation and collaboration in 2025. A new visual identity was introduced, better aligned with the story of Kinderdijk and strengthening the international appeal of the World Heritage site.
New partnerships were also established. Together with a regional partner, Kinderdijk launched a new souvenir collection. This not only helps to further tell the story of Kinderdijk, but also makes the connection with the surrounding region more visible and stronger.
In July 2025, the Municipal Council of Molenlanden approved the zoning plan for the entrance zone of World Heritage Kinderdijk. In the coming years, this entrance area will become safer, greener and more clearly organised. In addition, the area will gain an appearance befitting one of the most iconic UNESCO World Heritage sites.
“The results of 2025 show that we are successfully working on both preservation and innovation,” says Peter-Jan van Steenbergen, Managing Director of Kinderdijk World Heritage Foundation. “With the steps we have taken, we continue to build a future-proof World Heritage site, where quality, authenticity and experience are central. Not only for visitors from all over the world, but certainly also for the people living in the immediate surroundings.”
Film in secondary pumping station De Fabriek
Operating the Wisboom pumping station
Restoration works on the former Pot Brothers’ barn
Exhibition in secondary pumping station De Fabriek
