THE AREA

Landscape and wildlife

Polder landscape like in a Dutch Master´s painting

A picturesque landscape on the bottom of the sea

Once you come over to visit Kinderdijk for yourself, you will not only dive into a unique tale of creaking windmills and raging storms. You will also take a literal plunge into a landscape that is more than two metres below sea level in some places! For centuries, the millers of Kinderdijk drained their polders, and the lands they managed to reclaim became a unique environment of peat soil, meadows, ditches, and canals, enclosed by the strong dykes of the district water board. Note, for access to our visitor locations you need to buy an entrance ticket online in advance.

BACKGROUND

Birds of rare beauty in a stunning setting

In Kinderdijk, you’ll encounter some very special windmills, but if you look carefully, you can discover some very rare species of birds as well! These swampy reed borders provide a perfect hideout for seven special and endangered bird species, including a colony of stunning purple herons. This is why the Alblasserwaard region is included in the grand European project Natura 2000. Every year, volunteers set out to count the purple heron population. Be sure to bring your binoculars and your camera with you, because taking stunning pictures is child’s play in the natural beauty of this unique stretch of classic Dutch countryside!

Zonsopkomst UNESCO Werelderfgoed Kinderdijk

The land surrounding the Kinderdijk windmills is just teeming with plants and wildlife. Here, birds, insects, rodents, and a host of other species have found a home for as long as anyone can remember. The old polder roads and dykes make great cycling and walking trails that take you across windmill country, where the environment and human ingenuity merge into a unique experience of natural beauty and historical wealth.

Rapeseed

Every season has it’s own nature. Rapeseed is a sign of Spring.

Bring or rent a bike for a healthy Dutch day out in the country

We invite you come to Kinderdijk and jump or pedal right into this adventure yourself. Bring your bicycle, or rent one right around the corner, for a healthy, enjoyable, and genuine Dutch day out in the country. Relish the experience of the Dutch polders as they used to be in ages past. You will smell the water as you listen to the windmill sails and birds overhead, while the fresh breeze sends billowing clouds drifting by along the vast expanse of the Dutch skies.

Visiting our World Heritage site soon? Our winter hours are now in effect, with opening times from 10.30 a.m. to 4 p.m.