Explore Kinderdijk: A Perfect Day Trip Guide
Kinderdijk, located 15 miles east of Rotterdam, is a UNESCO-listed site that features 19 well-preserved windmills. Constructed in the 1600s, these windmills were designed to drain the Alblasserwaard polders, which had been plagued by floods since the 13th century. One significant historical flood, known as the Saint Elizabeth Flood of 1421, inspired the name Kinderdijk, which translates to “children’s dyke” in Dutch. This name originates from a fairy tale involving a wooden cradle spotted floating on floodwaters during the storm.