Dutch Windmills of Kinderdijk Netherlands

Kinderdijk is a village in the the Netherlands east of Rotterdam known for its iconic 18th-century windmills. It's water-management network features 19 mills and 3 pumping stations, plus dikes and reservoirs that control flooding. When you visit Kinderdijk, you step right into the middle of Dutch history.

You can walk along the dijks or take a boat to see the area. We choose to walk and see the windmills up close. I was surprised to find out that people lived inside the windmills as windmills served as homes along with pumping water. I visited one of the windmills where a couple lived with their 13 children. It is amazing to see how a family of 15 lived inside such a small place. The mother died in a tragic accident at the age of 41 when she was struck by the running windmill while trying to save one of her children.

The windmills of Kinderdijk are one of the best-known Dutch tourist sites. They have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.