It’s been more than two and a half months and I haven’t written about it. I’ve barely shared any pictures of it either, except for this one.
Shame on me.
In the beginning of March I went to the Netherlands to visit one of the most popular tourist attractions in the entire country. The nineteen windmills of Kinderdijk are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in a quintessentially Dutch landscape of polders, canals and meadows. And windmills, obviously. As usual I took a couple hundred photos when I was exploring the area…
I tend to make my photo posts quite long lately and I’d like to try something different now. This is the first time I’ve ever shared black and white photos and any feedback will be much appreciated!
The low-lying Alblasserwaard region has always had problems with floods and water. People dug large canals in an attempt to drain water from the polders in the 13th century. Several hundreds of years later an additional drainage system was invented. Nineteen windmills were built to pump water in and out of large reservoirs. While all of them are still in good condition, only a few of the nineteen windmills are still in use. Modern pumping stations have taken over most of the drainage work.
Nowadays several windmills are houses. Isn’t that just a wonderfully picturesque and quiet place to live?
Footpaths and bike paths run alongside the canals. You can walk or bike around for free, but if you are traveling by car, you may have to pay for a spot to park your vehicle.
One of the windmills in Kinderdijk serves as a museum, the Museummolen (Museum Mill). The steam-powered pumping station, Wisboomgemaal, can also be visited. A visitor center, where you can gather more information on the windmills and the region, is located inside the pumping station. Combined tickets to the museum and pumping station are €6 and can be purchased at either attraction.
I would highly recommend to go for a walk or rent a bicycle and – really – take your time to explore and enjoy the views of the windmills. An entire afternoon would be a minimum. The surrounding meadows and polders are gorgeous, especially in the late afternoon on a sunny summer’s day or when everything is covered with an icy crust in winter. This is a landscape that you can only find in the Netherlands.
Please leave your feedback in the comment section below.
Dianne
Saturday 30th of December 2017
Do you sell your photos? I would love to have a canvas made of one.
Bram Reusen
Sunday 31st of December 2017
Hi Dianne! Yes, I do. You can email me at bram@travel-experience-live.com about that. :-)
Peter Paul Klapwijk
Thursday 25th of February 2016
Great review. I would like to repost it on our Kinderdijk Facebook page. I saw you might be moving to Charlottesville, Virginia. Funny how there is a direct link between Kinderdijk and that town in Virginia. You ever heard of the Hackensaw Boys? They from Charlottesville. https://youtu.be/qamAcPhSCQg
Look m up! And come back to Kinderdijk:-) Kind regards, Peter Paul Klapwijk
Bram Reusen
Wednesday 2nd of March 2016
Nice, I had no idea! Feel free to repost it on your Facebook page! :-)
Frank @thewondernuts
Tuesday 15th of July 2014
Such a lovely place, we walked around it on foot and loved every moment.
Bram Reusen
Tuesday 22nd of July 2014
It's a great place indeed, Frank.
The Folding Pilot
Thursday 10th of July 2014
I love the Black and white photos! They give the place such a unique feel. I think I would be disappointed to see it in color now.
Bram Reusen
Thursday 10th of July 2014
It's always great to read that people like my photos! Thank you! :-)
Dan @ A Cruising Couple
Thursday 29th of May 2014
The black and white really gives you the feeling of going back in time! Lovely photos as always :-)
Bram Reusen
Thursday 29th of May 2014
Thanks, Dan! :-)