Windmills in the Netherlands

The Dutch word for windmills, ‘windmolen’, is a direct translation of the English word; the term was coined by the first European to visit the Netherlands in the year 1200. Next to tulips, The Netherlands is also well-known for its windmills, which are an iconic symbol of the country. The first windmills in the Netherlands were built in the province of Groningen. They were used for water drainage and irrigation of the fields and as a source of power for grinding grains. And, over time, they were used to power mills and other machinery. Windmills were later used to generate electricity, and today these old windmills are used primarily for aesthetic purposes (such as for visitors like you, to enjoy and visit!)

There are around 1,200 old windmills remaining in the Netherlands, and they are scattered throughout the country, including in Amsterdam, and in the Dutch countryside not far from the capital city, such as the Zaanse Schans, De Beemster, Kinderdijk, and beyond.

Zaanse Schans

The Zaanse Schans is a 19th-century windmill district in North Holland, Netherlands. The old windmills of the Zaan district are a popular stop for tourists who want to get a close-up look at old-world engineering. The windmills were originally used to drain water from the polders, which are coastal areas of land that are generally flat and low-lying. The Zaan district is home to some of the oldest windmills in the world, which date back to the 13th century. The area is a popular destination for tourists and inhabitants alike, with its picturesque windmills, canals, and other historic buildings. During tulip season (between mid-April and early May), it’s easy to combine visiting these windmills with the tulips!

De Beemster

The Beemster is a region in the Netherlands renowned for its windmills. The area became the world’s first ‘polder’ in 1235. The polder landscape is characterized by a network of canals and embankments, and the Beemster is home to the largest network of canals in the Netherlands. The polder system refers to when the water was drained and land reclaimed from the sea. Today, the region is home to some of the country’s most iconic windmills, which have been repurposed as museums and hotels. The most famous of these is the Zuiderzee Museum, which is housed in the world’s largest working tide mill.

Kinderdijk

The Kinderdijk windmills of the Netherlands are among the oldest windmills in existence. Built mostly in the Netherlands, they are a testament to the skill and ingenuity of medieval farmers, and they remain a work of art and a major tourist attraction more than 400 years later. 

Wind energy today

The history of the iconic windmills continues to this day, but more in the form of wind turbines. The Netherlands is a leading developer of wind power generation, with about 40,000 wind turbines generating power for more than 4 million households. 

In the Toms Travel Tours Amsterdam countryside tours, we take you to visit some of the oldest, still operating windmills nearby, or we can take you farther south to Kinderdijk for instance. Along the way, you will see many of the modern wind turbines and be able to observe their evolution yourself!

For more information on our countryside tours, seeing the windmills, windmills and tulips, or booking directly, please click on the button below!