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Let me tell you about that time I ended up with a fractured elbow in The Netherlands. It all started with a windmill….

I’d decided that no trip to the Netherlands is complete without stopping by one the nation’s iconic windmill sites. We decided the best place to visit a windmill was the Kinderdijk site. Home to 19 windmills built during the 18th century, the area is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and can be accessed from main cities such as Amsterdam, Dordrecht, Rotterdam and The Hague. The site really is magical, even more so from the fact there are still people who live in the windmills and preserve their heritage.

How to get to Kinderdijk

Getting to Kinderdijk from most major cities in The Netherlands is east given the wide range of public transport options available accross the country.

• From Rotterdam or Dordrecht – Kinderdijk is easily accessible via the Waterbus (check waterbus.nl for the schedule). Line 202 runs from 1st May to 30th October with multiple passages a day. The journey takes about 30 minutes. In winter it’s harder to reach the site by water, but the Line 20 ferry does still run there after a transfer at Ridderkerk. If not, you can easily take the train to the site with a direct connection from Dordrecht in around 30 minutes.
• From Amsterdam or The Hague – The journey is easiest by car, however you must purchase a car parking ticket to ensure you have a space at the entrance to the site. If you don’t have a car, you can get a train to Rotterdam Centraal (which takes about 40 minutes) or Dordrecht, and then follow the directions above.

You can also book on a tour, but personally I think you get more freedom exploring independently.

What is Kinderdijk

Kinderdijk is a really important place. Most of The Netherlands lies below sea level and was largely flooded until the Middle Ages when a complex system of draining, waterways and pumping systems were created – including the windmills of Kinderdijk.

This is particularly close to my heart as I live in the English equivalent, the Fens, and my husband’s 3x great grandfather played a pivotal role in draining our local area here in England following training over in The Netherlands!

Today, most of the windmills at the site are actually still lived in, serving as people’s homes! That’s really special, and something amazing to experience.

What to expect on a visit to Kinderdijk

The Kinderdijk windmill site is huge, at over 800 acres. On arrival, you can either choose to walk round, or hire a bike from the shop at the entrance. Given the size of the site would mean roughly 3 hours of walking, so we chose the bike option.

I also managed a clog photo at the entrance… when in Rome and all that!

Unsurprisingly the entrance to the site is pretty busy, and the main row of windmills isn’t far from there, so you could just walk and enjoy those if you’re in a rush. There is also a nice little café right inside the entrance.

We decided to cycle the entire site, and given I hadn’t ridden a bike for a while, I was a little nervous but slowly built my confidence up by avoiding the children running in my path, dogs yapping and other cyclists everywhere. We stopped to snap a few lovely photos of the windmills, and even got off to tour inside a windmill which was really cool to see.

Then we left the crowds behind us, cycling past row upon row of amazing windmills. I was picking up pace and enjoying the wind in my hair as we hit some lovely some clear trails.

Unfortunately for me, it all went wrong. I saw a sharp turn ahead and slowed down, only to encounter a small slope round the bend. I wasn’t going fast enough and started to wobble. My other half (who is much much bigger than me) didn’t slow down and sent me flying as he ran in to the back of me.

I went down hard on the concrete, the bike fell on top of me and I fractured my elbow. Needless to say I cried. We were miles from the entrance though, so I had to get back on my bike, and back to the entrance and then head to hospital, meaning I didn’t get to see all of the site that I had wanted to. The injuries didn’t look bad, but I still have pain in that elbow to this day. And it ripped a hole in my favourite pair of jeans!

I handed the bike back covered in my blood and vowed never to cycle again. On the bright side, at least I managed to still see the windmills!

Other important visitor information

• We had planned a whole morning at the site, although obviously that didn’t happen as planned. If you want to explore the site, experience the windmill tour and go at a leisurely pace, then I recommend 2-3 hours on the site. If you just want to snap some photos of the windmills and aren’t too fussed about the other things, you’ll only need 30 minutes. So it’s totally your preference and how much time you have available.
• Get the first Waterbus of the day to avoid the descending crowds. They tend to arrive around lunch time, so get there early to avoid the masses!
• Head straight to the windmill tour. During working hours you can tour inside one of the windmills which is a great experience. The queues get really long so going there first may be a good idea.
• Alternatively, if you have a car, consider arriving at dusk for some beautiful sunset photos after the last Waterbus of the day has left the site
• If you want to eat at the site, be prepared to pay a bit over the odds. There are 2 small cafes on the site, and then a restaurant just down the road which did nice food. If you want value for money, bring a picnic.
• Don’t bring your drones – they are prohibited by the locals as some of the windmills are still inhabited. Please be respectful!
• And finally…don’t fall off your bike and fracture your elbow

Thanks for reading! Have you been to Kinderdijk or are you planning to go now on an upcoming trip? Let me know in the comments below. Stay safe and happy travelling!