Hello. Final touches on a self guided rental car 14 day trip to Europe. Starting in Salzburg and visiting Switzerland, Belgium and ending in the Netherlands I would like to know anyone's thoughts regarding the UNESCO World Heritage Kinderdijk attraction. Yea I know it is super touristy, but being of Dutch heritage, I figured the final 2 days of the trip I would stop in at this site while driving from Burgers to a working dairy farm B&B in Monfoort, right outside Utrecht. While Ricks guide books speak of Utrecht, they do not mention Kinderdijk.
Thoughts?
Posted by
11156 posts
It is NOT touristy, that is Zaanse Schans near Amsterdam.
Kinderdijk's setting is like a park where the nineteen 18th century windmills sit , where they have always been located, pumping water out of the land, a natural setting.. They have not been moved. You can walk on a path along the canal, rent a bike or take a small boat. It is not a very long walk.
Posted by
the Netherlands
2487 posts
Suki is right: Kinderdijk is totally different from the Zaanse Schans. The Zaanse Schans is an open-air museum to preserve the traditional industry of this area, and for its proximity to Amsterdam it is crowded to the point of being unpleasant. At Kinderdijk most foreign tourists don't go further than 10 or 15 minutes, and after that you've got it almost for yourself alone.
Try to put in nearby Dordrecht, if only for lunch or coffee. Beautifully situated on the rivers around it and the oldest city in this part of the country.
Posted by
OP
48 posts
I have already visited Zaanse with a large tour group. Not Steves.
Thanks for the advice. Really wonder why Rockin Rick does not mention it in his "Amsterdam and the Netherlands" Guide book!!??
Posted by
the Netherlands
2487 posts
Be glad Kinderdijk isn't mentioned! With the present number of visitors it's still enjoyable.
Posted by
OP
48 posts
Very good point Ton. The crush of tourists from all the world has taken the charm from Amsterdam.
Posted by
Midwestern
7 posts
We spent over three hours at Kinderdijk. We spent 30 or 40 minutes in the visitor center watching a short video and then rented bikes from the gift shop. The rates were extremely reasonable at 3 Euros per hour. There are two windmills that you can visit inside, one of which is still a working mill. After we toured the windmills we rode bikes along the canal for about an hour or so. If you have time I would highly recommended renting bikes and going for a ride. We visited during the first week of April and we did run into a few tour groups, so it was a bit crowded. However, most people did not walk beyond the first windmill. If you are fit and can walk or preferably ride a bike I would skip the boat ride. Enjoy
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
6534 posts
Have visited kinderdijk twice and enjoyed both visits. I’m certain we’ll return the next time we travel to the Netherlands.
Posted by
14 posts
My husband & I were at Kinderdijk today & it was great. Not touristy at all (which I knew beforehand) & not very crowded either. Make sure when you’re planning your trip there (assuming you’re taking public transit) that you check the Waterbus schedule from Rotterdam. It may run more frequently in the summer but right now it’s every two hours.
Posted by
the Netherlands
2487 posts
The Waterbus (line 202) is indeed the most pleasant way to go from Rotterdam to Kinderdijk. Much better than the bus which leaves from Rotterdam Lombardijen railway station and takes ages through a not very inspiring area.
After Kinderdijk you can continue with the same Waterbus to Dordrecht. The view from the water is still like those 17th century paintings of the city.
In Rotterdam it leaves from the Erasmusbrug. The schedule can be found here.