We are participating in the Heart of Belgium & Holland in 11 Days tour April 12-25. We are interested in seeing the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Kinderdijk but there is no mention of it in the Rick Steves' guidebooks. I am curious why this is and if it indicates that it is not worth devoting half a day from Delft ? Can anyone address if there are other windmill opportunities on this tour? And, if anyone reading this has been on this tour, do you actually tour a delftware factory?
Nancy Shelton
The RS guidebooks are not meant to be comprehensive. If you have time go visit Kinderdijk from Delft. I would not base decisions on what you want to see on one brand of guidebook.
Hi kynfs,
I don't usually offer advice as that's not my role here, but as it relates to the intent of our guidebooks, I find AI to be spot on. S/he is correct that our books are not meant to be comprehensive. I think this is meant to be a positive thing in that you should consider getting off Rick's beaten path. Our books are opinionated about what Rick thinks are your best options for multi-week trips. There can be many reasons why a site isn't listed in his books.
The first -- as you've already divined as an option -- is Rick doesn't like it. Second is it may not be well suited to a certain volume of visitors that a guidebook's recommendation can send to any given place. Third, it may be out of the way. Fourth, there may be another suitable/comparable option already in the guidebook and we are avoiding making as if you should see both on one trip.
However, this doesn't mean it isn't a good site and worth the time for you. It sounds like you've found a site that you're interested in, so you should go! It looks like you have the latter part of the day free on day 7 of your tour, and you should ask your guide on the first day of the tour about taking this side trip. S/he can help you plan it and give advice too.
Perhaps someone else who has taken this tour can speak to opportunities to see windmills in action during the tour.
I’m not sure why the RS guidebook doesn’t mention it, but not because it’s not worth a visit. Perhaps he doesn’t know about it, or has never visited Kinderdijk himself.
What makes Kinderdijk unique and why it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, is that the 19 windmills are still in their original location. Unlike Zaanse Schans for instance, another popular sight with windmills close to Amsterdam. Zaanse Schans is more of an open air museum, where buildings were brought to from other locations.
The view of the 19 windmills of Kinderdijk right next to the water is absolutely stunning and it’s definitely worth a visit.
If you can arrange somehow a visit to Kinderdijk during your coming trip go for it. It’s absolutely worth a visit. The place is out of the way so it needs time to get there but doable to my opinion. You can take the train to Rotterdam Centraal and needs less then 15 minutes. From Rotterdam Erasmusbrug (Erasmus Bridge) with the waterbus to Ridderkerk and further the ferry to the mills of Kinderdijk. Know that transferring from Rotterdam Centraal to Erasmusbrug needs some time too.
https://www.waterbus.nl/en/Kinderdijk-travel > For watching the video's you have to look in your case to "Route 3"
as Wil says, not only do you get a great experience at the windmills - I still remember avoiding a goat tied up outside one mill - good fun - - you get a bonzer boat ride in the experience too..... If I were you I'd go (did I say I liked it?)
Thank you Dutch Traveler, Will and Nigel!! Now to confirm if we finish with RS portion of Day 7 in time to get there. I may look into a private driver if that is faster. Does anyone know if that is the case?
If a car wil be faster is hard to say as especially the freeways around Rotterdam are notorious for traffic jams. It has been too long ago I have worked in and near Rotterdam to have an idea if in the meanwhile the situation has improved or not. Losing a half hour in each direction was and maybe still is, is not unusual. Hopefully the hotel where you will stay can give more up-to-date info.
If going by car you can drive for instance from Delft to Ridderkerk for taking the ferry to Kinderdijk (but risking the traffic jams). It’s the same ferry for the final leg to the windmills as shown in the video. Or to the ferry in Krimpen aan de Lek just north of Kinderdijk for crossing the Lek river to the windmills. Another option is the train to for instance Barendrecht or Zwijndrecht to avoid traffic on the freeways as much as possible and from there a taxi to Kinderdijk. But again discuss this further with those where you are staying and hopefully they can tell you what the best option is.
I think the train and waterbus is the most reliable and (timewise) predictable option and as Nigel already notes it includes a nice boat ride too.
Certainly talk to the office but when I took this tour we finished Day 7 in the late morning, before noon. Most of us went to the TI office near the Delft pottery place to get tram tickets to go to Den Haag. I remember eating lunch in one of the restaurants outside the Mauritshuis. I looked back at my pictures and it looks like my first photo in Mauritshuis was at 1330. So that was getting from Delft to Den Haag, walking from the tram to the museum area, lunch, getting a ticket and getting inside.
