Carol

If I wanted to go to Kinderdijk, (not counting travel time to get there), how much time would I need to see it? Is this a "whole day" affair or would there be something else to see in or around the area?

whatisshetalkingabout?

more information is needed....

Patrick

Visited there last year. Had a rough time getting there as no one seemed to know what I was talking about. Took a train, then bus, but waited a long time to get the bus. When we arrived, we went through the one open windmill which took about 10 minutes. We walked the length of the "park" and then walked back into town. Waited another hour or two for a bus. To be perfectly honest, now I know why nobody seemed to know what I was asking about. I'd allow maybe a half hour there and allow three or four hours each way total from Amsterdam.

Carol

What????? all i ever hear about is making sure that i go to see kinderdijk...i get the impression that it is "THE" thing to see in Holland. I dont have to worry about travel time as i am staying at a friends and it look like(on the map)that is only 10km from where she lives. I thought i could possibly do this in the evening and have the day to go somewhere else...Sjourd my dear, if you are out there help me out!

Terra

Kinderdijk has been on my list of things to see in Holland since I moved here 3.5 years ago, but I haven't made it there yet. My understanding is that it is not in an area where there are other things to do. My guess is that a half-day will do you plenty (you know what they say...once you've seen one windmill...)<BR><BR>You could email them directly and get their opinion: [email protected]<BR><BR>Stupid question: the friends you are staying with, have they been there before? <BR><BR>Let me know how it is, maybe I get out there someday...<BR>Have fun!<BR>Terra<BR><BR>

Carol

Terra, ...really not a stupid question, i guess i should ask her. My friend/travel companion is eager to see kinderdijk...and Floriade...i would rather see kinderdijk after hearing all the horrid posts on Floriade. If i go to see Kinderdijk, i WILL tell you about it..promise!

Belle

You should definitely go to Kinderdijk. I went there on a rainy day last November. It is just a long row of windmills -- not much to do -- but very picturesque. I believe one of the windmills is open for visitors to go into in the summer and early Fall, but was closed by November. I was in a rental car and the best part of the trip was the drive there along a canal, through a residential area and a very nice little Dutch town. Have lunch in the town and stop at the local bakery - on the corner at the main intersection - for fresh baked gingerbread. It was very relaxing and a nice detour from our highway driving and big city touring. And it only takes an hour or two at the most, so you can easily fit it in. Just don't be expecting something spectacular and you will have a lovely day.

Belle

Oh, and don't go at night. There are no lights there and it will be too dark to see the windmills (or to enjoy the sights on the way there)!

Grasshopper

Belle is exactly right. It's beautiful but it's not a day long activity. And do it in the day time. I rather think a bike would be a nice thing to have out there. You could explore the whole area. And it's so nice and flat!

Aunt Jennie

We went to kinderdijk this spring and bicycling along it was one of my favorite activities in the Netherlands. We drove from Rotterdam and the trip took us on a little ferry ride. We were soon in the little town by the dike. Parking was no problem. We rented bicycles from a gift shop at the beginning of town. (You can't miss the little shop. It's next to an outdoor cafe and the bikes are sitting outside.) It's a short ride through town to the path that goes between the canals, and the windmills line the opposite sides. Quite a site! It was very picturesque and the windmills have stood like sentries along the canal for centuries. <BR><BR>There were people of all ages in all styles of dress, including skirts, on bikes! Not too many tourists, actually. It was very crowded at first, at the beginning of the path, and hard to ride the bikes. We were happy to get beyond the crowds. The path continues along the canal through fields and goes forever, I guess. We went quite a ways before returning to the cafe for a drink.<BR><BR>After a long trip of sitting on airplanes, standing at museums and historic sites, being in crowds and smelling the city, it was great to exercise in fresh air. Plus, you see so many people bicycling in the Netherlands, you feel like you're doing something really Dutch.<BR><BR>We arrived fairly early on Saturday of Easter weekend. I think the earlier the better to be sure to get a bike. The bikes are very simple. No gears. Hope you get a chance to try it!

Patrick

Let me rephrase my post. Yes, it is a beautiful sight. And it is nice to see this small area where a number of people actually still live in and use the old windmills. If we had a car there, I would certainly do it again. It was just that it took so much time to get there and back by public transportation and I was expecting so much about this place I had heard of for so many years, that I guess it left me a little disappointed.