1. WINDMILLS
OF THE
NETHERLANDS

2. WHAT IS A WINDMILL?
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy
of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes
called sails or blades.
Of the 10,000 windmills in use
in the Netherlands around
1850, about 1000 are still
standing. Most of these are
being run by volunteers
though there are some grist
mills still operating
commercially.

3. The Dutch have become very innovative when it comes
to keeping out the water. They have built dykes,
fortifications and last but not least wind and
watermills to create new land.

4. The oldest mill is a watermill that dates back
to the 8th century. These techniques were
used to pump dry hundreds of lakes and
swamps and to prevent land from flooding.
Today, windmills are characteristic of the
Dutch landscape and a symbol of the Dutch
struggle with water.

5. The most famous windmills of Holland
Kinderdijk
Kinderdijk is the most
famous group of polder mills
and is World Heritage listed.
This UNESCO site with
nineteen mills gives you a
great impression of how
floods were prevented.
Besides being home to this
creative form of water
management, Kinderdijk is a

6. The mills of Schiedam
The mills of
Schiedam are the
f ive largest
windmills in the
world. These
gigantic windmills,
some over 40 meters
high, played an
important role in

7. Zaanse Schans
Last but not least, you should
visit Zaanse Schans. Some
250 years ago, well over 600
mills formed the first
industrial site in the world.
They performed a wide range
of industrial duties, such as
producing shelves, paint,
mustard, oil and paper. Today
it’s an open­air conservation
area and museum, which

8. By: Aby Sacara
Naia Omagogeaskoa
Ione Niza
Sara Ateka