There’s just something about windmills. Part nostalgia, part mystery, part “wow those look pretty cool”, and part environmentally friendly. The Open Air Museum in Arnhem, NL has an exhibit that includes looking into a Polder mill. Looking into this mill, you can’t help but appreciate the engineering involved in moving water and air. There are almost 1000 windmills throughout the Netherlands and tomorrow, they will all be open to the public for viewing. It’s National Mill Day.
Here are some fun facts about Dutch Windmills.
- There are eight mills in Amsterdam with one regularly open to the public, Molen van Sloten.
- A nice day trip from Amsterdam is Zaanse Schans (pictured above). Aside from the eight windmills, you can ride a boat, see how wooden clogs are made, and see the first Albert Heijn grocery store.
- Another popular place to see windmills is at Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 19 windmills are the main attractions, with walks, bike rides, boat rides, and even horse-drawn carriage rides and small flights to see them. The story of “Cat and the Cradle” originated here.
- Many of the nation’s windmills pumped water away from areas that needed to stay dry.
- Windmills, though a popular Dutch icon, actually originated in France.
- And one last fact, pictures just don’t do them justice.
Open Air Museum Arnhem, in front of a smaller wind-driven drainage mill. It is also known as a spidermill.
A day trip to Zaanse Schans is a nice way to escape the crowds in Amsterdam and learn more of the country’s history.
This post is part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.