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Kinderdijk windmills in South Holland, the Netherlands
Windmills vs. water
The windmills of Kinderdijk started spinning in 1738 to help make this whole patch of Dutch farmland possible. Each of the 19 windmills is equipped with a huge Archimedes' screw able to channel vast volumes of water upwards, making dry (well, maybe a little soggy) land out of what was once an almost two-metre-deep salt swamp. Water is pumped over a massive ring of dykes into tidal rivers that carry discharge to the sea, keeping this large, below-sea-level basin – known as a polder – from flooding. The work is done by modern pumping equipment nowadays, but Kinderdijk's giants could yet awaken – the great windmills are kept fully functional as backups.
Windmills vs. water
The windmills of Kinderdijk started spinning in 1738 to help make this whole patch of Dutch farmland possible. Each of the 19 windmills is equipped with a huge Archimedes' screw able to channel vast volumes of water upwards, making dry (well, maybe a little soggy) land out of what was once an almost two-metre-deep salt swamp. Water is pumped over a massive ring of dykes into tidal rivers that carry discharge to the sea, keeping this large, below-sea-level basin – known as a polder – from flooding. The work is done by modern pumping equipment nowadays, but Kinderdijk's giants could yet awaken – the great windmills are kept fully functional as backups.
Numbering nearly 20, these famous landmarks of South Holland stand as tall as 39 metres.
© Achim Thomae / Moment / Getty Images 2026-09-11 08:45:51 :