Throughout the world, windmills and the Netherlands are held in close association with each other, earning the humble windmill a place on the list of things that are typically Dutch. Indeed, the windmill is as much an icon of the Netherlands as are tulips and clogs, making a visit to a typical Dutch windmill a must do activity for any tourist to the Netherlands.
As a tourist to the Netherlands you have two options to see the windmills. The first and easier of the options is to go to one of the many windmills that are sprinkled throughout the Netherlands. Once you have decided which city/cities you are going to visit during your trip to the Netherlands, go to the page for that city on this website and the best of the available windmills to be seen in each city will be listed. All you need do is pick one that is in the city you are already planning to visit. The down side of this is that the majority of these windmills will either be converted - for example in to a restaurant - or will simply be permanantl closed an inoperable.
To see a fully functioning old Dutch windmill in the Netherlands you'll need to take the second option - though it can involve a bit of travel. There are just two small areas with fully functioning old Dutch windmills that you can see working and even get inside - but you will need to travel outside of the big cities to see them. The first is Zaanse Schans, which is also the closer of the two to Amsterdam. The second is Kinderdijk. Both are spectacular places to visit and are the epitome of the old Dutch landscape. See the respective pages on each of these sites for more information.
The Netherlands' relationship with the windmill goes all the way back to the 13th century, though the classic traditional Dutch windmill did not arrive until the Golden Age of the Netherlands in the 16th century, when the country went through an economic and cultural explosion that would forever shape its future. At this time of massive economic expansion the windmill was the primary source of power for draining lakes and polder ditches of water to convert them to fertile land.
Windmills have been a key tool in the battle against water in the Netherlands since the 1200s. Originally, the wind mill was called simply a post mill - it was simply a solid trunk of wood with the sails attatched to the very top - the entire structure would be manually turned to face the prevailing wind. These sails were connected to a grinding stone for milling flour. It was not until the 14th century that hollow mills made their appearance. They hid on the inside a revolutionary method of using gears and shafts to provide power - it is this invention that opened up the mills for a multitude of tasks, including the pumping of water. It is here that the connection between the Netherlands, windmills and water management was first made. Later once the Golden Age arrived and ecomonic wealth was plenty, the stage was set for the mass draining of the Netherlands.
Up until a century ago there were approximately 10,000 functional windmills. Today there are still many left, more than 1000, the majority of which are located in Zuid Holland.
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Goed gezelschap maakt korte mijlen.
Good company on the road is the shortest cut.