The Netherlands once had more than 10,000 windmills. Around 1,200 survive, and many still work. These are the places our guides recommend most.
1. Zaanse Schans
Just 20 minutes from Amsterdam, with wooden houses, a clog workshop, cheese makers and several working mills you can climb inside. It's the easiest windmill trip from the capital — go early to enjoy it before the crowds.
2. Kinderdijk
Nineteen 18th-century mills in a row along the polder — a UNESCO World Heritage site near Rotterdam. Best at sunset and lovely by boat or bike.
3. Schiedam
Home to the tallest traditional windmills in the world, once used to grind grain for the town's famous jenever distilleries. You'll find hardly any tourists here.
4. Haarlem — Molen De Adriaan
A rebuilt mill right on the Spaarne river, a short walk from Haarlem's lovely old centre. Perfect if you only have a few hours.
5. Leiden — Molen De Valk
A tall city mill turned museum, with a viewing platform over the canals of this charming university town.
How to visit
Mills turn only when there's enough wind and the miller is present, so weekdays with a breeze are best. Wear flat shoes — the ladders inside are steep!
Our Zaanse Schans tour includes a working windmill visit, a clog-making demonstration and a cheese tasting, all with a guide whose grandfather was a miller.
