You’ve arrived in Amsterdam, and Dutch cliches abound. Tulip motifs proliferate; pedestrians cling to cones made of patat paper (French fries with mayonnaise); Tourists find photographs inside a large wooden shoe. But in this completely urban city, where are all those famous Dutch windmills?
Even most Amsterdammers are unaware that there are still eight windmills in the capital, although they are all out of the ordinary. However, only the Sloten Mill (Molen van Sloten) in Amsterdam West is open to the public.
What to see at the Sloten windmill
Not only is the Sloten windmill still in use, it is also packed with activities for both adults and children. Volunteers are available to offer tours of the windmill and an introduction to the miller’s trade; children six years and older receive a specialized tour. The permanent exhibition “Amsterdam and Water” illustrates Amsterdam’s ambivalent relationship with the sea, while “Rembrandt in the Attic” presents the artist as the son of a miller. The adjacent Coopery Museum (Kuiperijmuseum) documents the making of wooden barrels and is worth a look.
The Sloten windmill rewards visitors with the opportunity, unique in all of Amsterdam, to explore the inner life of one of these beloved Dutch landmarks.
Other windmills near Amsterdam
Have you already been to the Sloten windmill and would like to see others up close and personal? While there are seven other windmills in Amsterdam, you will have to take a short trip outside of the city to really explore the interiors of other Dutch windmills. It’s worth the two-hour drive – there are many different types of windmills to discover. The most famous concentration of windmills is in Kinderdijk, located 15 miles east of Rotterdam; Here, visitors can find 19 windmills dating back to the 17th century.
While the views from land or water are worth it, Windmill 2 can be entered year-round, except in bad weather.
For an option that is closer to Amsterdam, check out Zaanse Schans (about a half hour drive), where there are not only five functional windmills to discover, but also the dedicated Windmill Museum. Even the small town of Leiden, half an hour south of Amsterdam, has the De Valk Windmill Museum, where visitors can climb the open-air platform that surrounds the windmill for panoramic views of the historic city and see the mill machinery. of all levels
Visitors who are in town in May can also participate in National Mill Day when 950 windmills across the country open their doors to the public. Most of these windmills are closed to the public the rest of the year, so the second weekend in May is a special time for windmill enthusiasts, who can follow the event’s bike routes to see so many mills. of wind as possible.
