Windmill in the centre of Amsterdam
Windmills on the Water
Rembrandtbridge in Leiden
Windmill in Abcoude
The windmills served a practical purpose, but in the 17th century they also developed into
a cultural phenomenon in the Netherlands. Although the Dutch did not actually invent using
wind to turn mills, windmills are considered typically Dutch. The perception that windmills are
typically Dutch can be traced to the 17th century Netherlands and the explosive development
of the economy and the culture at that time. Using windmills to pump water from lakes and
polder ditches, the lakes were converted into fertile land. What is more, windmills were a vital
tool for sawing lumber for shipbuilding, transforming rags into paper, trees into boards,
grain into flour and seeds into oil.
Windmill DE Valk
Windmills in the polder
Dutch Cornmill
Windmill Het Lam
Windmills in Kindderdijk
Zuid Holland tourists website:
Windmills on the canal