Kinderdijk: Windmills and Water Management

Photo: Karin Höll

Kinderdijk is a shore excursion destination on multi-day river cruises in the Rhine–Meuse Delta. On an eight-day Viking cruise published in 2026, the visit takes place on the second day of the itinerary. The historic windmills are part of an interconnected water management and drainage system.

Windmills and water management

Visitor attractions include two museum windmills, a boat trip past the windmills, and the historic Wisboom pumping station. This offers a way to experience the landscape beyond its paths: exhibitions also explain how windmills and pumping technology worked together to drain the polders.

Getting there and visiting

If you stay in Rotterdam before or after your cruise, you can take the WaterShuttle directly from the Erasmus Bridge to Kinderdijk; the crossing takes less than 30 minutes. The shuttle is a separate transport service that requires a separate fare, not part of the river cruise ship. The regular Waterbus service does not go directly to Kinderdijk. An admission ticket is required for the attractions in the windmill area; it also includes the museum sites and the boat tour there.

Transport connections and visitor information for Kinderdijk