I've covered a few interesting facts about Netherlands. This week I wanted to mention a feature that is a vital part of Dutch history – windmills.

Photo source: Joshua M. Hoffman via Flickr

Windmills are an integral part of Dutch culture. They were initially built to counteract some of the land maintenance issues faced by the local folk. One of the problems was flooding. Being a low-lying nation, the country was continuously plagued by destructive floods. The second problem actually aggravated this first issue. That was the draining of land for various purposes. As you probably guessed, this meant that these areas faced drainage issues which was worsened in times of bad weather. Along with other innovative measures (e.g. scheduled rebuilding of dykes), windmills were adopted all over the place to drain such areas.

Thus, windmills (molens) were quite widespread. While most of them served as drainage structures, many of them were also used for other purposes like grinding grain. It is claimed that in its heyday there were probably 10 000 windmills scattered across Netherlands. But today, there is said to be only around 1000, most of which are no longer open to public.

Photo Source: Benjamin Rossen via Flickr

From this considerable list, I want to point out three noteworthy structures. They are the windmills of Kinderdijk, Molen Van Sloten and the Schideam Windmill.

Kinderdijk is a cozy little village located in the Southern part of Netherlands. This quaint spot boasts a group of 19 windmills that have withstood the test of time and is well-preserved to retain its historical look. This spot is a top favorite amongst travelers. And why shouldn't it be? UNESCO was so impressed with its historical relevance that the mills were added to the World Heritage List.

Molen Van Sloten is a quaint little windmill that dates back to the 19^th century. The mill is located on the outskirts of Amsterdam. Part of its charm lies in the fact that it is one of the few mills that is open to the general public. For history buffs, this is a great place to check out the way of life of the good old days. Keep an eye out for the Rembrandt tribute on the top floor.

The five windmills in Schiedam are legendary. It is stated that these are the tallest windmills in the world. Apparently there were close to 20 mills in this area but by the late 19^th century only 5 were left. These five are actually around 200 years old but are still worth a visit due to this record-breaking feat.