The Kinderdijk windmills are back in full swing

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The Windmills of Kinderdijk World Heritage are back in full swing

A genuine audio app, a brand new tour boat, and a fully functional drop-off and boarding zone. This Friday, the freshly renovated Wisboomgemaal visitors centre – celebrating its anniversary – set the stage for the disclosure of a new tourism season jam-packed with exciting new plans by the Kinderdijk World Heritage Foundation.

A visitors centre fit for a World Heritage-worthy reception

A season packed with new plans

In addition to the visitors centre, construction is set to commence on a nature education centre, a bridge connecting both banks of the central basin, a reception building, and an auxiliary pumping station. The new World Heritage entrance zone as a whole will take about a year to build. Meanwhile, the Kinderdijk World Heritage Foundation is working hard to continue improving accessibility and visitor distribution around the windmill area. Another new addition this year is the Jantina tour boat. This historical vessel was formerly used as a regular service barge. Now, it is being converted into a sustainable craft designed to carry passengers to the Blokweer museum windmill and back.

A much-appreciated gift from the Maritime Museum Rotterdam

Another important step towards better visitor flows is the new drop-off and boarding zone for coaches. Starting this season, coaches are only allowed to park at a designated parking facility in Nieuw-Lekkerland, about three kilometres down the road. “This is convenient for the tourists, but our local Kinderdijk neighbours will probably appreciate it even more. It will help reduce the nuisance of living close to an international tourist attraction, while making it a safer place to live at the same time.”

But there is more innovation coming to Kinderdijk this season, as the new ‘customer journey app’ is launched. The app provides visitors with additional information and tips related to the windmill area and the wider region. An audio tour is bound to give tourists an even more intense experience of their visit. On top of that, the app is the perfect platform for the Kinderdijk World Heritage Foundation to offer more and better opportunities for educational initiatives.

All in all, the summer season of 2018 is simply packed with new developments and exciting innovations. As the spring sunshine returns to warm up the Kinderdijk polders, the mills are gearing up for a new season of spinning sails. If you happen to be in the neighbourhood later this year, please come pay us a visit and see for yourself how all the new developments are coming along!

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