For my first post on Hollandtravelblog I'll tackle a Dutch icon: Windmills. There are over 1000 windmills in the Netherlands and if you spend any time in the country, you'll soon catch a glimpse of one. But if you want to see windmills at their very best, you have to head to Kinderdijk where, in the mid-1700's, 19 mills in 4 distinct styles, were built to power a complex system of pumps designed to keep water levels in balance. Nowadays Kinderdijk is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and visitors walk paths or take advantage of tour boats to navigate canals and take in the world's most comprehensive collection of historical windmills. If you get lucky, you'll show up when the mills are working & you'll be surprised at how quickly the blades can turn!  but you can always pay a visit to the inside of a working mill and learn firsthand about the importance of windmills to Holland. I was surprised to learn that mill keepers would position the blades of the windmill (when resting) to communicate such things as a birth announcements, that the mill keeper was in mourning or in need of help, or that milling would be taking place that day. A final tip about the Kinderdijk: If you happen to be in the Netherlands in early September, try to come at night; it's the only time of the year when the mills are beautifully lit.