Water & Windmills:
A self-guided audio tour of Kinderdijk
Price:
Duration:
Distance:
€7.99
75 min
2 km
Kinderdijk is one of the most extraordinary feats of water engineering in the world. On this walking tour, you’ll discover how Dutch ingenuity transformed a flood-prone polder into a UNESCO World Heritage site, and how the millers who kept it dry still live and work here today.
How does it work?
- Find a tour that you like
- Download the tour on VoiceMap
- Go to the starting location and enjoy your tour
Audio plays at the right time & moment, using GPS. It does not require an internet connection.
Advantages
See the city at your own pace
Life-time access to the audio tour
Keep your phone in your pocket, just listen
Fascinating stories about Utrecht from a local guide
Tour description
The tour starts at the Waardhuis, a meeting house used by the local water board since 1644, where life-and-death decisions about dike heights and drainage have been made. You’ll walk along the Lekdijk, a dike protecting around a million people from the river Lek, and descend past modern pumping stations into the polder – roughly a metre and a half below sea level. Along the way, you’ll learn how a stepped drainage system using low and high basins solved the challenge of getting water out of land that kept sinking further underground.
You’ll encounter two rows of windmills – round brick mills on one side and lighter octagonal wooden ones on the other – each reflecting the separate water boards that once governed this divided landscape. You’ll hear about the Hoek family, millers who’ve lived at Kinderdijk since the 1740s and whose descendants still operate the mills today. The tour ends at the Blokweer Museum Mill, a hollow post mill dating to 1631, complete with a vegetable garden, chickens, and a cooking house where millers smoked the eels they caught to supplement their modest incomes.
Tour Highlights
- Explore the Museummolen Nederwaard, a museum windmill showing how a miller’s family lived with ten or more children in a tiny shared space
- Learn the sail signal system millers used to communicate births, deaths, and work breaks across the polder
- See the J.U. Smitgemaal pumping station, whose three massive screws move half an Olympic swimming pool of water every minute
- Discover the legend of Beatrijs, the infant found floating in a cradle after the catastrophic Saint Elizabeth Flood of 1421
- Spot some of the purple herons along the nature trail that make up the largest colony in Europe
Frequently asked questions
How do the audio tours work?
After booking, you download the free VoiceMap app (available for iOS and Android).
Once you’ve downloaded your tour, simply go to the starting point. The app uses GPS to trigger stories automatically as you walk so you don’t need to constantly look at your screen or press buttons.
It feels like having a guide walking beside you.
Do I need an internet connection during the tour?
No.
After downloading the tour over Wi-Fi, everything works completely offline. This means no roaming charges and no worries about losing signal during your walk.
Is this written and recorded by a real human guide?
Don’t worry: It’s not an AI voice reading out a Wikipedia page.
This tour is written and recorded by a real local guide.
You’ll hear natural storytelling, personal insights, and carefully researched historical context.
Can I start the tour anywhere?
Each tour has a designated starting point and a carefully designed route.
This ensures the directions and stories play at exactly the right moment. If you pause for coffee or step off the route, you can simply resume where you left off.
Can I pause the tour whenever I want?
Yes.
You are completely in control. You can pause the tour at any time to take photos, visit a shop, sit down for coffee, or explore something in more detail.
When you’re ready to continue, simply press play. The app will continue guiding you from where you stopped.
Can I listen to the tour at home?
Yes.
After downloading the tour, you can select “Virtual Mode” in the app and listen from home. This is ideal for preparing your trip or revisiting the experience afterwards.
How long do I have access to the tour?
Forever.
Once purchased, the tour is yours to enjoy as often as you like. There is no expiration date.
Do I need to buy the tour for each person?
One purchase works on a single device.
If you are exploring together, many couples simply share one phone and use a headphone splitter or share wireless earbuds. For larger groups, we recommend one purchase per device for the best experience.
Is the app easy to use for first-time users?
Yes.
The installation takes only a few minutes, and clear on-screen instructions guide you step by step. The interface is straightforward and designed for travelers of all ages.
What should I bring?
A fully charged smartphone, headphones or earbuds, and comfortable shoes. That’s it.
What if something goes wrong?
You can always contact VoiceMap’s in-app support directly.
And you are also welcome to contact Holland City Tours. We are happy to assist and make sure you can continue your experience without stress.
