Windmill near Amsterdam, a Iconic Symbol of National Heritage
One dream that remained unfulfilled during my tour of Amsterdam is seeing a working windmill. Netherland is synonymous to windmills too, among various other things like tulips, canals, etc. Windmills are iconic symbol of Netherlands. A few centuries back there were around 10,000 windmills in this country.
These windmills are revered so much in this country that they observe a National Windmill Day It is on second Sunday of May every year! Today there are just 1000 of them left. I had read that some of them are open to public; definitely a visit to one of them would have been educational and fun.
Eight windmills stand tall in the heart of Amsterdam city. I couldn’t sight any, but I was lucky to get a glimpse of one windmill as we were approaching Amsterdam. We didn’t halt; I managed to capture a shot of the windmill as we zipped past the place.
Windmills were very important for The Netherlands, the very reason why and how a large part of the country exists today. Since a large part of the country is below sea level continuous drainage of water is a must for large scale claiming of dry land. Windmills pump water out of the lowlands back into the rivers beyond the dikes so that the agricultural land could be formed.
But ever since steam powered mills took over their role the windmills are on decline. The Molen de Otter, still in operation in Amsterdam, is also used for drainage. I am not sure if this the one, though I wish it is. The other purposes of windmill were sawing wood and crushing grains.
Good photograph for a zipped past take.
Clean technology. National Windmill day? Thats too cool like your shot 🙂
Cheers
Ohoh…
I was missing many posts 🙁
So great to see pics from my country 🙂
They are all FANTASTIC !!!
greetings to the whole family 🙂
me too! would love to see one someday! so glad you caught it in the nick of time. ^-^
Gorgeous! Visiting late from Sky Watch Friday.
Please come take a peek at my Sky Shots, have a great weekend!
Lovely. So much prettier than the eyesores we have around here.
Sorry you couldn't go inside! When growing up I lived in a village with a working windmill that milled flour, and wish that I had at that time a camera! (I was between 6 an 10 y. old)
Glad you could at least catch a glimpse of the outside!
Too bad you just had to zip past the windmill. It would be fun to visit one.
Looks like an old one!! Nice sighting. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
The windmill looks so different
I have always loved windmills too, great shots. Thanks for sharing Amsterdam and the sky. Have a lovely weekend.
How good to see you enjoyed your visit to Amsterdam. I don't think you will see any windmills there, you have to drive to the country to see them. It is a matter of luck to see a working mill.
Nice to see, a windill in Holland.
Such a lovely shot.
A photo with a nice composition and beautiful mill.
It's a lovely capture. I was fortunate to see a windmill and stop for photos ops on my very short tour. But it wasn't a working windmill and we didn't go inside.
cool post
lovely image!
Reminded me of my hero Don Quichote. Please have a good Friday.
I love windmills. Good capture.
Great windmill.
Sydney – City and Suburbs
the windmills are some of things i want to see and photograph in the netherlands. have a good weekend.
My sky is here
Wonderful windmills of Amsterdam !
remember picture post cards of amsterdam always with a windmill as a kid…
I've always been fascinated by windmills! Great shot for the day, Indrani!! Hope you have a lovely weekend! Enjoy!
Sylvia