It might be a stereotype to imagine visiting windmills in the Netherlands, but along with tulips, getting to see some old windmills was high on my list when I was there. Someone gave me a great tip: I should visit the town of Kinderdijk, just east of Rotterdam, where a large system of windmills have been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The windmills were built around 1740 to drain excess water from the area.

Kinderdijk is a dream place for windmill fans, and although the odd tourist bus came and went (five minute photo opportunity only!), most of the time I had the place practically to myself. You can walk along the water and get close to 19 windmills, and the flat green scenery makes for a good backdrop for your windmill photos.

One of the windmills is open to visitors and you can pay a small entrance free to explore that, but otherwise access to the Kinderdijk windmills area is free.