Segment: Privileged Access – Kinderdijk by Vintage Barge
Episode: Grand European ep 11
Air Date: 1st March 2020
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane

Viking offers its guests unique special experiences that can only be enjoyed on its tours – these are called Privileged Access Shore Excursions, and the Kinderdijk by Vintage Barge excursion is well worth taking.

• The Privileged Access Excursions allow guests to gain a deeper understanding of their destination, all part of the “Thinking Person’s Cruise” philosophy.
• The small Dutch village of Kinderdijk is home to the iconic windmills that define the image of the country.
• The 19 windmills here are historic, constructed in the mid-1700s to drain the polder near the confluence of the Kel and Noord rivers, allowing farms and hoes to be built. They are recognised by UNESCO for their importance in preserving this unique part of Netherland’s culture.
• The Vintage Barge tour takes guests out on the Jacinta to check out the Blokker, the oldest windmill in the village. The Jacinta is a 125-year-old restored cargo vessel.
• The Blokker Mill dates back to 1630.
• The windmills drained the areas below seawater – the water levels in the river were the responsibility of the millers. The area is 2.5 metres below sea level.
• The shore excursion gives guests the opportunity to meet the miller and his family, who have a lot to share about life here.