The Dutch embraced the visitors and the Kinderdijk windmills have since become one of the country's most popular tourist destinations while continuing to help manage the Netherlands' ongoing fight to stay above water. The lowlands have been prone to flooding through the ages despite the building of canals and dikes, including the 1421 Saint Elisabeth's flood that killed thousands after the dikes broke in several places. For tourists, walkways lead from the visitor center to the mills and boat tours are offered along the canals. Two mills serve as museums, filled with vintage millers' items and photos with ladders to climb through and see the inner works. Most people visit April to September, but winter — if you can handle the cold — offers a chance to ice skate past the windmills on frozen canals.