Before 2017, I had traveled to The Netherlands on several occasions, in 2001, 2004, 2009 and 2010, but it was always on short visits, and I had spent most of my time in Amsterdam. Then in 2017, I spent around 10 days in The Netherlands. I traveled extensively around the country in those 10 days along with my wife, Reshmi, and our 2 and a half year old son, Rehaan.
For several days during our stay, our hosts were my cousin's daughter, Shweta, and her Dutch husband, Ron, who stay in a small town called Rosmalen, on the outskirts of Den Bosch. Staying with them was really great, because they were very hospitable and welcoming, and it was lovely having close family in a foreign land. A cousin, Priya, also came with her husband, Conrad, and 9 year old daughter, Oona, all the way from Switzerland and met us in Amsterdam for a day. That was really very nice and little Rehaan was very happy spending some time with another child - Oona was really very good with him! Reshmi also met her Loreto House Kolkata school friend, Aditi Chatterjee, who lives in Eindhoven. We went and spent an evening over a delicious barbecue dinner with her, her husband and their 2 daughters at their beautiful house. Another classmate and friend of theirs, Tonuka Ghoshal, also happened to be in The Netherlands then, and she joined in too for a mini reunion!
I rented a car and drove everywhere. That gave us a lot of flexibility and mobility. In hindsight, the only drawbacks were first of all, my young son got a little restless sitting in the car for extended periods of time, and secondly, I wasn't always careful about the speed limits, and when I came back to India, I received fines amounting to some 500 Euros!! We were also perhaps a little too ambitious, and we managed to pack in an amazing amount, which was great for me, but it was exhausting for my family, as they're happier with a slower pace of life on travels.
The Netherlands, known informally as Holland, is a beautiful, small sized country. Netherlands means "lower countries" and the country's name is due to its very low altitude (less than 50% of the country is more than 1 meter above sea level). The population of Holland is approximately 17 million, spread over some 40,000 sq km. The country has one of the highest per capita incomes in Europe, at over USD 50,000 per annum. For tourists, there is an incredible amount to see, from big cities like Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam, with their fascinating art museums and churches, to the tulip gardens of Keukenhof, to the windmills of Kinderdijk, to the canals of Giethoorn. There's something for everyone, whether one likes the buzz of a big city, or the serenity of the countryside.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam, a city with over
850,000 inhabitants, is the capital of The Netherlands, though the seat of
government lies in The Hague. The city offers a lot to visitors.
Dam Square lies in the heart of the city. The Royal Palace, on Dam Square, is a classical building completed in
the 17th century. It was originally built as the town hall, but later became the royal palace.
It is still occasionally used for official functions by the Dutch royal family. The National Monument on Dam Square is a white coloured obelisk, commemorating Dutch casualties
of World War II. It is surrounded by two lions, symbols of The Netherlands. The
structure has bas-reliefs depicting the horrors of war.
 |
| National Monument, Dam Square, Amsterdam |
 |
| Royal Palace, Amsterdam |
The
Nieuwe Kerk or New Church on Dam Square isn't exactly new and dates back to the 14th century. Since 1814, all Durch kings and queens have had their coronations here. The church also has the Tomb of Michel de Ruyter, a 17th century admiral.
 |
| Nieuwekerk, Amsterdam |
Madame Tussauds also lies on Dam Square in
the heart of the city. It has wax sculptures of Dutch as well as international
celebrities.
 |
| Van Gogh, Madame Tussauds, Amsterdam |
 |
| Rembrandt, Madame Tussauds, Amsterdam |
The Gothic Oude Kerk or Old Church dates back to the 13th century, Highlights include the stain glass panels, the great organ and the gilded ceiling with vault paintings.
 |
| Oude Kerk, Amsterdam |
 |
| Nave, Oude Kerk, Amsterdam |
Amsterdam’s famous Red Light District is spread over a large area, consisting of a series of criss-crossing lanes and
canals, and having windows with scantily clad women prospecting for business,
as well as a large number of night clubs, and sex shops. Located on multiple floors on Damrak, Amsterdam’s Sex Museum, or Venus Tempel, is an interesting
museum, with numerous erotic exhibits. There are wax sculptures of Hollywood sex symbol Marilyn Monroe, Mata Hari (the early 20th century spy), call girls of Amsterdam, as well as paintings from Kamasutra and a marble
sculpture of Venus
(the goddess of love) and photographs
from the early era of erotica. The lively Damrak has many souvenir shops, restaurants, bars, hotels and even a casino.
 |
Wax Sculpture of Marilyn Monroe,
Sex Museum, Amsterdam |
 |
Wax Sculpture of Mata Hari,
Sex Museum, Amsterdam |
 |
| Casino, Damrak, Amsterdam |
Begijnhof was originally built in the 14th century for the Begijnjes, a Catholic
sisterhood, who lived like nuns and took care of the poor and old. The enclosed
complex still has a very peaceful and sanctified feel to it, and houses the
English Church, a lawn in the centre, and rows of old houses (including the
city’s old house at no.34).
 |
| Church, Begijnhof, Amsterdam |
 |
| Courtyard, Begijnhof, Amsterdam |
The Anne Frank Huis is the house where
the young Jewish girl, Anne Frank, and her family lived and hid from the Nazis
during WW II. The moving cupboard, which was actually a secret door, is still
on display. The young girl kept a diary, which was published after her death at
a concentration camp. A solemn reminder indeed of the Nazi atrocities in
Europe. The Westerkerk is a large church that lies close to Anne Frank Huis, between two canals, the Princengracht and the Kaizersgracht. The church was completed in 1631 and has an 87 meter high tower, making it the city's tallest church tower. Just above the clock of the tower, there is a carillon with 51 bells. Rembrandt, who died in poverty, was buried in the church in 1669, but the exact location of his grave isn't known.
 |
| Westerkerk, Amsterdam |
Amsterdam’s Centraal Station lies at the northern end of Damrak. The station is
housed inside a beautiful Gothic / Renaissance Revival building which is one of
the city’s major landmarks. The station first opened in 1889, and was designed
by the same architect who designed Rijksmuseum (there is a big similarity between
the two buildings).
 |
| Centraal Station, Amsterdam |
Rijksmuseum is one of the world’s finest art museums, housed inside
a very impressive building. The museum has masterpieces by Rembrandt ("The Nightwatch", "The Jewish Bride"), Vermeer ("The Kitchen Maid", "Woman reading a Letter", "The Love Letter"), Van Gogh
and many other masters. The current building was opened in 1885. Besides
paintings, the museum also has a small section of Asian sculptures.
 |
| Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam |
 |
| Rembrandt's The Nightwatch, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam |
 |
Van Gogh's Self Portrait, Rijksmuseum,
Amsterdam |
 |
Vermeer's The Love Letter, Rijksmuseum,
Amsterdam |
 |
Asselijn's The Threatened Swan, Rijksmuseum,
Amsterdam |
 |
Hals' The Merry Drinker, Rijksmuseum,
Amsterdam |
The Van Gogh Museum has a very impressive
collection of the troubled Dutch artist’s paintings. Born in 1853, the artist
killed himself in 1890 after a long battle with depression. The museum has
masterpieces like "Vase With Sunflowers", "The Potato Eaters", "The Wheatfields and the Crows", "The
Bedroom at Arles"
and "Pieta".
Keukenhof is one of the world’s largest flower gardens. The
garden is in Lisse, at a distance of
about 40 km south-west of Amsterdam. It is spread over 79 acres and every year,
7 million tulip bulbs are planted. The garden is open annually from mid March to
mid May. The garden was established in 1949. Attractions include flower decorations
at Wilhelm Alexander and Oranje Nassau, a windmill,
and a big lake with a fountain.
 |
| Windmill, Keukenhof |
 |
| Tulips, Keukenhof |
 |
| Cow, Oranje Nassau, Keukenhof |
 |
| Elephant, Oranje Nassau, Keukenhof |
 |
| Wilhelm Alexander, Keukenhof |
Hillegom
Hillegom serves as a nice base camp to explore the gardens at Keukenhof. The town has a population of about 20,000 and lies around 40 km south west of Amsterdam. The town's main pedestrian street is Hoofdstraat. Sint Martinskerk and Sint Martinuskerk are two well known churches, one of either end of the street. The Stadhuis is another town landmark.
 |
| Stadhuis, Hillegom |
 |
| Hoofdstraat, Hillegom |
 |
| Sint Martinuskerk, Hillegom |
Kinderdijk
Kinderdijk is a village about 100 km south-west of Amsterdam. Kinderdijk is situated at the
confluence of two rivers. Around 1740, 19 windmills were constructed to drain
water away and prevent flooding. This is the largest concentration of old
windmills in The Netherlands. In 1997, Kinderdijk was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
 |
| Windmills, Kinderdijk |
 |
Windmill with a goat in the foreground,
Kinderdijk |
 |
| Visitor Centre, Kinderdijk |
 |
| Museum Windmill Blokweer, Kiderdijk |
 |
| Bed at Museum Windmill Blokweer, Kinderdijk |
Giethoorn
Giethoorn is a village around 125 km north-east of Amsterdam.
Vehicles are not permitted in the village. It has a network of canals, and the
only way of getting around the village is either by boat or on foot. Giethoorn has about 180
bridges, and is known as the Venice of the North.
 |
| House by the Canal, Giethoorn |
 |
| Mineral Museum, Giethoorn |
 |
| Amethist, Mineral Museum, Giethoorn |
 |
| Rhoda Pottery, Giethoorn |
 |
| Cheese, Rhoda Pottery, Giethoorn |
Utrecht
Utrecht is a city with 340,000 population, around 50 km
south-east of Amsterdam.
Utrecht’s best known landmark is the Dom Kerk, with its 112 meter
high Dom Toren. Dom Kerk is also called St
Martin’s Cathedral. The church dates back to the 16th century. In 1674, there was a major storm, and the nave of the church
collapsed. This has left the Dom Toren isolated. The location of the erstwhile nave is
occupied by a large square with trees.
 |
| Dom Toren, Utrecht |
 |
| Nave of Dom Toren, Utrecht |
 |
| Cloisters at Domkerk, Utrecht |
 |
| Domkerk seen from the Cloisters, Utrecht |
Oude Gracht is a canal that runs through the heart of Utrecht, not far from Dom Toren.
 |
| Oude Gracht, Utrecht |
Other landmarks in the heart of Utrecht include
Pieterskerk, the
Stadhuis (the town hall) and the
University, all of which are housed in grand buildings.
 |
| Pieterskerk, Utrecht |
 |
| Stadhuis, Utrecht |
 |
| University, Utrecht |
The Hague
The Hague is the seat of the Dutch
government parliament (though the country’s official capital is Amsterdam), and
it has a population of about 520,000. After 1815, Belgium and The
Netherlands were combined to give the United Kingdom of The Netherlands in
order to combine their forces against France. In 1830, Belgium broke away as an
independent nation, and Amsterdam became the capital of The Netherlands, but
the government was situated out of The Hague.
Grote Kerk (St James Church) was completed in the 16th century. It has a 93 meter tall tower. It has some beautiful stain glass work,
a wooden carved pulpit, as well as splendid sepulchral monuments.
 |
| Interior of Grote Kerk, The Hague |
 |
| Nave of Grote Kerk, The Hague |
Mauritshuis is a museum spread
over 2 floors and 16 rooms, that contains a collection of over 800 paintings,
largely paintings from the Dutch Golden Era. Some of the masters featured
include Rembrandt, Vermeer, Rubens and Steen, to name just a few. The museum's most famous paintings include Vermeer's "Girl with the Pearl Earring" and Paulus Potter's "The Bull". The 17th century building was the erstwhile residence of Count John Maurice of Nassau.
It now belongs to the government of the Netherlands. The building was opened as
a museum to the public in 1822.
 |
| Mauritshuis, The Hague |
 |
Vermeer's Girl with the Pearl Earring,
Mauritshuis, The Hague |
 |
| Paulus Potter's The Bull, Mauritshuis, The Hague |
 |
Rembrandt's Self Portrait with a Gorget,
Mauritshuis, The Hague |
 |
Rubens and Brueghel's The Garden of Eden and the Fall,
Mauritshuis, The Hague |
 |
Steen's As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young,
Mauritshuis, The Hague |
Binnenhof is the Dutch
Parliament. It consists of a series of buildings near the Hofvijver Lake. A large part
of the complex dates back to the 13th century. The Gothic Ridderzaal is at the centre of
the complex. The king holds his annual speech from the throne every September
from this hall. It is supposed to be the world’s oldest parliament.
 |
| Binnenhof, The Hague |
The Peace
Palace houses the
International Court of Justice, as well as several other organizations. The
building was completed in 1913. It contains busts of various peace campaigners
from across the world.
Madurodam is
a miniature theme park. It has replicas of well known Dutch landmarks on the
scale 1:25. The park was opened in 1952. It was named after George Maduro, a Jewish law
student who was killed in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945. All proceeds from
the park go to support various charities.
 |
| Entrance, Madurodam, The Hague |
 |
| Peace Palace (The Hague), Maduroram, The Hague |
 |
| Westerkerk (Amsterdam), Madurodam, The Hague |
 |
| Basilica of Our Lady (Maastricht), Madurodam, The Hague |
 |
| Domtoren at Utrecht, Madurodam, The Hague |
The Sting is a well known department store in the centre of The Hague. The circular shaped building has a beautiful stain glass ceiling.
 |
| The Sting |
Den Bosch
Den Bosch, locally called s’-Hertogenbosch, is a city with a
population of over 140,000 and is the capital of the province of North
Brabant in the Netherlands. The artist Jheronimus
Bosch is probably Den Bosch’s best known son. Glimpses of his works can be seen
across the city.
St Jaanskathedraal was completed in
1530. In 1629, Protestants took over the church. In 1810, when Napoleon visited
Den Bosch, he made it a Catholic church
again. Under the 73 meter tall clock tower, there is a carillon. The church also
boasts of one of the country’s best known organs.
 |
| St Jaanskathedraal, Den Bosch |
 |
| Nave of Sint Janskathedraal, Den Bosch |
 |
| Dome Interior of Sint Janskathedraal, Den Bosch |
 |
| Sculpture of St Isabella, Sint Janskathedraal, Den Bosch |
The Jheronimus Bosch Art Centre is a centre dedicated to the works of the well known
artist, Jheronimus Bosch (1450-1516).
The centre has prints of the artist’s best known works, the originals of which
are in museums across the world. The centre is housed inside an old church.
 |
| Jheronimus Bosch Art Centre, Den Bosch |
 |
Crowning with Thorns, Jheronimus Bosch
Art Centre, Den Bosch |
 |
Organ, Jheronimus Bosch
Art Centre, Den Bosch |
The Markt is in the heart of
the old town. It is in a pedestrian zone, full of shops and restaurants. The
large square has a statue of Jheronimus Bosch, the Stadhuis (the Town Hall), as
well as a covered well and a Mary Column.
 |
| Jheronimus Bosch Sculpture, Markt, Den Bosch |
 |
| Markt, Den Bosch |
 |
| Stadhuis, Den Bosch |
Rosmalen
Rosmalen is
a suburb of Den Bosch. It has a population of about 35,000. The town’s best known landmark is the Sint Lambertuskerk, a church in the
heart of town near the Markt. The tower dates
back to 1430 and the nave was built in 1550. In the course of its history, the
church has been used as a prison and as a town hall. Dierenpark Maliscamp is a farm with farm animals, and is popular with children.
 |
| St Lambertuskerk, Rosmalen |
 |
| Graves outside St Lambertuskerk, Rosmalen |
 |
| Dierenpark Maliscamp, Rosmalen |
Beekse Bergen
Beekse Bergen is a large safari park, a short distance from Den Bosch
and very close to the town of Tilburg.
It was set up in 1968. Visitors can go around the park in their own cars, by
bus, by boat or by foot. Driving through the park, being among the giraffes,
zebras and wildebeests, gives visitors the feeling of being in the wilds of
Africa. The park also has several restaurants, as well as rides for kids.
 |
| Tourists with Giraffes, Beekse Bergen |
 |
| Lion, Beekse Bergen |
 |
| Hippos, Beekse Bergen |
 |
| Baboons, Beekse Bergen |
 |
| Llama, Beekse Bergen |
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the country's second largest city, with a population of 635,000. It is a major economic centre, and has Europe's largest port. The city is known for its unique, modern architecture. This is exemplified in Kijk Kubus, a set of apartments that are built inside a series of diagonally placed cubes! These apartments were built in the 1970s by architect Piet Blom.
 |
| Kijk Kubus, Rotterdam |
 |
| Apartments seen from inside the courtyard, Kijk Kubus, Rotterdam |
 |
| Interior of an apartment, Kijk Kubus, Rotterdam |
Museum Boijmans van Beuningen is Rotterdam's best known museum. It opened in 1849, and has a very impressive collection of works by artists like Rubens, Degas, Munch, Van Gogh, Monet and Cezanne.
 |
Degas' Ballet Dancer, Museum
Boijmans van Beuningen,
Rotterdam |
 |
Munch's Two Girls under an Apple Tree,
Museum Boijmans van Beuningen,
Rotterdam |
 |
Cezanne's Landscape at Aix en Provence,
Museum Boijmans van Beuningen,
Rotterdam |
 |
Kokoschka's Mandrill,
Museum Boijmans van Beuningen,
Rotterdam |
 |
Van Gogh's Armand Roulin,
Museum Boijmans van Beuningen,
Rotterdam |
The
Stadhuis or Town Hall in Rotterdam is one of the city's most attractive buildings.
 |
| Stadhuis, Rotterdam |
Rotterdam has a well known
War Memorial, dedicated to those who perished in World War II.
 |
| War Memorial, Rotterdam |
Delft
Delft is a town with a population of 100,000. It is famous for its Delft blue pottery. It was also the place where the famous Dutch painter, Vermeer, lived. Delft's most famous site is the Nieuwe Kerk, built in the 15th century. It contains the Dutch royal family's burial vault.
 |
| Niuewe Kerk, Delft |
 |
| Tomb of William of Orange, Nieuwe Kerk, Delft |
The
Stadhuis lies along Markt, the large square in the heart of town that also has the Nieuwe Kerk.
 |
| Stadhuis, Delft |
The
Oude Kerk is another well known church, which has the tombs of famous personalities like Vermeer.
 |
| Oude Kerk, Delft |
Het Princenhof was built in the middle ages as a monastery. It later served as the residence of William the Silent. William was murdered here in 1584. Bullet holes near the staircase are still visible from the murder. The building was converted into a museum in 1911 and has a collection of Dutch Golden Age paintings.
 |
| Het Princenhof, Delft |
 |
| Staircase, Het Princenhof |
All in all, The Netherlands is a beautiful country, and I highly recommend it to travelers who love art, history, culture, good food, or nature. People are largely friendly and helpful, and a majority of people speak English, at least in the big towns. Rarely in all my travels have I come across so much to experience in such a small sized country! For shoppers and souvenir hunters, things to look out for include Delft blue pottery, Dutch cheese like Gouda, Dutch chocolates, tulip bulbs, and the famous Dutch clogs!
4 comments:
Very informative
Thank you very much!
Found very informative, thanks for sharing!!
Siri
Klook promo code
Thank you very much Darren. Am sorry for the delayed response. I didn't get a message alert and just happened to see your comment! - Akshay
Post a Comment