- Capital: Amsterdam
- Form of government: Constitutional Monarchy
- Area: 241 526 km2
- Religion: Catholics 31%, Protestants 21%
- Phone number: +31
- Languages: Dutch, Frisian
- Time Zone: +1
- Population: 7,469,635 (2021)
- Currency: Euro (Eur)
Netherlands airports: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Rotterdam The Hague Airport (formerly Zestienhoven), Groningen Eelde Airport, Eindhoven Airport and Maastricht Aachen Airport.,Finn air and KLM have direct flights from Helsinki to Amsterdam. The easiest way to get to Groningen and other northern parts of the country is by flying from Tampere with Ryan air to Bremen in northern Germany, from where there is a direct bus connection to Groningen several times a day.
By ferry: There are several ferry routes between the UK and the Netherlands, including services from Newcastle to Amsterdam (Ijmuiden), Harwich to the Hook of Holland and Hull to Rotterdam. These services are especially popular for those who want to bring a car.
The Netherlands has good train connections to neighboring countries. High-speed trains such as Thalys connect Amsterdam to Paris and Brussels, and Euro star now offers direct connections between Amsterdam and London. ICE trains offer direct routes to Germany and Switzerland.
Numerous bus companies, including Flix Bus and Euro lines, offer low-cost services from various European cities to the Netherlands. This can be an affordable option, although slower than flying or high-speed trains.
- Bicycles are the most popular means of transport in the Netherlands for longer journeys. It is a cheap, convenient and better and faster way to get around in several cities where traveling by car is almost impossible. Many places have their own lane reserved for cyclists and even traffic lights. Even in rural areas, it is often possible to follow guided cycling routes on scenic tours.
NETHERLANDS
AMSTERDAM (CAPITAL)
The liberal and exuberant Amsterdam – commonly known just as ”Dam” – is the capital of the Netherlands and is located in the western side of the country. The river Amstel ends in the city centre and connects to a large number of canals. The city has appr. 830,000 residents, and about 1,5 million in the whole metropolitan area. Amsterdam was granted city rights in either 1300 or 1306. From the 14th century on, Amsterdam flourished, largely because of trade with the Hanseatic League. The 17th century is considered as Amsterdam’s Golden Age, during which it became the wealthiest city in the world.
Rijksmuseum
Address: Museumstraat 1, 1071 XX Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum dedicated to arts and history in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and the Concertgebouw.
Anne Frank House
Address: Westermarkt 20, 1016 GV Amsterdam, Netherlands
This historic 17th century canal house and biographical museum is dedicated to the memory of Anne Frank, a Jewish girl who hid from Nazi occupation with her family and four other people in the hidden rooms of this house. Here she wrote her famous diary, chronicling her life from 12 June 1942 until 1 August 1944, before her death in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945. Museum holds the preserved hiding place, a permanent exhibition on the life of Anne Frank, and an exhibition space dedicated to all forms of persecution and discrimination. A sight full of extremely moving and tragic history.
Van Gogh Museum
Address: Museumplein 6, 1071 DJ Amsterdam, Netherlands
This art museum is dedicated to the bibliography and works of the famous Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh.The museum area consists of two buildings; the Rietveld building, the main structure designed by Gerrit Rietveld, and the Kurokawa wing, designed by Kisho Kurokawa. The museum has a cafe, a shop and an introductory section in the Rietveld building. Buildings are connected by an underground tunnel.
Vondelpark
Address: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Vondelpark is a public urban park of 47 hectares (120 acres) in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is part of the borough of Amsterdam-Zuid and situated west from the Leidseplein and the Museumplein. The park was opened in 1865 and originally named Nieuwe Park (English: New Park), but later renamed Vondelpark, after the 17th-century playwright and poet Joost van den Vondel. The park has around 10 million visitors annually. Within the park is an open-air theatre, a playground and several food service facilities.
Heineken Experience
Address: Stadhouderskade 78, 1072 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Heineken Experience, located in Amsterdam, is a historic brewery and corporate visitor center for the internationally distributed Dutch pilsner, Heineken beer. Interactive tour through beer giant’s history in former brewery, with a tasting room finale.
Centraal Station
Address: Stationsplein, 1012 AB Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam Centraal Station is the largest railway station in Amsterdam in North Holland, Netherlands. A major international railway hub, it is used by 192,000 passengers a day, making it the second busiest railway station in the country after Utrecht Centraal and the most visited Rijksmonument of the Netherlands.
The Joordan
The narrow canals and streets of trendy Jordaan are flanked by indie boutiques, cozy pubs and hip eateries. Stalls at the Noordermarkt square market offer jewelry, clothes, antiques and organic food. Antiques Centre Amsterdam sells vintage ceramics and paintings, while smaller galleries in the area focus on innovative contemporary art. Other attractions include the Houseboat Museum and the Amsterdam Cheese Museum.
The Hoge Veluwe National Park
The nearest town is Arnhem, with a train connection from Amsterdam.
Situated on the Veluwe hill ridge, this national park represents the lesser-known forest parts of the Netherlands, suitable for adventurous visitors. It covers a 55 km2 area consisting of deciduous woodlands, sand dunes and heaths. Three entrances lead to the park, at the villages of Otterlo, Hoenderloo and Schaarsbergen. Notable attractions within the park are The Kröller-Müller art museum in Otterlo, St. Hubertus Hunting Lodge and the underground Museonder museum focusing on the geology and biology of the Veluwe area. A bicycle-sharing system provides free bicycles for visitors of the park.
Valkenburg
This idyllic castle ruin lies in the picturesque countryside of Limburg. The first permanent fortification on the site was probably built around 1115. In 1122, the castle was largely destroyed after a siege. The structure received several extensions and a few reconstructions but was almost entirely destroyed in 1672, when it was demolished to prevent its fall to the hands of the invading French army. Falling into decay, it was partly restored in 1937. A notable attraction is a labyrinth of secret underground passageways, which leads to the Velvet cave, a man-made cave produced in an old marl mine
Keukenhof
Location: Lisse, South Holland province
Also known as the Garden of Europe, this spectacular flower garden is one of the greatest in the world. It covers a 32-hectare area, and it consists of a wide network of paths, over 15 kilometres in length. Appr. 7 million flower bulbs are planted in the park each year and it is divided into several pieces: the English landscape garden, the historical garden, the Japanese garden and the nature garden, consisting of a water garden. There are some privately owned tulip beds outside of the garden area. Keukenhof is open from mid-March to mid-May every year.
Damrak
This avenue is a partially filled canal at the centre of Amsterdam, running between Amsterdam Centraal in the north and Dam Square in the south. It is a popular walking street. One of its attractions is the Beurs van Berlage building.
Fort St. Pieter
Province: Limburg
This historic fortress built in 1701-1702 was built on a hill as a vantage point, and offers a stunning view over Maastricht.