Dutch history and Netherlands (Holland) travel guide
The Netherlands is a small country in the Northwest of Europe, between the North Sea, Belgium and Germany. It is a land of water, polders, windmills, tulips and of course, Amsterdam.
The recorded history starts with the Roman invasion halfway through the first century A.D., but its zenith of power was the 17th century Golden Age, when Holland and its allied provinces dominated European culture and commerce. They had the disputed hegemony of the Seven Seas with the English and the Spanish empires. In that period New York, parts of Brazil, a series of forts along the African Coast and the Colonies in Indonesia formed part of the vast Dutch Empire.
In Amsterdam, Utrecht or Leiden,you can see the big 17th century mansions once owned by the commanders of the Dutch fleet and those of the rich merchants who financed the wars with their overseas gains. They were the Dutch elite, who preferred small items of great value stashed away in their mansions over Baroque palaces. Their pride was displayed in the countless portrait paintings they commissioned and were also patrons of the famous Dutch masters such as Rembrandt, Frans Hals or Dou.
Apart from the glory days, there is much in the Netherlands to attract the present day visitor. There is a very open, relaxed and international atmosphere, some great museums with both modern art and historical chef-d’oeuvres.
Amsterdamthe dynamic capital, has a distinct character all of its own and a melting pot of different cultures. Because of its liberal attitude anything is possible in Amsterdam, a city with world class art and stunning architecture to colourful streets that hum with life. Amsterdam has something for everyone. Further afield is the beautiful lake region of the IJsselmeer, surrounded by harbour towns, including popular Volendam, Edam of cheese-making fame, Hoorn, and Enkhuizen with its Zuider Zee Museum.
Further south is the medieval town of Haarlem, famous for the artist Frans Hals, and the glorious flower fields. In the centre of the bulb region is the famous Keukenhof gardens, located near the village of Lisse in Zuid-Holland. Visit Aalsmeer, the world’s largest flower auctions, where bulbs are transported all round the world via nearby Schiphol airport.
Along the western coast are sandy beaches and dunes, including the province of Zuid-Holland. Delft, immortalised by the artist Johannes Vermeer and famous for the Delft Blue pottery, and Rotterdam not only boasts the busiest harbour in the world, but has the most bizarre modern cubic architecture. The Hague is a mixture of ancient and modern, and with other charming Old Dutch towns such as Delft, Dordrecht, Gouda and Leiden, the past is still very much alive in the form of stately merchants’ houses lining the old canals, huge churches and municipal buildings, and historic market squares with friendly cafés.
Southern Limburg is the ’Dutch Alps’ due to the wooded hills, valleys, historic castles and caves. Maastricht in the Meuse valley is an old Roman city and has a renowned art centre with early Italian and Flemish art. Mineral rich springs are found in the hills of Valkenburg in the wooded Geul valley, along with massive caves and grottoes. The castle ruins on top of the hill give an impressive view over the valley. In this region is the ’drielandenpunt’, where it is possible to step into all three countries, with Liége in Belgium, and Aachen in Germany.
On the south-western coast is Zeeland, a region of islands, peninsulas, sandy coastline and bird filled marshes. Lake Veere in Walcheren on Zuid Beverland is an exceptional yachting and windsurfing area. On Duiveland island is the beautiful town of Zierikzee, where time has stood still since the Middle Ages. A long inlet leads to the Oosterschelde, for boat trips to tour the Storm Surge Barrier.
In the North of the country is Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe. The whole of Friesland is a summer sports paradise and the watersport capital is Sneek, which has a sailing history dating back to the Vikings. With the creation of the IJsselmeer the harbour towns of Makkum and Stavoren are also popular watersport centres. Take the ferry from the coastal town of Harlingen, (a national conservation area), to reach the wild landscape islands of Terschelling and Vlieland, part of the Waddenzee islands.
Towards the middle and east of the country the landscape changes drastically to vast heathlands, forests and parks. In the middle is the Veluwe National Park covering a huge area of pine and silver birch forest, heathland and sand dunes. A popular area is De hoge veluwe one of the country’s most beautiful conservation areas north of Arnhem, and south of Apeldoorn. Once Royal hunting territory, it has miles of forests that are rich in wildlife, including deer and boar. In its midst is a museum with Van Gogh paintings and Europe’s largest sculpture park. In the east towards the German border there are many woods, stately castles, meandering rivers and picturesque towns, which all lie along the hundreds of cycle routes, all waiting to be discovered.
Rotterdam Harbour. Rotterdam is the biggest port in the world. A trip through the harbour in a Water taxi is a unique experience!
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aces. Their pride was displayed in the countless portrait paintings they commissioned and were also patrons of the famous Dutch masters such as Rembrandt, Frans Hals or Dou. 
nds, peninsulas, sandy coastline and bird filled marshes. Lake Veere in Walcheren on Zuid Beverland is an exceptional yachting and windsurfing area. On Duiveland island is the beautiful town of 
