Beach Holiday
Some major cities in the Netherlands are known for their extensive equipped beaches, which attract swimmers and sunbathers. In fact, the entire area of the western coast of the country, washed by the North Sea, is one large beach area. See toppharmacyschools for geography, climate and cuisine in Netherlands.
Just a 27-minute train ride from Amsterdam, in the town of Zandvoort, there is a good beach. Worth mentioning is the good beach at IJmuiden, as well as the artificial beach Blijburg organized in the summer.
On the territory of The Hague there are beaches known throughout the country Kyakdaun (west of the city) and Scheveningen (in the northern part). During the summer months, you can visit the river city beach in Rotterdam, although this is more of a place for parties and hangouts, and not a real beach. But in the town of Hoek van Holland, not far from the city, there are excellent beach areas that everyone will like.
Leisure
Dutch cities such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam are famous for their fun, wild and varied nightlife. The bulk of clubs, bars and discos in Amsterdam is located on the Leidseplein, on the already allegorical “Red Light District”, as well as in the Rembrandtplein area.
Some popular entertainment in the Netherlands is illegal in many countries. So, among tourists and local residents, visiting the so-called. coffeeshops in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Marked with bright red-yellow-green rastaman flags, they sell marijuana, hashish patties and hallucinogenic mushrooms from the Smart Shop. Tourists should be careful with the use of these “amusements”, they sometimes act unpredictably on beginners.
The country’s capital, Amsterdam, will also delight shoppers. Waterlooplein Square will surprise you with a diverse “flea market”, where buyers can find both a rare bicycle bell and vinyl records with rare music. The fair sex will attract “flower markets” and fine jewelery shops. And the Zwarte Markt shopping complex, located just 15 km north of the city, is often called the largest European market.
On a weekend in the parks of Amsterdam, you can get to various fairs, rollerblade, etc. Boat races are extremely popular, both for recreational and sporting purposes. In the provinces of Friesland and Zeeland, windsurfing and sailing are quite widespread.
The flat landscape of the country has led to the development of hiking and cycling. By the way, cycling is almost the most common form of recreation for the inhabitants of the Netherlands. In cold winters skating competitions are organized. A very curious and slightly strange entertainment called wadlopen is a mud walking competition on the sea shallows (the most popular place is the northern city of Groningen).
Tours
In addition to the grandiose system of dams and other hydraulic structures that protect the country from the onset of the sea, the Netherlands can boast of a large number of cultural, architectural and historical monuments scattered throughout the country’s cities and combined with modern buildings.
A kind of “calling card” of the country are flower plantations, which in spring time are a colorful sight. It is impossible to imagine the Dutch landscape without the famous windmills.
The capital of the country, Amsterdam, is famous for the huge number of bridges (more than 600) thrown over numerous canals and creating a special look of the city. Often acquaintance with the city begins with the picturesque Central Station of the 19th century. From here, the channels dividing the city into 90 islands and the streets diverge. Along the main street of Damrak, tourists can get to the historical center of the city, famous for its Dam Square with the Royal Palace and a huge museum, as well as the Freedom Monument, the Nieuwe Kerk church, where the Dutch monarchs were crowned, and Madame Tussauds.
Among the churches, one can single out the oldest Gothic Ude Kerk (1300), the largest Renaissance church in the country, the Westerkerk with the tomb of Rembrandt, as well as the Portuguese Synagogue and the Amstelkring Catholic Cathedral of the 17th century.
Amsterdam can rightfully be called a major museum center. Here is one of the best European museums, the Rijksmuseum, and the Dutch Historical Museum, and the Stedelijk Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Van Gogh and Rembrandt museums with a grandiose collection of their paintings. It even has the characteristic Museum of Hashish, Marijuana and Cannabis and the Museum of Tattoos.
The old part of Rotterdam, the largest European port, was almost completely destroyed during the Second World War. One of the preserved parts of the city is the area of the Delft port with narrow streets and windmills. The city center is noticeable by the bronze monument “Scream” in honor of the city destroyed by the Nazis, as well as the Historical Museum. A rich collection of paintings by Flemish masters will please the Museum of Boyman van Beuningen. Other interesting museums are the Academy of Arts, the Museum of Ethnography, Entomology, etc.
The Hague is known for the fact that it is here, in the Peace Palace, that the International Court of Justice conducts its business. The ancient Binnenhof castle and the monument to William I of Orange mark the city center. Around you can look at the building of the Ridderzaal tribunal, the medieval Gevagenport prison, the oldest city Passage in the Netherlands and much more. Nearby you will find the richest Royal Art Gallery with paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals and so on.
Tourists will certainly not regret visiting the ancient university town of Utrecht, the ancient Maastricht, northern Groningen, as well as the province of Friesland and the Wadden Islands with their picturesque landscapes and the peculiar culture of the Frisians.
Noteworthy are the national parks of the Netherlands. The largest is De Hoge Veluwe with Europe’s largest outdoor sculpture museum. And the park De Kennermerdunen on the dunes is distinguished by its natural flora and fauna.
Festivals and holidays
The richest place for festivals is Amsterdam. Here you can get to the Amsterdam Carnival in February, the Blues Festival in March, the main national holiday The Queen’s Birthday (April 30), as well as the Dutch Theater Festival in June, the beautiful September Flower Festival and much more. From November 20 to 24, even the Hemp Festival is held here with a mass of dishes, clothes and other products made from this wonderful material.
In the summer, fairs and folk festivals are organized throughout the country, as well as music festivals and sports competitions.
