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Netherlands (Holland) is a relatively small but densely populated country that borders to Belgium and Germany, and overseas to the United Kingdom.
Regions
Provincie Noord-Holland - Provincie Zuid-Holland - Provincie Noord-Brabant - Provincie Limburg - ProvincieZeeland - ProvincieFlevoland - ProvincieDrenthe - ProvincieGelderland - ProvincieUtrecht - ProvincieFriesland - ProvincieOverijssel - Wadden
Cities
Amsterdam: The capital, largest city and favorite touristic destination. Has lots off the beaten track options, the coffeeshops are famous, there are many places to go out, and great to cycle around.
Rotterdam: Holland's Second biggest city, famous as one of the biggest ports in the world and a city characterized by modern architecture.
Utrecht: a city with a well preserved historical centre, full or cultural activity, but somehow unknown to the big tourist crowds.
Delft: is a cute little historical city, known for it's pottery and painters(Vermeer). The canals make it look a little like Amsterdam, but for some Delft is nicer. It's a city that hosts a university, so lots of students are walking around and the parties make it a great city to live in or to visit.
Texel is one of the seven islands in the Wadden. You can get there by boat from Den Helder.
Other Destinations
Getting around
Public transport
Public transport is well organised, you can span the country within 3-4 hours by train and around the big cities (Amsterdam/Rotterdam) trains run all through the night. A chip-card can be bought which is valid for train, metro, tram and bus. For trains, tram and bus you can still buy a single ride but plans are to abolish that, the Chipcard is still quite new. Beware to check out hen you leave the public transport.
Any trip can be planned through 9292
Biking
Traveling by bicycle is easy and very common within cities and across the Netherlands. There are separate bike-lanes that link cities and towns, with special routes and routes. If you are cycling at night, you must have a light on the front of your bike (or yourself) and one on the back.
- More info on biking in the Netherlands (also routes)
- Renting bikes is possible at most big train-stations
Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking in the Netherlands is quite feasible and fast. In most large cities you can find so-called Liftplaatsen, official hitchhikers-spots. Hitchhiking is a good and very social alternative for the rather expensive train tickets, and also very do-able for short-distance hitching.
- See also the http://hitchwiki.org entry on The Netherlands
Interesting places to visit
Traditional windmills - there are about 750 traditional wooden windmills throughout the country
The flower fields - In april the flower fields are in bloom, a must-see. Located between Leiden and Amsterdam, visit the Keukenhof (paid) or just the fields (free) around Hillegom
Things to do
Marijuana
You can buy Marijuana and Hashish legally in so-called Coffee-shops. You are legally allowed to carry five grams. If you're planning on smoking, be aware that the quality of grass in Holland is a lot better than where you come from (often). If you're not an experienced smoker, be conservative with the quantities. Also, if you buy a pre-rolled joint, these tend to be very strong so don't smoke them by yourself in one go - or please go ahead if you want to feel very lame. Also be careful not to get a whitey. If you do get one, stay calm, and ask for a sugar-water. If you don't like smoking but do want to get high, you can also eat hash-cakes or cookies.
Mushrooms
In the so-called Smartshops you can buy so-called magic mushrooms. These drugs are natural. It is advisable not consume these in crowded environment. Best is to find a nice and peaceful spot in a park or outside the city, for example at the beach or in a forest. Always ask the person behind the counter for advice and tips. Smoking marijuana in combination with mushroom is not advisable, nor drinking alcohol.
- More info found on http://amsterdam.info
People
Dutch people tend to be slightly less boring than the average European, although they do have an indoor culture. Activity on the street or in public places is not that much as in Spain or Italy.
Eat and Drink
If you're looking for a typical Dutch dish, tough luck! Typical Dutch food is Gouda Cheese, pancakes and poffertjes. Famous Dutch cookies are the caramel waffles (Stroopwafels), but be careful, you __will__ get addicted!
If you like meat (go vegan!), you can eat also food 'out of the wall'. The kroket and the frikandel are famous, though especially the latter is mostly made out of animal-waste. You can also get the kaassoufle (fried cheese) from the wall, or eat them on some bread with satesaus.
Dutch cuisine
Typically people in Holland eat very much the same thing everywhere. An ordinary meal consists of potatoes, a piece of meat and boiled vegetables. On Saturday's the typical family eats bread and on Sunday something more exotic such as Chinese food. Though, this is changing a lot as families are increasingly eating more varied and tend to eat more exotically.
Restaurants
In almost all places you can find a lot of restaurants, typically Italian, Indonesian or Chinese type of cuisine. Restaurants tend to open at 5 and the kitchen closes around 10-1030.
Accommodation
Learn more
- Wikitravel has additional information
- tips on how to survive the Netherlands
This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.