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Many people don’t regard the
Netherlands as a prime tourist destination. But how
wrong they are! We’ve toured this country more than once, and each
time we are amazed at what it has to offer: interesting cities,
intimate small towns, the most beautiful sceneries, castles,
palaces, churches, museums, flowers, and water, water, water … and
everything associated with it. A short article can only scratch at
the surface of its richnesses.
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One of the most
interesting introductions to this “Land of Water”, is by air -
especially if you fly from the north, say Scandinavia or
Scotland, over the north sea towards Schiphol, the main airport
at Amsterdam. It always amazes us when we see the patches of
land geometrically interspersed by shimmering canals, streams
and lakes. Less than 85% of the country is land, whilst
approximately half of it lies below sea level. Three rivers of
European significance empty through this coastal and delta area,
namely the
Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt.
They say that even the airstrips of Schiphol in a certain sense
“float” on the groundwater, so that when a large aircraft lands,
the tilt in the landscape can be measured!
If you are
looking for inexpensive, but well-cared for accommodation, the
Netherland’s chain of Bastion Hotels is to be recommended. They
can be compared to the City Lodges or Town Lodges in South
Africa, all situated on the fringes of the cities, near to
public transport. From the Bastion Hotel at Schiphol, for
example, you hop on the train close by for a 20 minute trip to
the centre of Amsterdam. |
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Amsterdam
Amsterdam, more than 700 years old, is considered to
be one of the most interesting cities in Europe. It is a metropolis
with a unique ambience and entirely individual effervescent
atmosphere - and with no less than 7000 monuments! The best way to
familiarize yourself with this city, is to tour the rings of canals
(with more than a thousand bridges) spreading out like a fan around
the historic city centre, called the Dam. But don’t take the tourist
boats in front of the station - they really are expensive. Walk some
way down to the Dam, where you can board at a more reasonable
tariff, especially those of the “Rederij Plas”. On such a roundtrip
you will be able to observe the typical Dutch style houses on the
banks of the canals - also the one where Ann Frank wrote her diary -
as well as the interesting house boats on which families have their
homes.
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Places of interest in Amsterdam are so numerous,
that a visitor will have to make choices. The Rijksmuseum, with
Rembrandt’s “The Night Watchman” is a must, The red light
district, called the “Walle” is world renowned. But beware -
always be accompanied when you walk these narrow streets. And,
what are advertised as “Coffee Shops”, don’t sell coffee at all!
However, although a city like Amsterdam is a
must, it is the northern countryside with its small villages and
inspiring scenery that interest us the most. We found that the
following route will give you a rewarding insight into most of
what is typical of this interesting country with its rich
cultural heritage.
Noord
(North)-Holland |
From Schiphol, where you take possession of a rented
car, a circular route through the provinces of Noord-Holland,
Friesland and
Groningen can be undertaken in three to four days. The first stop
will be just north-west of Amsterdam in Noord-Holland at the Zaanse
Schans, where a group of working windmills (for mustard, plant oils
and wheat) stand together within a historically and picturesque
setting. There, visitors can get a good view of the typical
architecture of this province during previous centuries. The wooden
houses are painted in the standard colours of green and white.
From here the road takes you north via the 200 m
wide, 32 km. long “Afsluitdijk” built through the north sea to form
the Ijselmeer, from which large expanses of land called “polders”,
like Urkerland and Flevoland, were won from the water. In the middle
of the dyke, which in itself is a monument to man’s capabilities of
mastering the forces of nature, and with the north sea rolling
against the buttresses, an inspiring statue of a man putting down a
rock on the place where the dyke was finally closed, grips your
attention. The inscription reads: “De strijd tegen het water blijft
een strijd door en voor de mens” (The struggle against the water
remains a struggle by and for mankind).
Friesland
After crossing the
Afsluitdijk, you are in
Friesland, for us one of the most
beautiful and serene regions in the whole of Europe. It is criss-crossed by canals, with fertile and green pastures on which
thousands of
Friesland cattle and black and brown sheep can be
seen. It has eleven towns and numerous picturesque villages and
hamlets, a thankful object for photographers with an eye for detail.
No wonder that numerous Dutch poets expressed themselves lyrically
on the Frisian landscape.
Although you can explore this region by car, we were lucky to have
friends residing in a house on the waterfront of one of the canals,
taking us on a day-long trip. However, boating trips can be taken
from some of the villages. Slowly passing through the countryside,
with sailing boats to be seen everywhere, you have an unusual
perspective, since the canals are on a higher level than the
pastures alongside. Sometimes traffic on the roadways passes
underneath the canals! The most stately homes, pearls of the Frisian
landscape, can be seen on small islands, can only be reached by
boat.
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Occasionally you have to pass through sluices,
opened by a keeper after you have paid a small fee. In one case
the money had to be put in a clog (wooden shoe) attached to a
fishing rod, lowered by the keeper perched above the canal.
One of the smallest but most picturesque villages
is Sloten, not far from Leeuwarden, the main city of Friesland.
Sloten was established during the 13th century as a
small trading centre for butter, cheese and meat. It remains
largely intact up until today, where you can still see an
example of a pillory, reminding you of days long gone by.
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Groningen
The northern province of Groningen, which borders
Germany, has always had a strong agrarian character. There are many
extensive farmlands with the steeples of countless small and large
churches, mostly built of red bricks. The solitude of the
countryside contrasts with the bustling principal town Groningen.
Here ample attractions are to be found. On the market square you can
enjoy a “lekkerbekje”, mouth watering freshly baked fish, or, if you
have the taste, down a (raw!) herring. A climb up the Martini
Tower afterwards rewards you with a magnificent view over the city.
From Groningen you can directly travel back to
Amsterdam within a day, on the way visiting interesting places like
the living museum village Orvelte, displaying how communities lived
a few centuries ago. Here nothing may be changed without permission
of the government. Near Apeldoorn a visit to the previous royal
palace, Het Loo, is worthwhile.
There are many other regions and places of interest
in the Netherlands, but the region that I’ve tried to describe, is
unique. And since the Netherlands is a relatively small country,
this trip is only about 250 km. long, to be discovered at leisure.
In my mind it should not be disregarded when planning a trip to
Europe.
- Manie Wolvaardt
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