Netherlands Travel Guides & Information

If you think the level planes of the Dutch countryside are draped in a rainbow-striped carpet of fresh tulips; that eager cyclists meander along wide sweeping lanes, admiring the backdrop of wooden windmills and historic waterways in the rural Netherlands; and that the capital, Amsterdam, is a hub of hedonism, fuelled by a thriving red light district and lax laws on cannabis, you are somewhat right; but not quite.

There is far more to the Netherlands than stereotype suggests. A quirky character compared to the rest of Western Europe - not least for its national colour, bright orange - , this country is home to a plethora of cultural jewels. From the narrow streets and fortresses of old university town Utrecht, to the startlingly futuristic architecture of technology-driven Eindhoven, the bustling flea markets and nightlife of Amsterdam to the sun-dappled squares of international powerhouse, The Hague, the Netherlands will welcome you as one of its own. After all, here, tolerance and equality come as standard. You’ll feel right at home.

• The Dutch people are statically the tallest in the world.
• Gin (or jenever) was first sold in Holland as medicine.
• There are around 1180 windmills in the Netherlands.
• Orange coloured carrots first appeared in Holland in the 16^th century.
• In 2007 the Netherlands were named the best place in the world for a child to live.