The Netherlands - the land of work, peace and freedom
“It can be different ...it can be incendiary, it can be
cheerful ...it also happens like a flower - fantastically sweet,
but everyone knows that SHE is the brightest country! »
About the country, its history and people
The Netherlands is a small country consisting of 12 provinces, among which the most developed for many centuries were South and North Holland. Over time, the whole country, which became famous for its cheeses, canals, magnificent artists, tulips, porcelain, wooden shoes and mills, began to be called "Holland", which is officially incorrect. South and North Holland are just the 2 most developed of the 12 provinces of the Netherlands. These were the most famous provinces outside of the Netherlands, so the whole country was often called Holland in many languages.
The name "Netherlands" in translation means "lower lands", but it is literally wrong to translate it, because, for historical reasons, this term is used to refer to an area roughly corresponding to today's Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg (Benelux). At the end of the Middle Ages, the area, which was located in the lower reaches of the rivers Rhine, Meuse, Scheldt, along the coast of the North Sea, began to be called the "Primorsky lowlands" or "Lowlands".
On the territory of only 41.5 thousand square meters. km, the Netherlands is a small country, occupying a modest 131st place among all countries of the world, in terms of population - 16.8 million people. - 62nd place and is a country with one of the highest population densities - 394 people. / sq. km.
You can admire the typical Dutch landscape with cows, lambs, windmills and green meadows cut through by narrow channels while traveling along the excellent roads of the country.
Almost 1/3 of the country lies below sea level. Beginning in the 13th century, dams were built to block access to water in the lowlands, and windmills were built to pump out its excess. By the 19th century, there were more than 9.000 mills in the country. The drained lands surrounded by dams are called polders, of which there are now more than 5.000. If there were no dams and dams, half of the country, moreover, the most densely populated, would be flooded by the North Sea and rivers.
The Dutch are excellent livestock breeders, vegetable growers, gardeners, flower growers. Dutch cheeses brought the country worldwide fame. Great art was achieved in the production of fine linen, lace, and embroidery. Marine craft, woodworking (carving and painting of furniture, household utensils, wooden shoes), as well as the production of artistic metal products are developed. Dutch faience and tiles were widely known.
Adding to this the titanic work over the centuries to build up the territory, we can talk about the colossal industriousness of the Dutch. Peacefulness, tolerance and openness can also be attributed to the main character traits of the Dutch. They live by the principle: "Live yourself and do not interfere with the lives of others. "
First acquaintance with the Netherlands or a pleasant walk around Utrecht
Finally, I am in a country that I have long dreamed of visiting. About the first city I visited, Utrecht, I know almost nothing, my thoughts are in Amsterdam, about which I have so much good information. Therefore, from a date with Utrecht, I did not expect anything special. But from the first minutes of acquaintance with this cozy city and our guide Matheus Utrecht attracts attention and the realization that you are already in amazing Holland.
First of all, the calm atmosphere, the abundance of bicycles in the parking lots and the ubiquitous cyclists on the streets, the peculiar architecture of the buildings and, of course, the presence of canals that adorn this city, are striking.
The history of its origin is as follows: in the middle of the 1st century, on the banks of the Rhine, on the site of the Batavian (Batavi - a Germanic tribe that settled at the mouth of the Rhine and became an ally of Rome, later dissolved in the Franks) of the Traektum settlement (from Latin trajectus - crossing), a fortress appeared, built from of wood and earth by the Roman commander Corbulo, it housed a garrison of up to 500 soldiers. Since then, the course of the Rhine has shifted significantly, and today, on the site of the former fortress, there is Domplein Square and the Dom Cathedral. Around 270, due to the increasing attacks of the Germanic tribes, the Romans left the fortress, but even after their departure, Utrecht remained a settlement. In the 6th-8th centuries, along with Dorestad, it was the capital of the kingdom of Frisia.
In 696, an episcopal chair was established in it, and in 1122 it received city rights. In 1579, the Union of Utrecht was concluded here, which marked the beginning of the unification of the Dutch provinces into a single republic. Since 1636, the University of Utrecht has been located here, the city is also the center of the Roman Catholic archdiocese.
Today Utrecht, with a population of 310.000, is the fourth largest city in the country. We admire the perfectly preserved medieval architecture, look with pleasure into the cozy courtyards.
There are many peculiar monuments on the streets of the city - what was the long-eared one thinking about?
We visit a supermarket called "NEMA", which has literally everything. Well, sitting in such a cafe is a pleasant thing.
Even just walking along one of the canals is a pleasure, although you can also order a boat ride. Why not Venice?
In the capital city of Amsterdam
We enter the city that we have dreamed of meeting for many years.
It seemed that I knew a lot about him from literature and films, and now I had to get to know him personally. Amsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the west of the country, with a population of 750 thousand people. The name of the city comes from the phrase "Amstel dam" and shows how the city was born: a dam on the Amstel River was located on the site of the current Dam Square. Starting as a small fishing village at the end of the 12th century, during the Golden Age of the Netherlands, Amsterdam has become one of the most important port cities in the world. In the XIX-XX centuries, the city expanded significantly, new areas were formed due to the land conquered from the sea.
From the central railway station, the streets and "grahty" (canals) of Amsterdam scatter, including the main street of the city - Damrak.
the historical center, which is called the “Grand Canal Quarter”, the canals encircling it - Single (“defensive”), Heirengracht (“masters canal”), Kaisersgracht (“imperial”), Prinsengracht (“princes canal”), divide the city into 90 islands. Amsterdam is the largest city of canals in the world, of which there are more than 600 canals with a length of about 100 km, over which more than 1300 bridges are thrown. The most beautiful are Blauburg and Mahere brug ("Skinny Bridge"). You can see most of the sights from the water, so we start our acquaintance with the city by taking a boat trip along its canals, which offer a wonderful view of colorful houses, parks and streets. The farther from the center, the more colorful the architecture becomes - there are houses so narrow that it is difficult to imagine how people live in them, there are “falling” houses that are held only thanks to the buildings propping them up on both sides.
The canals in Amsterdam are not only the transport arteries of the city, the citizens spend their leisure time on them, and some live in houseboats that are equipped with the necessary amenities. There are more such dwellings here than anywhere else in Europe. The main reason for this, oddly enough, is not a love of romance, but simple prudence - this allows residents of boats and barges not to pay land ownership tax.
From the narrow channels we break out into the open sea, located on the back side of the railway station. Here, on land reclaimed from the sea, is the new district of Amsterdam. We sail past modern houses, pay special attention to a Chinese restaurant and an interesting object, shaped like an officer's cap. This is NEMO, the largest science and technology center in the Netherlands, housed in a very impressive modern building designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano.
Visitors are offered an interactive acquaintance with various modern devices and machines: telephones, computers, cars, barcode readers and other electronic achievements. All exhibits can be touched and turned on.
The main square of the Grand Canal Quarter is Dam. Here is the Royal Palace with a museum, the Freedom Monument, the New Church (Nieuwe Kerk, 1408) and the famous Madame Tussauds.
Nearby are the building of the Berlagy Exchange and the Amsterdam Footstock, the complex of buildings of the East India Company, the House of Shipbuilders, the Amsterdam Canal Museum.
The main attractions of Amsterdam, in addition to its canals, are the Van Gogh Museum, the Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum, a large number of art galleries that attract 4.2 million tourists annually. My choice fell on the Rijksmuseum - one of the main attractions of Amsterdam.
The museum is housed in a huge Neo-Gothic palace built in 1885, with Burgundian towers and sculptural reliefs. The Rijksmuseum has a unique collection of Dutch painting, sculpture and applied art. The museum is too big to see it in one day, however, one wing was opened in it due to restoration, but still we saw the famous painting by Rembrandt “The Night Watch”. The museum deserves to be visited again. There is also a good gift shop here.
We continue our acquaintance with a visit to the Diamond Museum, where we are introduced not only to the masterpieces of diamond production and the basics of jewelry craftsmanship, but also offer to buy individual jewelry.
Amsterdam is famous not only for its canals and museums, but also for its hot spots.
It is noteworthy that the inhabitants of Amsterdam are so accustomed to the Red Light District, cafes, shops, and the unambiguousness of sex shop windows that they easily make dates near them, walk here with children and, it seems, do not see anything shameful in these places at all.
In the evening, with a group, we go for a walk around the Red Light District, where half-naked priestesses of various nationalities and ages stand in the windows, offering to brighten up leisure for 100 euros, and in the neighboring "erotic theaters" right on the stage in front of the audience, well-built women actively make love men and women. Yes, Amsterdam is so liberal that here you can simultaneously rise to the heights of world art and sink to the very bottom of debauchery.
The authorities of Amsterdam allowed couples in love to have sex in one of the most famous parks in the city - Vondelpark, which is visited by an average of 10 million people a year, but forbade walking dogs without leashes there. True, when visiting this park, in addition to many cyclists riding and many people simply relaxing on its green lawns, we did not see anything, maybe the time was not right, maybe the fame of this park is somewhat exaggerated. And yet, these Amsterdam sights are not for everybody.
In order to preserve the health of citizens in the Netherlands, it is forbidden to smoke tobacco indoors. Therefore, people smoke on the street or in special smoking rooms. There is no ban on smoking weed indoors. Yes, drugs are legalized here - but the sellers of numerous coffee shops will carefully advise you on a less dangerous variety of "weed" for your health.
The city is the financial and cultural capital of the Netherlands. Many major Dutch institutions are headquartered here and 7 of the world's top 500 companies are based here, including Philips and ING.
Public transport in Amsterdam is quite expensive, which is probably why the Dutch love bicycles so much, which can be seen everywhere here, and because of the huge number of cyclists, just walking around the city is a problem.
The city is the northern part of the Randstad (urban agglomeration) complex of cities with a population of about 6.7 million people, it is the sixth largest metropolis in Europe, forming a circle around Amsterdam. It includes the cities of The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Haarlem, Leiden and Delft. In the center of the Randstad is the so-called "Green Heart" of the Netherlands. Between March and May, these places are decorated with flowering fields of daffodils and tulips.
The Keukenhof garden (south of Harlem) is the largest in the world. Over 800.000 people come to Keukenhof during the 8-week flowering season. Combining nature's bounty with Dutch perseverance has created a garden where millions of tulips and daffodils bloom every year.
Rotterdam - the largest sea gate in Europe
We visit the second largest city of Randstad and the countries of Rotterdam with a population of 620 thousand people, the industrial heart and largest port in Europe, which from 1962 to 2004 was the largest in the world (now it has lost this title to China's Shanghai). And its history begins on June 7.1340, when Count Willem IV of Holland granted the status of a city to a small - for 2 thousand inhabitants - fishing settlement on the banks of the Rotte ("Mutnaya") river, rich in herring, at its confluence with the Nieuwe Meuse.
They settled on this place from the 10th century, and the name Rotterdam (“Dam on the Rotte”) was established in the 1260s, when a dam was built to protect against frequent river floods. Due to its favorable geographical location at the mouth of two very important European rivers - the Rhine and the Meuse, 30 km from the North Sea, in the 17th century (after the discovery of the great ocean routes to Southeast Asia) it turned into an important trading port. And with the commissioning in 1872 of the Nieuwe-Waterves (New Waterway) canal, accessible to large ocean-going ships, it became the largest harbor in the whole world.
The city was badly damaged during World War II. This is the only city in the country that was badly damaged as a result of the bombing of German aircraft and was under the threat of flooding due to the destruction of the dam if the Netherlands did not surrender to the Nazi troops. The monument “People Praying Heaven for Mercy” reminds of those events.
The old city was almost not preserved, a new modern city was practically built.
Today's Rotterdam stands in stark contrast to Amsterdam and other Dutch cities in almost every direction. This is Holland, looking up and forward. It attracts with its famous avant-garde architecture and skyscrapers, but also with economic activity and cultural life. It is non-party, non-holiday, it is a workaholic city.
Cubic houses are an original decoration and an example of modern art. They are an architectural ensemble of cubes that seem to be barely balanced on concrete supports. People live in these houses, which seems absolutely incredible due to the many inclined planes, but the apartment, open to visitors, convinces that it is really possible to live here.
In addition, part of these quaint houses forms a bridge connecting the ensemble with the building of the Central Library of Rotterdam.
An important landmark of the city is the Erasmus Bridge, opened in 1996, thrown over the Meuse River, 800 m long and up to 139 m high. Due to its unusual design and recognizable outlines, it quickly became one of the symbols of the city (“Swan Bridge”). It has a motor road, tram rails, two paths for pedestrians and two for cyclists. In the southern (more distant from the city center) part of the bridge there is a drawbridge, which is considered the largest and heaviest in Western Europe.
Quiet and cozy Delft tour
A few minutes after we left Rotterdam, and before us is Delft - a carefully preserved medieval city that has not changed much since the 17th century: all the same canals, compact houses with narrow facades and huge churches.
We start our tour of Delft with a visit to a ceramic factory. The city has long been famous for its white and blue porcelain. In the 18th century, more than 30 factories were opened in the city, engaged in the production of porcelain tableware, jewelry and tiles. From here they were delivered to different countries of Europe. We are briefly introduced to the basics of production and we visit the rooms of the factory shop. where the best products of this factory are exhibited.
Delft is a city in the province of South Holland, located on the way from Rotterdam to The Hague on the river Sche, with a population of about 100 thousand people. There are hundreds of canals in Delft, including navigable ones, and the name of the city itself comes from the Dutch word "delf" - canal. Presumably in the 11th century, a settlement arose here, which quickly turned into a significant center of trade. April 15.1246
Count of Holland and Zeeland, King Wilhelm II of Germany granted Delft the rights of a city, thereby Delft became one of the first cities in Holland to receive such rights. A great fire in 1536 destroyed most of the wooden city, but by the beginning of the 17th century, Delft was completely restored. The city was the residence of William I of Orange and the first capital of the Netherlands. The explosion of powder magazines in 1654 led to new severe destruction (then 45 tons of gunpowder flew into the air). Only at the end of the 17th century the city was rebuilt and its then architectural appearance has largely survived to this day.
We start our walk around the city from the Market Square. Nieuwe Kirk rises above the square - the new church of Delft. New - only in name, it is more than five centuries old. During this time, lightning repeatedly struck the hundred-meter spire, it was tormented by fires, and the consequences of the explosion of powder stores in the 17th century are still being removed.
The main property of Nieuwe Kirk is the magnificent mausoleum of William I of Orange, an implacable fighter against Spanish rule, who was killed in Delft in 1584. He was buried in the New Church, which became the official resting place for members of the royal house of the Netherlands. Today, about 40 members of the august family are buried here. Among them are the ashes of Anna Pavlovna, the daughter of Emperor Paul I, the wife of King William II of the Netherlands. Inside the church is decorated with beautiful stained glass windows.
The Market Square also houses the City Hall, various shops and cozy restaurants. From the Market Square there are small streets that are just nice to wander around, as well as canals along which you can take a guided tour.
Wherever you go, all the roads of Delft lead to the majestic Oude Kerk - the old church of Delft. Its massive 75-meter spire has been slowly falling on the city since the middle of the 14th century, but is not going to fall yet.
The bell tower began to lean during construction, and they even wanted to demolish it, but the townspeople opposed it, and the city had to spend a lot of effort to stop the fall. We go to the Prinsenhof (prince's courtyard), the fortress-residence of William I of Orange, who was killed here in 1584. Once there was a monastery here, consecrated in honor of St. Agatha. In a cozy courtyard there is a monument to William I of Orange, our attention is also attracted by the street lamps with Delft paintings located here. From here, the Oude Kerk is also clearly visible.
Private and municipal houses with wonderful facades, decorated with the emblems of guilds and noble citizens, one better than the other. The quality of the famous Dutch brick, from which not only facades were laid here, but also pavements with sidewalks, as well as the thoroughness of the masonry, thanks to which each facade is a work of art in itself, is striking.
You can walk around the old center of Delft in a couple of hours and look at the old, like toy houses along the way, looking for similarities with the paintings of Vermeer and guessing exactly where the milkmaids and lacemakers glorified by him lived, looking into small shops. We complete our acquaintance with him, killing the local culinary masterpiece - salted herring in Dutch, that is, throwing back his head and holding it by the tail.
The Hague - royal city by the sea
The Hague (Grafenhage) is not at all the same as the capital of the Netherlands. There are no crowds of tourists, noisy streets and ubiquitous cyclists. There are practically no blacks and Chinese in The Hague, as well as the intoxicating aroma of cafeshops. The Hague is the epitome of old Europe at its best. The Hague is the third largest (700 thousand people) and one of the oldest (1248) cities in the country, although it received city status only in 1811.
This is the administrative center of the country, the city of officials, diplomats and pensioners, the Queen of the Netherlands works and lives here. and also there are a number of state governing bodies, ministries, representative offices of world organizations, diplomatic missions, including the Ukrainian Embassy in the Netherlands.
If Amsterdam is a tourist city, then The Hague can be described as a typical bourgeois city with a touch of luxury and prosperity. The Dutch nobility used The Hague as their administrative center. Literally 'Des Graven Hage' is translated as 'count's forest'. Later, it was in The Hague that the stadtholder (governor) lived. During the Eighty Years' War, the Spanish easily captured the city due to the lack of walls. Since 1588, the government of the republic has been located there. The Hague received city status only under Louis Bonaparte.
After the era of the Napoleonic Wars, the state of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands appeared on the political map, in which the status of the capital passed from Brussels to Amsterdam and back every two years, while the government was in The Hague. After the secession of Belgium, Amsterdam remained the sole capital, and the government is in The Hague. The stork has been the symbol of the city since the 15th century.
We begin our acquaintance with the city from Plain Square, on which there is a monument to William I of Orange, the founder of the state.
Around the ancient castle Binnenhof (1248), which means "inner courtyard", lies the historical center of the city. The Binnenhof is a whole ensemble of castles, in which the country's parliament, the States General, now sits, and the Prime Minister also works here. We go to the territory of the castle and get acquainted with its sights.
Nearby is the pearl of The Hague - the palace of the former governor of the Dutch possessions in Brazil - Mauritshuis (1633-1644), which houses one of the best galleries in the world - the Royal Art Gallery with a collection of works by Dutch and Flemish masters of painting of the XV-XVIII centuries.
We leave the Binnenhof, we pass by the sculpture of the boy Janczyk, pointing his finger at the castle, whose song that his father is in this castle is familiar to every Dutchman.
We cast a farewell glance at the castle, surrounded by a palace pond with swans and a fountain.
Nearby, on the Town Hall Square, there is the Gothic Old Town Hall, the Berlage stock exchange and the famous cathedral of the city - the Grote Kerk church (XV-XVI centuries) with the coats of arms of the Knights of the Golden Fleece depicted on the pediment and the symbol of the city - a bell depicting a stork.
Queen Beatrix really lives and works in The Hague, whose residence is located in the Koeninkliyk Palais Noordeinde palace (1533-1655), which is open for free visits in the summer (the queen herself lives in the Heis-ten-Bos palace).
We are heading to the Peace Palace (1913), where the International Court of Justice operates. Outside these gates, an international court is being held.
Another attraction is the Madurodam open-air park-museum, in which almost the entire country and all its monuments are represented on a scale of 1:25, while all these skillfully executed models are active. There are palaces, and churches, and farm fields, and rivers with bridges, and even an airport and a railway, along which a miniature copy of a high-speed train runs. Real bushes trimmed to give them the shape of miniature trees, everything around sounds and moves - a real living fairy tale!
Conventionally, the city can be divided into 2 parts: the city center and the beach (coastal) part of the city of Scheveningen, connected by a tram line. Schveningen is the most famous and popular resort of the Netherlands on the North Sea. Relaxing on its sandy beach and swimming in its cool waters is the perfect end to a tour of the wonderful The Hague.
Provincial Holland
They say in the country: "He who has not seen the province has not seen Holland. " We begin our acquaintance with the "Green Heart" of the Netherlands with a visit to the typical Dutch village of Zaanse Schans - an open-air museum that welcomes us with many windmills and village houses.
Having visited a traditional Dutch farm, where cheese is still made in the old fashioned way, we looked at all the processes of its production. In addition to traditional varieties, cheeses here are for every color and taste, but all are very tasty.
Having tasted a lot of various varieties of cheese, we willingly buy individual heads of the cheese we like or immediately sets of different varieties.
Looking into the shoemaker's workshop, we observe how the master skillfully carves a wooden clog - the traditional Dutch shoes. In the shop at this workshop you can buy these wonderful clogs of all sizes and colors, as well as their souvenir samples from various materials.
We also visit one of the five working windmills of the 17th century, where oil is pressed, wood is processed, paints are made and mustard is made. From time immemorial it has been customary to give mills their own names in Holland. We visit the Koshka mill, where we will get acquainted with the restored production of ancient dyes and pigments.
Here you can also visit the current museum of traditional Dutch pastries and taste it, you can rent a boat and ride on the lake, or you can have a good time in a small restaurant where you will be treated to truly Dutch dishes.
Leaving the Zaanse Schans, we head to the old fishing village of Volendam, which has preserved miniature houses, tiny canals and drawbridges. On the way we see a typical countryside: green meadows with grazing cows, sheep and horses, cozy peasant courtyards. It is not visible only wastelands familiar to our eyes, uncollected garbage, thickets of weeds, rickety huts. It is obvious that the Dutch very much value every piece of their land, which they got with such great difficulty.
The village has a museum where you can get acquainted with the traditional provincial life.
We walk along the streets of Volendam and pay attention to the cleanliness of its streets, neatly decorated houses, orderly gardens and flowering front gardens.
The village is fenced off from the sea by an earthen dam, and its streets are below sea level. In the picturesque harbor, light boats, elegant yachts and simple fishing boats sway on the waves, and pleasure boats cruise along the bay.
Residents of Volendam still wear traditional colorful Dutch folk costumes, there is a studio shop on the embankment where you can buy such a costume as a gift, or you can just take a picture as a keepsake. In a small village there are many shops where you can buy original Dutch goods: clothes, shoes, leather goods and souvenirs.
Right on the embankment in the stalls you can try the famous Dutch herring and smoked eel.
Saying goodbye to the Netherlands, we recall the words of the French writer and philosopher, Nobel Prize winner Albert Camus: “Holland is a dream, sir, a golden and smoky dream, more smoky during the day, more golden at night, but night and day this dream is inhabited by people, which is thoughtful ride on their black bicycles with high handlebars, like mourning swans, which constantly glide across the country around the seas, along the canals. This dream can become a reality for you if you yourself come to it.
