Anyone who says that a trip to the Netherlands is monotonous is anything but an adventurer. This flat country of polders, with vast green meadows where fat cows graze, interspersed with canals and dotted here and there with mills, is a land of struggle. The Battleship people worked hard to push back the sea in order to extend their territory. The land of Zeeland , which experienced the cataclysm of the floods in 1953, is a witness to this historical struggle. A small country with crazy ambitions that has conquered the world and from Maastricht in the south, through Delft, to Groningen in the north, its beautiful cities offer many faces. The beautiful Maastricht, the fortified Breda , the ancient Nijmegen, the bewildering and dynamic Rotterdam and especially the bewitching Amsterdam combine tradition and modernity in the image of the country. From East to West, from North to South, the traveler never gets bored and keeps in mind the dreamy countryside of the province of Gelderland, the peninsulas of Zeeland where sky, land and sea merge around Middelburg, the superb historic city, the charming valleys of Limburg, the immense flat expanses of Friesland studded with peat bogs, ponds and marshes. As for Amsterdam, the Venice of the North, it is impossible not to succumb to the charm of this capital city set on the waves, a tangle of canals with changing waters, like so many veins flowing towards its heart.

When to go Netherlands ?

Early spring (April and May) is undoubtedly the best time to visit the Netherlands: if the air can be fresh then it is usually the driest time of the year and Holland is adorned with flowers in a thousand colours. The high season is in summer, but Amsterdam is a city that can be visited all year round. So plan to book your hotel nights before you leave! On the other hand, you will then be very numerous to visit the city and the queues of museums and attractions will sometimes seem endless.

However, the Netherlands can be visited very well in all seasons. In autumn and winter, the weather can be very variable, but the photogenic landscapes and the atmosphere in the cafés are unique and inescapable. Spring and summer probably seem like the ideal seasons to visit, but as everyone seems to agree, downtown is crowded and museums are under attack. The fields are then in bloom, the cultural activities outside are starting again.

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How to go Netherlands

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How to go alone

It is very easy to go alone in the Netherlands, the road, rail and air transport networks being very developed and the means to get there are legion (plane, train, bus, car...). However, beware of pickpockets in tourist areas and large cities. Remember to make reservations well in advance during the summer or during the holidays.

How to go on a tour

The offer is diverse and varied to discover the Netherlands. Discover the Dutch countryside by bike, city escapades in Amsterdam, Maastricht or The Hague, romantic and cultural stays, a tour in the footsteps of Van Gogh: the possibilities are numerous. The destination lends itself to several types of stay. Given the variety of offers, prices are adapted to small budgets, but also to those who are looking for a charming stay.

How to get around

As far as flying is concerned, the distances are so short in Holland that this mode of transportation is not suitable. However, apart from air travel, the main means of transport are easily accessible: train, bus, boat, car and bicycle. In the big cities, the transport network is so developed that the car is not of much interest.

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Discover Netherlands

When one evokes the Netherlands, the images, sometimes clichés, are numerous: canals, clogs, museums but also bicycles, cheeses and the red light district! The Netherlands, with its rich and contrasted history, fascinates and attracts. Sometimes misunderstood and loved for the wrong reasons, this multifaceted country is full of treasures and attractions. Exotic and close, warm and distant, ancient and modern, it is a land of contrasts in many ways. Its cities, so different, all embody this warm, gezellig atmosphere, even, and perhaps especially in the middle of winter! It is a country that is good to visit, a country where life is good. In the Netherlands, the bicycle is king and the children are the happiest in the world. It is a country with its own strong identity but traditionally and historically very open to the world and to others, a real little paradise in the heart of Europe.

Pictures and images Netherlands

Le village de Spaarndam prête à de longues balades. 36clicks - iStockphoto.com
Vue aérienne de la ville fortifiée de Naarden. JaySi - istockphoto.com
Moulin au bord de l'eau, dans la campagne de Zaandam. Author's Image
Port d'Hoorn. brytta - iStockphoto.com

The 12 keywords Netherlands

1. #beer

Beer, more than genever, is without a doubt the national drink. Here, cafés are places to meet friends and family. Major Dutch brands share the limelight and the front of the cafés. To order, nothing could be easier: biertje will be a half, while fluitje will be a 25 cl.

2. #coffeeshop

This word is a source of misunderstanding between locals and tourists. A symbol of coolness for many (foggy-minded?) visitors or, for others, of the Netherlands' pragmatic approach to soft drugs. The embodiment of the "narco-state", as a former French president who loved apples said. To be consumed in moderation.

3. #flowers

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Flowers are inseparable from the Netherlands. In Amsterdam they are very present, especially during the chromatic symphony of spring. The big cities all have gardens and parks with symphonies of flowers and plants. Don't miss the Keukenhof and the tulip fields in spring. In 2022, don't miss Floriade Almere

4. #gay

Homosexuality was legally recognized here from the beginning of the 19th century. The first same-sex marriage was celebrated in Amsterdam on April1, 2001. In recent years, the gay scene in Amsterdam and in other cities has become less active... However, don't miss the Gay Pride in the heart of summer with the parade on the canals

5. #gezellig

Pronounce "rezélir". Without exact equivalent in French, gezellig designates the warmth of a successful evening, of a place, of an idea even. A nice party that moves, we will also say that it is gezellig. It's a fundamental word in Dutch and especially in Amsterdam, and if you hear it, it's a good sign, your stay will be good!

6. #hofje

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It is a city within a city, in a green enclosure accessible by a vault. They were built by rich people for the older and poorer ones. Many cities are famous for their hofjes. Haarlem, Leiden and The Hague have some very nice ones. They are oases of peace. Our preference is for the Karthuizerhof in the Jordaan.

7. #museums

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Amsterdam has some magnificent museums that are full of various treasures. The Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum are just a few of the highlights, not to mention the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Let's not forget the fabulous Depot in Rotterdam, but also the Kröller-Müller in the Veluwe, the Bonnefanten museum in Maastricht or the Groninger museum in Groningen

8. #Red light district

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This is another place of confusion between the locals and the many tourists. This historic district of the capital is now a Disneyland of sex and drugs that was cleaned up 15 years ago. Now, many voices are raised to close the incongruous storefronts in the era of #metoo and relocation projects are taking shape.

9. #FESTIVALS

The Netherlands is a country of culture par excellence and, in particular, of festivals. Music, culture... Every weekend, the programs are varied and rich. In Amsterdam, the most famous is probably the ADE which celebrates electro music. Otherwise Mysteryland, Pinkpop for the pop music, Glow, festival of lights, make the fame of the country

10. #king

Since 2013, the king of the Netherlands is Willem-Alexander, who succeeded his mother Beatrix, who became a princess again after 33 years of rule. Even when faced with some difficulties and scandals, the royal family always comes through (royally?) and the Dutch are attached to it. Don't try to give republican lessons that are totally irrelevant

11. #bike

It is probably the object that best symbolizes the Netherlands and its cool lifestyle. The bicycle is the preferred means of transportation for its inhabitants, including expats. It is used by everyone, at all ages and in all weathers. You have to see the families on scooters to feel like putting the car in the garage for good...

12. #Welkom

The Netherlands is a land of welcome and to this day, many different nationalities coexist peacefully, especially in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, true cosmopolitan cities. Incidents sometimes occur between communities, but in recent years, there has been an appeasement. The extreme parties are often plagued by problems.

You are from here, if...

You ride your bike 365 days a year, regardless of the weather. You have rain gear.

And you know how to ride a bike with one child on the handlebars, another behind and groceries in bags.

Your days start early, often around 8 a.m., you eat little lunch and finish no later than 5 p.m. Your evenings start early

You like bread and toast, enjoy fresh herring and Indonesian food.

You have a full agenda weeks in advance and plan your cultural outings carefully. You like to dance the night away and also enjoy historic brown cafes.

You have respect and confidence in the political class, the royal family, the institutions.

You are often dressed cool even on special occasions, the main thing is to feel good. You often wear jeans and few heels

As soon as it gets a little bit freezing, you have only one word on your lips: "elfstedentocht", a historic skating race.

Card Netherlands

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