Facts at a Glance
Full country name: Kingdom of the Netherlands
Area: 41,160 sq km
Population: 15.5 million
Capital city: Amsterdam (population 700,000)
People: over 95% of the population are Dutch (Germanic and Gallo-Celtic stock), most of the rest are Indonesian, Surinamese or Moroccan
Languages: Netherlandic (Dutch)
Religion: 60% Christian (Roman Catholic and Protestant), 3% Muslim
Government: Constitutional monarchy
Head of state: Beatrix, Queen of the Netherlands
Prime Minister: Wim Kok
Although the Dutch have the cute habit of calling anything higher than a speed bump a mountain, the Netherlands is largely a flat and soggy bog. Most of its land has been reclaimed from the sea over the centuries and the drained polders are protected by dykes, very few of which are plugged by little boys' fingers. More than half of the country lies below sea level and only in the south-east Limburg province will you find hills. The Netherlands is bordered by the North Sea, Belgium and Germany. The Rhine is the major river, slurping up runoff from the proper mountains in Germany and Switzerland and slopping it out all over the flat lands.
The tallest thing in the Netherlands is the cows (19K)
One of the country's worst disasters hit in 1953 when a high spring tide coupled with a severe storm breached the dykes in Zeeland drowning 1835 people. To ensure the tragedy would never be repeated, the Delta Project blocked the south-west river deltas using a network of dams, dykes and a remarkable 3.2km storm surge barrier which is only lowered in rough conditions. In 1995 the largest mandatory evacuation in the Netherlands since the Zeeland disaster was carried out after heavy rain in France and Belgium caused the Meuse and Waal rivers to flood. Some 240,000 people were relocated from Gelderland, the region based around Nijmegen, due to fears that dykes along the two rivers would burst.
Forget about wilderness in the Netherlands. This is Europe's most densely populated country, but it feels like the most organised place in the world. The western hoop of cities including Amsterdam, the Hague and Rotterdam is one of the most densely populated conurbations on earth and even out of this area it doesn't get exactly isolated. Towns often blur from one to the next, linked by highways and bicycle paths. Neat, flat, muddy fields and tame and pleasant woodlands act as buffers; there are even places where you can hear the twittering of birds above the constant traffic drone.
The Netherlands has a temperate maritime climate with cool winters and mild summers. It can get pretty drizzly here, especially in autumn and spring when it can seem as though it's going to be grey forever. But because the Netherlands is such a flat slab of a place, changes sweep through quickly when the wind starts to blow.
The Netherland's early history is linked with Belgium and Luxembourg; the three were known as the 'Low Countries' until the 16th century when the present-day Netherlands' boundaries were roughly drawn. Originally the land was inhabited by tribal groups: the Germanic Batavi drained the sea lagoons while the Frisii lived on mounds in the remote north.
In the late 16th century the region's northern provinces, inhabited by recent converts to Protestantism, united to fight the Catholic Spanish rulers. Philip II of Spain sent the cruel inquisition to enforce Catholicism and war broke out in 1568. The revolt of the Netherlands was led by Prince William of Orange, nicknamed William the Silent for his refusal to enter into religious arguments. After 80 years of conflict Holland and its allied provinces expelled the Spaniards in 1648 and Holland became synonymous with the independent country that emerged in this corner of Europe (a bit like saying England when you mean Britain).
Amsterdam pranced onto the European stage in what was the province of Holland's most glorified period: the golden age from about 1580 to about 1740, after which the British began dominating the world's seas. The era's wealth was generated by the Dutch East India Company which sent ships to the Far East in search of spices and other exotic goods, while colonising the Cape of Good Hope, Indonesia, Surinam, the Antilles and New Amsterdam (today's New York) and establishing trading posts throughout Asia.
Cartouches can be found throughout the Netherlands (24K)
Meanwhile Amsterdam's bourgeoisie indulged in fine, gabled canal houses and paintings of themselves and the remains of last night's dinner. This in turn stimulated the arts and brought renown to painters such as Rembrandt. But it didn't last. In 1795 the French invaded and Napoleon appointed his younger brother Louis as king. When the largely unpopular French occupation came to an end, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands - incorporating Belgium and Luxembourg was born. The first king, King William I of Orange was crowned in 1814, and the House of Orange rules to this day. In 1830 the Belgians rebelled and became independent; Luxembourg did the same soon after.
The Netherlands was able to stay neutral through WWI but couldn't exercise the same privilege in WWII. The Germans invaded in May 1940, obliterating much of Rotterdam in a bombing blitz four days later. Although a sound Dutch resistance movement formed, only a small minority of the country's substantial Jewish population survived the war. In 1949, despite military attempts to hold on to Indonesia, the colony won independence. Surinam follwed with a peaceful handover of sovereignty in 1975. The Antilles, off the coast of Venezuela, are still a colony, but are largely self ruled. The Netherlands is a staunch supporter of the European Union, and further integration is taken for granted by most Dutch people.
GDP: US$316 billion
GDP per head: US$20,707
Annual growth: 2.4%
Inflation: 1.8%
Major industries: service industries, banking, electronics, agroindustries, shipping
Major trading partners: Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, France
The Netherlands has spawned a realm of famous painters starting with Hieronymous Bosch whose 15th-century religious works are charged with fear, distorted creatures and agonised people. Rembrandt, with his use of light and shadow, created shimmering religious scenes and led the historic artists of the golden age. Frans Hals and Jan Vermeer were the contemporary masters of portraiture and daily life scenes, two revolutionary themes which became popular due to the decline in the influence of the church as patron of the arts. Although Vincent van Gogh's (1853-90) spent much of his life in Belgium and France, he is very much claimed by the Dutch as one of their own. His early works, including the dour Potato Eaters, were painted in his homeland, but the later impressionistic works were greatly influenced by French artists. A little later, Piet Mondriaan introduced his cubic De Stijl movement, while this century has seen the perplexing designs of Maurits Escher.
Dutch (Netherlandic) is a West Germanic language spoken by about 25 million people worldwide. As well as being the first language in the Netherlands, it's also spoken in the northern half of Belgium and a tiny north-western corner of France. Dutch often looks like it should be comprehensible to the English speaker, but once you hear it spoken, it shoots off into previously uncharted vowel and dipthong realms. Luckily, most Dutch people speak excellent English and are happy to use it.
The Dutch do delightful dairy products and superb sweet snacks, but traditional main course Dutch gastronomy gets a bit heavy and meaty. Thanks to the sizeable Indonesian, Chinese, Surinamese, Turkish and Italian communities there are plenty of spicy alternatives. Vegetarians are not terribly well catered for, but most restaurants will have at least one meat-free dish. The national fast-food is frites (chips). If you ask for frites met (chips with), you'll get them with mayonnaise just like a real Dutchie. Kroketten (croquettes) and other hot lumps of meat are dispensed by vending machines, à la the Jetsons. Beer is the staple drink, served cool and with a head of froth so big it would start a brawl in an Australian pub. According to Heineken, this is to 'capture the flavour bubbles which would otherwise fly away' - yeah, right! Double and triple strength Belgian beers are very popular in the Netherlands - beware. Dutch gin (genever) is often drunk with a beer chaser; the combination is known as a kopstoot ('head butt').
Anyone who's worth their weight in bongwater knows that you can buy wacky tabacky in shops in the Netherlands. Marijuana is not officially legal, but you are able to buy grass, hash, loose joints, smoking paraphernalia and seeds in registered 'coffee shops'. Magic mushrooms are also available. This doesn't mean that every Dutch person is a pot-head. On the contrary, only about 5% of the population indulge (less than in France where drug policy is much stricter), and it's definitely not on to light up on the street or a non-'smoking' establishment. There's no shortage of hard drugs around, but you're likely to be ripped off if buying from street dealers, and be warned that the penalties are as severe as in other European countries.
A cold January invites endless speculation about the nation-stopping Elfstedentocht (Eleven Cities Journey), a gruelling skating marathon though the countryside of Friesland. The last one was held in 1997, but it could be decades before it all freezes over again. Carnival in February is an excuse for silly costumes and revelling celebrated mostly in the Catholic south. Koninginnedag (Queen's Day) is on April 30 and is a huge party day in Amsterdam. The whole central city becomes a huge street market/party where anyone can sell whatever they like - it's a madhouse. The Holland Festival in June is celebrated mostly in Amsterdam and The Hague. It's often highbrow and pretentious but there are many fringe events. The Hague's North Sea Jazz Festival each July is the world's biggest jazz junket.
Sinterklaas (Santa Claus) is the white-bearded patron saint of children who arrives 'from Spain' in mid-November. He is accompanied by a host of mischievous servants called Zwarte Pieten (Black Peters) - there are lots of PC Blue and Green Peters these days. On the evening of 5 December, people give one another anonymous and creatively wrapped gifts accompanied by poems about the recipient written by Sinterklaas. The Dutch sensibly have two Christmas Days (on 25 and 26 December), which is handy for step-families. Fireworks are only allowed to be sold in the days preceding New Year's Eve - there are hundreds of injuries each drunken, crackin 'n' bangin' 31 December.
Visas: European Union residents just need their EU papers to enter. No visas are required for travellers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan and the USA for visits of up to 90 days.
Health risks: Cholesterol and spinning out, man.
Time: GMT/UTC plus one hour
Electricity: 220V, 50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric (see conversion table)
Tourism: 6.5 million visitors per year
Money & Costs
Currency: Guilder (NFL)
Exchange rate: US$1 = NFL1.91
Relative costs:
- Budget meal: US$5-10
- Restaurant meal: US$12-20
- Budget bed: US$20-30
- Mid-range hotel: US$50-80 (double)
Although Amsterdam casualties will tell you it's possible to scrape by on only one stolen bike a day, the Netherlands is not really a budget buy. If you're happy eating chips, sleeping in hostels and walking around, it's possible to hang in Holland for around US$30 a day. There are a lot of free activities to stretch your budget, especially in Amsterdam in summer. Those who prefer a couple of solid meals a day, a comfortable bed with private facilities and travelling by public transport are looking at US$70 as a starting point. Money-saving ideas include getting hold of a museum pass if you're an avid museum goer, and getting hold of a bicycle so you can travel for only the price of body fuel.
Changing money in the Netherlands is a breeze. Any post office will change cash or travellers' cheques and change bureaus are as common as chip-shops in large towns. Banks generally offer the best exchange rates, but the service can be slow. Cash dispensing ATMs are all over the place: Cirrus access is common and MasterCard is the most widely accepted credit card.
Tipping is not compulsory in the Netherlands, but rounding up the bill is always appreciated in taxis, restaurants and pubs with table or pavement service. If you're eating out in a group, it is common to split the bill, but don't suggest 'going Dutch' as the expression is unknown here. Don't bother trying to bargain, though the Dutch themselves sometimes manage to get away with it at flea markets.
When to Go
Hordes of tourists snap their way around the Netherlands in summer, but there's no denying that this is the best time of year to sit by the canals for a sip and a toke. Spring is a good time to visit as the bulbs are in bloom - April for daffodils, tulips in May. If you can be in Amsterdam for Koninginnedag (April 30), do it! Rain is spread pretty evenly over the year, so there's not much point trying to avoid Dutch drizzle. Winter can get bitingly cold, but the museums are quiet and if everything freezes over, there's great ice skating on the canals and flood plains.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam, the Netherlands' capital, is one of the world's best
hangouts, a place where you can immerse yourself in history, in art, in
the head of a beer or a self-rolled smokestack. The city is a canny
blend of old and new: radical squatter art installations hang off
17th-century eaves, BMWs give way to bicycles and triple strength
monk-made beer is served in steel and glass 'grand cafés'.
Amsterdam combines a huge case of big city exuberance with small-town
manageability; it doesn't take much more than chaining your bike to a
bridge to feel like you've got a handle on the place.
Amsterdam is a cosmopolitan cauldron which has been enticing migrants and non-conformists for decades. It's a thriving city, and one of the hardest for travellers to leave, going on the number of expats trying to bike around like locals. Amsterdam seems to thrive on its funky mix and there's very little of the tourist-fatigue which can take the happy edge off other LOB (lots of backpacks) cities. Perhaps this is because Amsterdam's quintessential Dutchness shines through: the 17th and 18th century architecture, the fleets of bicycles, the tree-lined canals and scattered parks all contribute to the mood of the city. As do the pavement-logs - Dutchies love their pooches and this is one of the squish 'n' squirm capitals of the world.
The Randstad
The Randstad translates as 'Urban Agglomeration'. It's the Netherlands' most densely populated region spreading in a circle from Amsterdam, incorporating the Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht, and smaller towns like Haarlem, Leiden and Delft. The area's most spectacular sight are the bulb fields which explode into colour between March and May. Even from the window of a train they're intoxicating, but a back-roads bicycle trip is the best way to enjoy the sights and smells. The Keukenhof, south of Haarlem, is the world's largest garden. It attracts a staggering 800,000 people during its eight week season each year but its beauty is something of an enigma. Nature's talents are combined with Dutch precision to create a garden where millions of tulips and daffodils bloom every year, perfectly in place and exactly on time.
Primed, plucked and picked: tulips off to market (24K)
Other Randstad attractions include the stately mansions, palatial embassies and prestigious art galleries of The Hague, the country's seat of government; the distinctive blue-and-white pottery of Delft; the experimental post-war architecture of Rotterdam; and the vibrant and attractive city of Haarlem.
The Hoge Veluwe is the country's largest national park and home to the wonderful Kröller-Müller Museum. The park itself covers 5500 hectares and is a strange mix of forests and woods, shifting sands and heath moors that provide a sense of isolation (if not actual isolation) found nowhere else on the Dutch mainland. Red deer, wild boar and mouflon (a Mediterranean sheep) roam here. The Kröller-Müller Museum has 278 works by Van Gogh, as well as smaller collections of Picasso and Mondriaan. Out the back is Europe's largest sculpture garden with works by Rodin, Moore, Giacometti and many more.
Hoge Veluwe is accessible by bus from Arnhem which is one hour's train ride east of Amsterdam. White bicycles are available free of charge once you're inside the park.
The Netherland's oldest city, Maastricht sits at the bottom end of the thin finger of land which juts down between Belgium and Germany. Its history stretches back to 50 BC when the Romans set up camp on the bank of the River Meuse. Fortification walls still partly surround the city and you can explore a 10km labyrinth of tunnels on the city's western outskirts. Today this lively city has a reputation even in its own country of being a little foreign. You can pay for a beer in Belgian francs or German marks; you can sample the distinct tastes of neighbouring cuisines; and in February you can party with the rest of the revellers in the Netherlands' largest carnival festival.
Wadden Islands
The country's five northern isles in the shallow Waddenzee stretch in an arc from Texel to Schiermonnikoog. They are important bird-breeding grounds and provide an escape for stressed southerners who want to touch roots with nature. Texel is the largest and most populated island - it has 24km of beaches and hosts the world's largest catamaran race in June. Texel is the only Dutch-speaking island; Frisian is the language of the other four. Terschelling is known as a good-time isle, while Vlieland has more of a family atmosphere. Ameland has quaint villages but explodes with tourists during summer. Ferries from Den Helder, Harlingen, Holwerd and Lauwersoog connect the islands to the mainland and there are hostels on all except Vlieland.
Delta region
The Netherland's aptly named province of Zeeland (Sea Land) makes up most of the Delta region. Spreading out over the south-west corner of the country, it was a solitary place until recent decades, where isolated islands and medieval towns were battered by howling winds and white-capped seas. After the tragic 1953 flood (see Environment), Zeeland was defended from the sea by the monumental Delta Project, but it's still a bit of a wild place. The Delta Expo sits steadfastly on top of the remarkable 3.2km storm surge barrier near the quaint town of Middelburg.
Red light districts
The Netherlands' sensible social outlook extends to prostitution which is ostensibly well-regulated. Amsterdam's red light area is (in)famous, but all the cities have their own crawls. Prostitutes display themselves in windowed booths and when there is custom, the curtain is drawn across for the duration. The mainly self-employed prostitutes are taxed on their earnings, undergo mandatory health checks and have a vocal union. For every happy hooker, however, there's an unhappy one, perhaps a young Eastern European without the right papers, sucked into a vicious circle of high hopes, drug addiction and extortion.
Cycling is the most popular activity, and the smooth cycle paths are also used a lot by in-line skaters. Windsurfing and sailing have a lot of fans in the waterlogged provinces of Friesland and Zeeland. If it's cold enough in winter it's possible to make long iceskating tours from town to town along connecting canals. Wadlopen is a serious pastime - strenuous and at times dangerous - involving long low-tide walks in mud that can come up to your thighs. Yes, people really do this. Groningen, in the north, is the best place to organise your mud-walking excursion.
Getting There & Away
The Netherlands has just one main international airport, Schiphol, about 10km south-west of Amsterdam. Although it's one of Europe's major international hubs, flights to London or Brussels are usually cheaper than flights to Amsterdam, and many travellers do the last leg to Amsterdam by train or bus. There are no departure taxes if leaving the Netherlands by air. Long distances Eurolines buses connect Amsterdam to most European cities, as well as to North Africa. Eurolines and Citysprint buses travel across the channel to Britain, usually through France (make sure you've got a visa if required). Amsterdam's Centraal Station has regular and efficient rail connections to all neighbouring countries, but the bus will always be cheaper unless you've got a Eurail pass or equivalent.
Travelling to the Netherlands by car or motorcycle on those lovely Western European highways is easy. If you're driving from the UK it's a fair bit cheaper to put your car on the ferry than hop on the shuttle through the Tunnel, though the latter might save a few hours travelling time from London. Most travellers go overland through Belgium and France to pick up a boat to England, but ferries also run between Hook of Holland and Harwich, UK; Europoort (near Rotterdam) and Hull, UK; Ijmuiden (near Amsterdam) and Newcastle, UK; and Ijmuiden and Kristiansand, Norway.
The best way to get around is by bicycle. Most places in the Netherlands are linked by dedicated cycle paths and the terrain is wonderfully flat. Bicycles are available for hire from train stations and from rental services in larger towns. If you're tempted to buy a cheap bike on the street, be aware that it's definitely hot, and that the money you hand over is probably going straight up the vendor's arm. And no matter what you're pedalling, make sure you lock it up securely to an immovable object; most locals use two locks, which are generally worth more than the bicycle itself.
The train and bus networks are reliable, comfortable and quite expensive - you can take your bike on the train. Driving within the Netherlands isn't much fun once you're off the highways: the roads are narrow and parking spaces are hard to come by and usually very expensive. Driving a vehicle with foreign number plates is an invitation to having the car broken into, especially in Amsterdam: never leave anything valuable in your car. And if you're asking a Dutch person for directions, be aware that they'll know how to get there, but only by bike - you'll have developed a healthy appreciation for this cultural idiosyncrasy by the time you face up to your ninth no entry sign.
- CR Boxer's The Dutch Seaborne Empire 1600-1800 was first published over 30 years ago but it remains one of the most readable accounts on how this small corner of Europe dominated world trade.
- If you plan to settle in for a while, get hold of Live & Work in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg from Vaction Work Publications.
- For practical architecture and engineering see Building Amsterdam by Herman Janse.
- The famous Diary of Anne Frank, an autobiography by a Jewish teenager, movingly describes life in hiding in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam.
- The UnDutchables by Colin White and Laurie Boucke takes a humorous look at Dutch life; sometimes it's spot on and sometimes so wide of the mark it becomes slapstick.
- There aren't many English translations of Dutch literature. The Dutch Shakespeare, Joost van den Vondel, has been translated but he can be heavy going.
- Lieve Joris, a Flemish author who lives in Amsterdam writes about cultures in transition in Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Her Gates of Damascus, published by Lonely Planet, is about daily life in Syria.
- Albert Camus' The Fall is an existential monologue which uses Amsterdam's concentric canals as a metaphor for Dante's circles of hell.
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