The country that supplies fresh water to the Netherlands. Holland beaches. High and Late Middle Ages

03.11.2019

Amsterdam (and a bit of Holland) for one-two-three na_shpilke wrote in January 10th, 2012

Compared to the water in Israel, good quality Dutch water is the first thing long-term residents share with newcomers is the fact that the water here can be drunk straight from the tap (in Israel only bottled water is used for drinking). And there is something charming and peaceful in the canal system that runs like arteries and veins through the body of a Dutch city or village.

Amsterdam

Leiden (Leiden)

Hague

- Philosophy of tolerance. It is precisely this cultural feature that the Dutch owe the beginning of their prosperity - while in the 15th century the great Catholic powers persecuted the "objectionable" (read "gentiles"), the Dutch brought up in the Protestant tradition opened their borders, guided by the fact that "patience and work will grind everything." That is, as long as a person works and earns his bread honestly, he has rights and privileges in the country. The number of persecuted but enterprising people then filled the country, so that by the 17th century Holland reached its peak. The cities of Holland, and Amsterdam in particular, are still proud of the fact that they have never been cities of palaces and churches, but cities of the bourgeoisie.

Amsterdam

Today, tolerance for the dissident allows the Netherlands to be one of the rare countries where soft drugs and prostitution are legal (which brings millions of euros to the treasury every day, left here by tourists). Amsterdam, on the other hand, is a truly international city, where the number of foreign workers is almost equal to the number of local ones, and foreign companies tend to open their branch here. All this creates an unusual international, friendly and open atmosphere - people get to know each other and become interested in the person standing in front of them, and only then in his national and cultural baggage. Never before have I had so many foreign acquaintances and such a speed of "gaining" new friends.

- Striving for equality. Another aspect of the positive impact of the Protestant religion on society. And, probably, a pan-European sense of guilt before the once captured colonies. Religion brought up the Dutch in respect for the person who works, so I did not see contempt for any kind of work here. Unlike countries built on the system of emigrants (America, Israel), where the dirtiest work always goes to the newcomers (and therefore those at the bottom of the social ladder), here I often see that the distribution of labor is rather a function of age and education: in the first hotel, most of the maids were young girls and boys - white Dutch. In the gym, coaches and secretaries sitting at the reception (regardless of their origin) at the end of the working day vacuum the halls, wash the floors in the studio and clean the locker rooms and toilets, and do not wait for the Russian and Ethiopian cleaning lady (often elderly) to come, who arrived in the country a couple of months ago and only therefore does not deserve another position.

Three things that you categorically do not accept in a host country:
- Bureaucracy. The Dutch call themselves a nation of bureaucrats and are very proud of it. And although I also believe that the right road leads to the right result, sometimes this road turns out to be so long! A simple example: in order to become a client of a cellular company, I had to visit a branch 6 (!) times. Twice because of the missing document (and no identical document that I had at that moment helped), and the rest of the times due to the fact that each time there was some kind of failure or flaw in the system and none of the employees was ready to issue contract in place, and only then approve it in the system - they do not know the deviation from the procedure!

- Some limitation. Related to the first point. The deification of the system and procedure does not allow the Dutch to think creatively - to look for an unconventional solution to new problems. That is why it is very difficult to accept innovations, non-standard solutions, etc. here. If you have a problem with any service, the usual response is to come back tomorrow and we'll check what happened out of protocol. It is unlikely that an ordinary employee will look for options on how to solve the problem here and now. I had a chance to face the fact that many people here think in closed systems and given parameters: an apartment in this area should cost the sum of n, therefore nothing else is possible (and it doesn’t matter that there are people who leave and urgently rent their housing at a lower price - a broker will not bother to search, which he considers obviously in vain).

- Reluctance to stand out. And this is already a less pleasant side of the Dutch religion and tradition. For a long time, the Dutch were called the "nation of sixes" - because of the ten-point grading system in school, because instead of telling teenagers that you should strive to get 10, the Dutch were brought up that the average "six" is also good. Hence the reluctance to stand out: on the street (clothes), at work (achievements), in society (original thoughts). Fortunately, the younger generation, more open to new cultures, is moving away from this, but among middle-aged people it is not uncommon to find such "averageness", which, if a person has been hired to provide some kind of service, can be annoying, because you always think that you are not you will get the best possible result from it.

Three things from home that I miss terribly in the host country:
- Moms. As promised, always at a far distance from Ukraine is the first point.
- Grace and chic. The reluctance of the Dutch to stand out, the cold climate, cycling - all this leads to the fact that, being a very attractive nation in general, the Dutch rely on faceless comfort in clothing.

Local women are rarely seen in dresses and high heels, especially in things of bright colors.

stylish but small!

Yes, a turning point in the younger generation is happening, but very slowly (everyone who is now throwing tomatoes at me with the statement that crowds of well-dressed and original people walk along the streets of Amsterdam - think again: far from all of them are Dutch, I would even say that most do not, I advise you to sit in a cafe away from the tourist centers and watch the visitors). Take, for example, the fact that the most popular fashion blogger from Amsterdam (and the whole of Holland) is a Mexican girl who came to Amsterdam a few years ago.

- scope. What is so dismissive and even condemning in your own country may be in short supply in Holland. Brought up on the tradition of modesty and work, the Dutch do not throw dinner parties, do not arrange magnificent meals (they themselves laugh that two incompatible concepts are combined in the concept of "Dutch cuisine": Dutch and cuisine - the food here is simple and uncomplicated, whose deliciousness for many questionable). They are frightened by Russian parties made on a grand scale or Israeli dinners with a table bursting with food - the Dutch are used to the principle "you to me - I to you", and at home they serve coffee with one piece of biscuit, no more, so such ostentatious generosity scares them.

There is one state in the world, the territory of which is constantly expanding, and not at all due to wars of conquest, but due to painstaking daily work to win land from the sea. This country is Holland! The French say: "God gave land to all peoples, but the Dutch got the land themselves."

It turns out that Holland is sinking under water at a speed of 1 meter per hundred years. Over the past 700 years, it has sunk 7 meters below sea level, and all these 700 years the Dutch have been fighting hard to save their land.
When in the 16th century Holland rose to fight for its independence from Spain, there not only "the earth burned under the feet of the invaders", there the earth literally disappeared from under the feet of the Spaniards, because the Dutch opened the floodgates and brought down on the Spaniards multi-ton masses of water. As a result, after a grueling 80-year war, having suffered enormous losses, Holland achieved freedom and became the first state in the world to put into practice the principle of freedom and equality. And this is without any grandiloquent declarations, which are worthless! So the Dutch have earned the right to live a good life by shedding seas of blood, mostly their own.
Holland began: a sea of water on the site of today's cities, settlements, meadows and arable lands. Land is only in the south.
The Dutch began to fight for living space more than seven hundred years ago - they first drained the swamps, exposing two-meter thick peat, and gradually, step by step, year after year, they began to reclaim the land from the sea.

Water is the strongest of the elements. Her power is immeasurable. And the man at first performed with a shovel and a wheelbarrow. He poured stones into the foundation of dams, built them up with earth reinforced with willow twigs, dug ditches for water flow. And how to divert water to the main canal going to the sea? Mills were adapted for this.

From one horizon to another, passing each other, day and night, they raised water. There were times when she returned with an onslaught from the sea, and everything had to be started anew - this work lasted unceasingly for seven hundred years. First, small bays were taken away from the sea, then they approached the dunes that lay along the entire front of sea water and did not allow it to pour into the lowlands. But the chain of sand deposits was not continuous. In such places, people began to build dams.

Thousands of kilometers of dams protect these lands from the water element.

This work required huge costs and efforts. But they fenced themselves off from the sea, and they began to pump out water from behind the fence into the sea initially with the help of the same mills.
In addition, the endless war with water had to be waged on two fronts. The land was flooded not only by the sea, but also from the south by the great floods of the Rhine. I had to skillfully regulate (again with dams and channels) the entire huge delta of a large European river. And over the centuries, the war with water has become the philosophy of life for the Dutch. Since childhood, a person was inspired by the dangerous proximity of water. I remember a school textbook story about a boy who, seeing how water sucked a gap in the dam, plugged it with his finger and began to call adults to the place of formidable danger. The teacher told us that it was in Holland, which is always threatened by water. This legend contains the wisdom of life: every Dutchman must learn from childhood the danger of water.

Here he is, the indefatigable Dutch worker.

Such an autobahn goes along a dam

Holland is a country of WIND MILLS, WOODEN SHOES, CHEESE and TULIPS.
At least, this is what at first catches the eye of all tourists. So, first of all, let's get acquainted with all the main attractions.

WINDMILLS common in Holland, since the country is located in a lowland and nothing blocks the path of numerous winds coming here from the North Sea. This is an indisputable fact. Wind is a cheap source of energy that never runs out. In addition, the inhabitants of the Netherlands have been using mills for many centuries to keep their lands from going under water. Mills located on dikes (dams) drive pumps. Since the maximum head of water for a wind-driven pump is 1.5 meters, one can often see a string of two or three mills on one dam. Gradually, wind turbines began to be displaced, first by steam-powered pumps, and then by an electric motor.

Nowadays, windmills are admired by everyone. Unless you are a fan of climbing narrow stairs with countless steps, and besides, without railings, believe me, windmills are better to admire from the outside!

To this day, some Dutch people wear WOODEN SHOES, but to see this, you have to drive to an open-air museum, such as Folendam, or a farm.

However, despite the fact that shoes are no longer in vogue, there are many popular expressions with the word “shoe”. For example, the expression “Now that breaks my klomp (clog)”, which literally means “This can break the shoe,” is used when a person encounters something very unusual, out of the ordinary, because wooden shoes are so strong that unlikely to break. Or "You can feel it though your klompen!" (lit. - "You will feel it, despite the fact that in the shoes!") is used when something is so obvious that you can feel it "without removing the shoes", which in fact have always been distinguished by good protective qualities.

Tulips, another symbol of Holland, were commonly imported into Holland from Turkey in the sixteenth century. Even the word "tulip" itself is of Turkish origin (from turban - turban, turban). Bulb trading is still a very profitable business. The flowers themselves are regarded as a by-product of growing bulbs and are sold in Holland at very low prices.

KINGDOM OF TULIPS

The beauty. Tulip fields in Holland

Holland from a bird's eye view.

Tulip Park Keukenhoff (Holland).

The territory of the park is located on 32 hectares. About 4 million tulips alone are planted there every year, more than 100 varieties!

The combination of shady trees, emerald lawns and beautiful clear waters create an amazing atmosphere.

Thousands of tulips of various colors cover the park's lawns with a whimsical carpet.

The Belgians call the Dutch “CHEESE HEADS” because the latter eat a lot of cheese. And export even more. Being very practical people, the Dutch learned a long time ago that from perishable milk you need to make cheese that does not spoil for a long time, and besides, it can be transported over long distances.

The cities of Holland are masterpieces of medieval architecture. Here, ancient merchant houses, majestic cathedrals, town halls and modern buildings coexist.

Holland gave the world a whole galaxy of outstanding artists: Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Brueghel, Frans Hals, Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, Vincent van Gogh. The museums of the last two are located in Amsterdam

Amsterdam - the city of freedom

Royal Palace in Amsterdam

As soon as they do not call Amsterdam! Some call it Northern Venice, others New Babylon. However, neither name conveys all its beauty and delightful appeal. Amsterdam, the capital of Holland is a unique and inimitable city, which has no equal in the whole world. Therefore, if you have not been to Amsterdam yet, then hurry up to visit it and enjoy the wondrous splendor of water channels, ancient architecture and other beauties.

Amsterdam - museums: Van Gogh, Rembrandt

Bicycle parking

Rotterdam - this name means "Dyke on the Rotte".

Holland, royal and fabulous, with the peaceful calmness of flowers and the air flying under a sailboat, with the courteous hospitality and correctness of the Dutch, simply fascinates me.
After all, this is a country where, just leaving, you dream of returning. A country whose world is difficult to leave, because it fills you with almost happiness - bright sea air that you want to breathe and smile.

Half of the territory of the Netherlands lies below sea level, so numerous dams and dams protect Amsterdam from flooding. Even the name of the city comes from two words: Amstel and ladies. Amstel is the name of the river on which the city is located, and dam means "dam" in translation. For hundreds of years, the Dutch have been reclaiming land from the sea. Building on scarce land becomes very costly - swampy soils require a large number of piles to be driven.

In today's post, I will talk about an alternative type of housing - houses on the water. These structures are made of lightweight but durable wood and aluminum. The houses are located on a special floating platform, so that they can be easily moved from place to place using a boat. The invention is intended to solve the problem of lack of land for housing construction in the country. Dutch architects intend to create a whole city on the water in 50 years. If now about 200 houseboats are being built in the Netherlands per year, then according to experts, by 2025 this number will increase 100 times - up to 20,000 houseboats. At this rate, the Dutch, apparently, will again have to flood the land reclaimed from the water with such difficulty.

A little background about houseboats in Amsterdam.

Previously, houseboats were considered very inconvenient, and retired skippers bought them because it was a cheap way to settle in the center of Amsterdam. An old barge is, as a rule, two, maximum three, rooms, a tiny kitchen, a toilet and a shower in which you have to stand at attention. Plus poor ventilation and high humidity. In Amsterdam, you can still find old barges from the 19th century, which still serve their intended purpose quite well.

Over time, such houses have become fashionable, and today it is very prestigious to have such houses. Barge houses located in the center cost a lot of money, since there is no more space on the canals. The average price for a residential barge is about 500 thousand euros. Another 1,000 euros a year is spent on repairs. Added to this are the mooring fee, water tax, and mandatory dispatch to remove rust from the hull every 5 years.

In addition, there are many other legal restrictions for "boat people". A mortgage loan for the purchase of houseboats is issued by only one Dutch bank - ING. The mooring license is nominal and when selling a residential boat, the authorities have the right not to rewrite the license for a new owner. The distance between the boats must be at least 2 meters, and they must be at least 7 meters from the bridge. At the same time, the appearance of boats cannot be changed without the permission of local authorities.

Places for houses on the water in the center have long ended, and now in Amsterdam, one of the few places where you can moor your house is the district of Ijburg, which began to cost in 1996. Many opposed the construction, arguing that it would disturb the natural balance of Lake Ijmeer. Local authorities had to hold a referendum in 1997, 60 percent of those who voted were against it. But due to the low turnout (only 41 percent), the result was not recognized, and construction continued. Ijburg consists of 3 islands, the area will be fully completed in 2012. 18,000 houses will accommodate residents and employ over 10,000 people. The plan includes houses, schools, shops, sports centers, restaurants, a beach and a cemetery.

After a little area was reclaimed from the water for roads and houses, a lake formed in the new area. On one side of the artificial lake is a floating quarter designed by the architectural firm Marlies Rohmer. There are different houses here, both large ones with a pool and houses for several families.

The floating house consists of a concrete pallet about one and a half meters high, a wooden frame is placed on it, which is lined with bench panels. Concrete boxes are moored to the piers.

These houses have one feature, they can change and move at the request of the owners. For example, you can moor a pantone with a greenhouse or lawn to your house, or expand an existing house by purchasing a module with additional rooms. Houses are assembled as a constructor.

Houses along the coast stand on stilts, and then float on the water. Due to the fact that more than a third of Holland is below sea level, it is very expensive to build houses on land. Floating houses are assembled at shipyards and delivered by water to the place.

Designed by architect Marlies Rohmer (www.rohmer.nl). The houses were designed in 2001, and the block was delivered from the shipyard in 2009. The cost of construction is 1000 euros per square meter. meter.

This is how fully finished houses with decoration float into place.

Usually a houseboat has 3 floors. The house has all the necessary communications.

A new generation of houseboats are currently being tested in the Netherlands. These structures are made of lightweight but durable wood and aluminum. The houses are located on a special floating platform, so that they can be easily moved from place to place using a boat. The invention is intended to solve the problem of lack of land for housing construction in the country. Dutch architects intend to create a whole city on the water in 50 years. If now about 200 houseboats are being built in the Netherlands per year, then according to experts, by 2025 this number will increase 100 times - up to 20,000 houseboats. At this rate, the Dutch, apparently, will again have to flood the land reclaimed from the water with such difficulty.

At the state level, a structure was created to support the construction of experimental housing. In the future, when houseboats gain a foothold in the real estate market, it is planned to build entire floating areas and small towns.

Along the other shore is the only place in Amsterdam where you can put up a house according to your project.

In order to preserve the historical appearance of cities, it is customary to brutally sober the imaginations of architects with bureaucratic requirements, sometimes absurd. The owners of the keys to the new floating villas in the Seeburg district of Amsterdam are no longer happy that they got involved in the construction of the experimental IJburg microdistrict. More than 100 floating houses are planned to be installed in IJburg, but many of these houses cannot reach Amsterdam because they do not comply with strict regulations regarding the depth or height of floating structures.

A floating villa must not be submerged more than one and a half meters into the water. Its height from the water level should not exceed seven and a half meters. To fit their homes to these requirements, villa owners spend tens of thousands of euros, but the ideal result is not achieved.

"Raymond Hasselerharm, owner of another villa: I hired specialists from perhaps the most qualified architectural office in Holland - Waterstudio. They invited their contract builders, attracted serious engineers. As a result, even such an experienced team failed to build a house on the water which would fully meet all the requirements of the city."

"When I look at my new home, then, no matter what, first of all, I admire it and the picturesque view around it. This is a unique house, a house on the water - this is unusual in any case. But if I had known in advance how experimental it would be this project (after all, initially I thought that for Holland it was almost a routine, and that builders, engineers, architects and city authorities had agreed about what, about what, and about water facilities had long been agreed), so, if I knew, that all these agreements are still at the stage of development, I would not go for such a construction. It turned out that I myself chose a martyr's lot for myself. "

Anywhere to walk the dog? No problems! Buy your house a lawn with a tree!

Little space? Anywhere to smoke marijuana? For you, a special module with outdoor furniture and a barbecue;)

More about good architecture and interesting projects.

“Half of the territory of the Netherlands lies below sea level, so Amsterdam is protected from flooding by numerous dams and dams. Even the name of the city comes from two words: Amstel and ladies. Amstel is the name of the river on which the city is located, and dam means "dam" in translation. For hundreds of years, the Dutch have been reclaiming land from the sea. Construction on scarce land becomes very costly - swampy soils require a large number of piles to be driven.

Over time, alternative types of housing appeared - houses on the water. These structures are made of lightweight but durable wood and aluminum. The houses are located on a special floating platform, so that they can be easily moved from place to place using a boat. The invention is intended to solve the problem of lack of land for housing construction in the country. Dutch architects intend to create a whole city on the water in 50 years. If now about 200 houseboats are being built in the Netherlands per year, then according to experts, by 2025 this number will increase 100 times - up to 20,000 houseboats. At this pace, the Dutch, apparently, will again have to flood the land reclaimed from the water with such difficulty.

A little background about houseboats in Amsterdam.

In Holland, water houses appeared quite a long time ago, and spread in the last century. After the Second World War, housing was sorely lacking. At this time, the Dutch fleet was being modernized, and people deprived of "land" housing began to settle in old decommissioned ships that were laid up. Now there are about 10 thousand water houses in the country, of which about 2.5 thousand are moored in Amsterdam and the surrounding area. Previously, houseboats were considered very inconvenient and retired skippers bought them because it was a cheap way to settle in the center of Amsterdam. An old barge is, as a rule, two, maximum three, rooms, a tiny kitchen, a toilet and a shower in which you have to stand at attention. Plus poor ventilation and high humidity. In Amsterdam, you can still find old barges from the 19th century, which still serve their intended purpose quite well. Over time, such houses have become fashionable, and today it is very prestigious to have such houses.

Barge houses located in the center cost a lot of money, since there is no more space on the canals. The average price for a residential barge is about 500 thousand euros. Another 1,000 euros a year is spent on repairs. Added to this are the mooring fee, water tax and mandatory dispatch to remove rust from the hull every 5 years. In addition, there are many other legal restrictions for "boat people". A mortgage loan for the purchase of houseboats is issued by only one Dutch bank - ING. The mooring license is nominal, and when selling a residential boat, the authorities have the right not to rewrite the license for a new owner.

The distance between the boats must be at least 2 meters, and they must be at least 7 meters from the bridge. At the same time, the appearance of boats cannot be changed without the permission of local authorities. Places for houses on the water in the center have long ended, and now in Amsterdam, one of the few places where you can moor your house is the district of Ijburg, which began to be built in 1996.

Many opposed the construction, arguing that it would disturb the natural balance of Lake Ijmeer. Local authorities had to hold a referendum in 1997: 60 percent of those who voted were against. But due to the low turnout (only 41 percent), the result was not recognized, and construction continued. Ijburg consists of 3 islands, the area will be fully completed in 2012. 18,000 houses will accommodate residents and employ more than 10,000 people. The plan includes houses, schools, shops, sports centers, restaurants, a beach and a cemetery.

The floating house consists of a concrete pallet about one and a half meters high, a wooden frame is placed on it, which is lined with bench panels. Concrete boxes are moored to the piers.

This is how fully finished houses with decoration float into place.

Usually a houseboat has 3 floors. The house has all the necessary communications.

Houseboat

lawn house

Houseboat.

Floating house in Amsterdam.

Along the other shore is the only place in Amsterdam where you can put up a house according to your project.

KingdomNetherlands, also often called Holland (although this is only one of the provinces of the country), give rise to many different associations: windmills and tulips, canals and cheese, and finally, marijuana and red-light districts - a small European kingdom has left a fair mark on popular culture and consciousness. The country is very popular specifically for sightseeing tourism - about 11 million tourists visit it annually, which is slightly less than its population, and this despite the fact that it is hardly able to attract anyone with its climate. But this is the most classical Europe, with an extensive architectural and cultural heritage, free morals and a quiet life, old towns and picturesque villages. Each city is able to fall in love with any visitor, they all have their own bright personality, and every corner of Holland has something new to offer.

Climate zones of the Netherlands

The Netherlands lies entirely in the temperate maritime climate zone, the difference between the regions is minimal due to their small size and flat terrain. Only one significant feature can be distinguished - the closer to the sea, the milder the climate, while in the remote provinces, the differences between the seasons are felt more strongly. Summer can not be called hot, but winter is also quite warm, almost at any time of the year it is often rainy and windy - hence the abundance of windmills. Almost half of Holland is located below sea level, here three large rivers flow into the North Sea - the Rhine, Scheldt and Meuse, which is why the level of air humidity is high all year round.

The mildness of the climate and small temperature differences between the seasons are caused by the proximity of the sea and the winds blowing from it, cooling the Netherlands in the warm season, and vice versa heating in the winter - although they are still quite cold, and winter winds can be extremely unpleasant. Because of this, the weather is changeable, it can literally change every few hours. Sunny days are a real holiday, there are much more cloudy days here. Because of all this, the Dutch themselves tend to constantly complain about their weather, but it depends on what to compare! With all the cloudiness, cool and unstable summer, it is still soft.

You will need a Schengen visa to enter the country. If you do not have it, it is better to start processing at least three months before the trip. Citizens of Ukraine do not need a Schengen visa.

tourist seasons

When is the best time to visit the Netherlands?

The tourist season continues all year round, because, first of all, holidays in the Netherlands are excursions, and for them the conditions here change little in summer and winter. And yet, it is possible to single out the high season - the peak of tourist activity, and the low season - when it is in decline.

High season

It starts from mid-spring and lasts until the end of summer. Spring is the season for flowers and many people come here to see the many flower shows that take place all over the country. As for the summer, students who make up a large part of the visitors have vacations during this period, and European office workers most often have vacations during these months - and often they choose Holland as the purpose of the trip, because in winter it pulls to the tropics, and summer - It's time to travel around Europe. Also in the warmest months (July and August) it will be nice to take a trip along the Amsterdam canals or even along the entire Dutch coast - or even go further, to the Belgian and French coasts.

low season

If September is still warm - it can be compared with June, then in October it gets colder and the activity of tourists fades away. This period continues until March, with the exception of the Christmas and New Year holidays, which account for a surge in visits. Holidays in the low season will cost much less, while you will not experience any particular inconvenience associated with the climate - except that the sky will always be gloomy and the rains will become your constant companions - but this is the case in Holland all year round.

Many tourists tend to get to the Netherlands during the months of the most active flowering, because the kingdom is famous for its flowers, which are sold in many countries of the world. The main pride of the Dutch is tulips, and their flowering begins in the last days of March, and continues until the end of May.

Notable places in the Netherlands

It is during the flowering of tulips that one should come to the largest flower parks in the country - such as Keukenhof, known as the "Garden of Europe". In addition to tulips, many other flowers are represented here, such as hyacinths, crocuses, daffodils, lilies, gerberas, roses, irises, orchids and others. But tulips still prevail - the park is spread over an area of 32 hectares, which houses 7 million flowers - and 4.5 million of them are tulips belonging to a hundred varieties! In addition to flowers, the park features many trees, lakes, waterfalls, and canals. Everywhere there are well-groomed paths decorated with sculptures, you can visit the farm, the pavilion of the "Royal Hats", the tea pavilion, the children's pavilion, and so on - the entertainment program will not let you get bored. At the end of April, you can catch the “flower parade” here, during which huge flower platforms ride and exhibitions are held.

In addition to Keukenhof, there are many other large gardens in Holland, because flowers are planted throughout the country - first of all, it is worth highlighting the gardens of Appeltern, Bennebrock and Lisse. And if you missed the spring flower shows, there is another flower parade in early September, during which they are transported from Aalsmeer to Amsterdam. A tourist's journey most often begins with it, and this city is unlikely to disappoint you: there is beautiful architecture, many canals and bridges - all this creates an excellent image of a city where you can travel for hours, constantly finding something interesting in it. Most of the sights in the old center - from the royal palace to the red light district, which settled here back in the 14th century - is now a historical landmark.

Amsterdam, together with Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Leiden and other cities, is part of the Randstad, a large agglomeration in which almost half of the population of the Netherlands lives. The Hague is the real capital, it is here that all authorities are located and the monarch lives. Here you can find many architectural sights - castles and palaces, as well as sea beaches, where it will be pleasant to swim in the summer. Utrecht is famous for its ancient architecture: colorful medieval streets, bridges and canals. Together with Leiden, these are university cities with their own atmosphere. Well, the series of the largest cities of the agglomeration is completed by modern Rotterdam with clubs and shops.

The north of the country is much less densely populated and not chosen by tourists from abroad, but the Dutch themselves like to go here on a short vacation for the weekend, Friesland is especially popular with its islands and lakes.

The southern provinces, such as Limburg or North Brabant, differ from the central and northern ones in a way - they live in the “Burgundian manner” and are committed to Catholicism. Here you can also find pacifying landscapes: endless fields with grazing herds, villages and castles. These places seem to have come off the postcards, they are so peaceful and cozy, and for this they are very fond of cyclists - indeed, it is very pleasant to spend several days here, just cycling through the beautiful expanses of Limburg.

Weather by months

March, April

The weather during these months is not too warm: in March, an average of 7 ° C, in April, only two to three degrees warmer. But nature blooms every day! By the end of March, the tulips begin to bloom, after which you can constantly admire the flower fields throughout Holland. Pleased with the April weather and relative dryness - sunny days are issued quite often.

May June

In May, summer heat comes - not that it is truly summer, but rather just the same May, then in the next months it will not become much warmer in Holland. Tulips and other flowers continue to bloom, but in June there are much fewer of them. The weather is becoming more stable, as it is possible in the Netherlands, at least unexpected frosts can no longer be feared, but it can still be cold at night in May.

July August

The peak of heat, when you can swim in the sea, but still the weather remains changeable - it can suddenly become quite cool. It rains very often, and therefore clear weather becomes a real reason for joy. But you certainly should not be afraid of the heat: the average temperature is 20 ° C, and even thirty-degree heat is a very rare occurrence.

A few things to do in Holland: take a bike ride, devoting a whole day to it; live look at the field of tulips; ride through the canals; try local cheese and herring. Without fulfilling all these points, you can assume that you were not here!

September October

September is even a little warmer than May, almost no different from June in this regard, although it may get colder by the last week. Most of the month the weather is pleasant, conducive to excursions, but in October it can already get quite cold. Or rather, it's not so much the cold, but the winds and intensifying rains, which can ruin the trip if it turns out to be even colder than usual. But the autumn Netherlands is very beautiful.

November December

These months are cold, windy and slushy. The average temperature is 6-7 °C, but it feels colder. It is worth stocking up on warm clothes that will save you from the piercing Dutch winds, and be sure to waterproof shoes - and then the tour can be quite pleasant. And by the end of the year, Christmas markets open here, allowing you to have fun holidays.

January February

If you're lucky, then snow may fall on the New Year holidays, but most often there are positive temperatures. They are not very pleasant due to the fact that cold rains are constantly drizzling, and therefore they love cold winters in Holland, because you can skate on frozen rivers.

Weather in cities and resorts by months

Amsterdam

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	sen	Oct	But I	Dec
Average maximum, °C	6	6	10	14	17	20	22	22	19	15	10	6
Average minimum, °C	1	1	3	5	8	11	12	12	11	8	4	2

Monthly weather in Amsterdam

Arnhem

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	sen	Oct	But I	Dec
Average maximum, °C	5	6	10	14	18	21	23	23	19	14	9	5
Average minimum, °C	-0	-1	2	4	8	10	12	12	10	7	3	0

Monthly Arnhem weather

Hague

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	sen	Oct	But I	Dec
Average maximum, °C	6	6	9	13	17	19	21	22	18	15	10	7
Average minimum, °C	1	1	3	5	8	11	13	13	11	8	5	2

Monthly weather in The Hague

Groningen

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	sen	Oct	But I	Dec
Average maximum, °C	5	5	9	13	17	20	22	22	19	14	9	5
Average minimum, °C	-0	-1	1	3	7	10	12	12	9	6	3	0

Groningen weather monthly

Zwolle

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	sen	Oct	But I	Dec
Average maximum, °C	3	2	8	12	16	19	20	20	18	13	8	6
Average minimum, °C	0	-2	2	4	8	12	14	14	11	8	3	2

Monthly Zwolle weather

Maastricht

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	sen	Oct	But I	Dec
Average maximum, °C	5	6	10	14	18	21	23	23	19	15	9	6
Average minimum, °C	0	0	3	5	9	11	14	13	11	7	4	1