HOLLAND

The Netherlands has almost dispelled the notion of simply being an archaic land of clogs and windmills with its string of exciting conurbations, including the cosmopolitan capital, Amsterdam – one of Europe’s great cities. Even towns such as Eindhoven, The Hague, Utrecht and Rotterdam are instilled with a genuine buzz.

   
Cities:

  
 
Maastricht: the art of fine living
 
The southernmost and sunniest city in the Netherlands, Maastricht, is a splendid fortified city of Roman origin set on the river Maas. The beautiful, unspoiled hillsides that surround Maastricht are home to famous vineyards and provide the opportunity for many relaxing and picturesque outings. 
  
Let’s meet in rotterdam 


 
Rotterdam is a stimulating city, alive both day and night. A city sizzling with excitement that you just have to feel and experience in the morning – and then again in the evening. With its many faces, Rotterdam entices you to come and discover it.   
Amsterdam 


 
In 2006 Amsterdam is celebrating the 400th anniversary of Rembrandt, Holland's greatest 17th-century painter. The perfect occasion to train the spotlight on this Dutch master throughout the year. Like no other artist, Rembrandt managed to capture light and shadows in paint.   
Eindhoven city of lights



Eindhoven combines a big city atmosphere with characteristic features of the historic villages it sprang from. The city, which host Holland’s first multinational company Philips, is great for shopping and its beautiful green surroundings are great to explore by bike. Eindhoven enjoys a dynamic mixture of professionals and young international student from amongst others the famous Design Academy.   
Royal The Hague 


 
Home to the Dutch royal family and government. The Hague, Scheveningen and Kijkduin offer a wide variety of attractions, a historic city center and all kinds of entertainment including world-class shopping centers, unique restaurants, theaters and museums such as the Mauritshuis.

Keukenhof 


  
The Keukenhof is located in the bulb-growing area between Amsterdam and The Hague. Guided tours of the park, with information about its history and planting and various other interesting facts, can be arranged upon request in English. Be inspired by the fragrances and colours at Keukenhof, with the Dutch tulip and daffodil in a leading role. Every spring, over 7 million bulbs burst into flower. In 2007 the Keukenhof bulbfields will be open daily from 8 am - 7.30 pm (cash desks open until 6 pm) from the 22nd of March until the 20th of May.
   
Miniature city Madurodam 


 
The world-famous miniature city Madurodam, which is located within a stone’s throw of Amsterdam and the bulb fields, is an excellent place to familiarise with all the surprising features the Netherlands has to offer. The Alkmaar cheese market, the Peace Palace of The Hague, the Royal Palace on the Amsterdam Dam Square, the Cathedral Tower of Utrecht, the canal houses of Amsterdam, and parts of the Delta works, everything Holland is famous for can be found replicated to the smallest detail on a scale of 1:25. All of this is set in beautiful flower gardens.
   
Away from the cities, the idyllic land of windmills and tulips still exists in the bucolic splendor of the countryside, as do a number of stunning medieval towns and beach resorts on its wide swathe of coastline. The Netherlands is renowned for being unremittingly 
flat, but this does have its advantages, providing excellent terrain for cycling and walking, plus opening up sweeping, vast skies that celebrated painters past and present – of which The Netherlands boasts many - have sought to capture on canvas. Essentially, what The Netherlands offers is high culture in low land. Amsterdam alone enables you to delve through centuries of history aboard a canal boat or explore an exhaustive array of museums and galleries.

Why Holland?