Hidden Gems of Holland
Sunday, March 31 – Saturday, April 6, 2024
(Only One Room with One Queen Bed and Two Rooms with One Queen and a One-Half Queen Available)
Sunday, April 7 – Saturday, April 13, 2024
(Only One Room with One Queen Bed a One-Half Queen bed Available)
Fun Facts about Holland
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In the Netherlands, there are no less than 37,000 kilometres of cycle paths.
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Almost a third of the Netherlands is below sea level.
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The Dutch are the tallest people in the world.
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More sheep than people live on the Wadden Island of Texel.
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Amsterdam is built entirely on piles and has 1200 bridges.
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The Netherlands has the highest museum density in the world.
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Dutch people eat an average of 14.3 kilos of cheese per person per year.
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Did you know that the Netherlands is the most densely populated country in Europe?
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Internationally, the Dutch are known to be rather direct in their approach. We simply call that honesty and openness. We like to complain, especially about the weather, but we also find creative and innovative solutions for everything. Some 17.5 million people live in an area of 41,5000 square kilometers in the Netherlands. Is that a lot? Yes, the Netherlands is not only the most densely populated country in the EU, but one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Over 40% live in the ‘Randstad’, the area between Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht.
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Dutch is the official language in the Netherlands. You will of course make a good impression on your holiday if you can already speak a few words. It most closely resembles German. A second Dutch language is also spoken in the province of Friesland: Frisian. Besides this officially recognized regional language, there are also dialects and other regional languages. No talent for language? No problem, because most Dutch people speak English and often a bit of German or French as well. Thank you = Dankjewel Good morning = Goedemorgen Goodbye = Tot ziens
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The Dutch flag is a horizontal tricolor of red, white and blue. On King’s Day and Liberation Day, it looks as if everyone in the Netherlands has put up their flags. Many Dutch people also raise a flag when their child has passed their final exams, with a school bag on the mast. And when the king is at home, the flag flies above his palace. It is customary to lower the flag at sunset. On Remembrance Day, all the flags hang at half-mast.
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Since 1815, the Netherlands has been a kingdom, officially called the Kingdom of the Netherlands. King Willem-Alexander has been the Dutch Head of State since 2013. His wife, Queen Maxima, is present on many official occasions and she also has her own duties. The royal family is loved by many Dutch people. The King’s birthday is celebrated throughout the country on 27 April. It is a real Orange celebration!
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A favourite topic of conversation for the Dutch is the weather. There are all kinds of words for ‘rain’, from miezer (drizzle) to pijpenstelen (pipe stems, cats and dogs). In summer, it can be warm and in winter it can snow and freeze. The changing weather also creates beautiful landscapes, such as the fresh green pastures with grazing cows and some impressive clouds in the sky. That’s the Netherlands! But you can also discover hills and dunes, wetlands and high moorlands, ancient forests and even mountains in our country.
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The Netherlands has a strong connection with water. It has over 450 kilometers of coastline bordering the North Sea. 26% of the Netherlands lies below sea level. Three major rivers cross the country: the Rhine, the Meuse and the Scheldt. No less than 4,400 km of navigable rivers, canals and lakes. It’s a miracle we still have dry feet here. And that has not always been the case! For centuries, the Netherlands has been battling with water: with dikes, waterworks and reclamation projects. In order to create extra living space and agricultural land, a whole new province has been reclaimed from the water: Flevoland. But we also enjoy water sports and beautiful wetlands.