WHAT IS THE NETHERLANDS FAMOUS FOR?
There are many things that will enthrall you about the Netherlands. From Dutch cheese, to clogs, to tulips and bikes. These are just some of a few things The Netherlands is famous for and there are several reasons why many people visit or move to this very interesting country in the North of Europe.
As an expat who moved to The Netherlands and have spent in this country more than half of my life, I recognize the country has a lot of things to offer such as its open and cosmopolitan culture.
In this blog post I will give a recap of the top things that the Netherlands is famous for. These list can help you prepare your trip to the Netherlands and getting to know what to expect.
ABOUT THE NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands, often referred to as Holland, is a captivating European nation known for its rich history, stunning landscapes, and vibrant culture. Located in Northwestern Europe, the Netherlands is celebrated for its distinctive flat terrain, crisscrossed by an intricate network of canals, rivers, and picturesque windmills. With a population of approximately 17 million people, it is one of the most densely populated countries in the world and one of the top countries to visit in the Schengen area.
The country is renowned for its progressive values and is a global leader in various fields, particularly in sustainable agriculture, engineering, and water management. A significant portion of the land is situated below sea level, necessitating a remarkable system of dikes, dams, and polders to protect against inundation.
The Netherlands boasts a rich cultural heritage, with iconic painters such as Rembrandt and Van Gogh . The nation is known for its historical cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht, each offering a unique blend of historic architecture and modern innovation.
Whether you’re drawn to its charming canals, world-class art, or innovative spirit, the Netherlands offers a tapestry of experiences that make it a compelling and multifaceted destination.
WHERE IS THE NETHERLANDS LOCATED
The Netherlands is situated in Northwestern Europe, bordering Germany to the east, Belgium to the south, and the North Sea to the northwest
Find here a pin with the Netherlands location:
27 THINGS THE NETHERLANDS IS FAMOUS FOR
THE NETHERLANDS IS FAMOUS FOR ITS TULIP FIELDS
One of the most popular images you will find on line when you search for the The Netherlands are those vast colorful tulips fields in perfect flat landscapes and in fact visiting the tulips fields in the Netherlands is one of the most sought after activities by tourists.
Tulips, however did not originate in the Netherlands but in Central Asia, they were first imported in the 16th century from the Ottoman empire (Turkey today)
The Netherlands climate and the proximity to the sea make it the perfect fit for tulips and the country is the world’s largest producer of tulips.
The tulips season is short and runs from mid March to mid May so plan your trip during these two months if you would like to get one of those perfect Instagram pictures with the tulip fields. One of the most popular trips to see tulips in the Netherlands is Amsterdam to the Keukenhof gardens, one of the world largest gardens.
SOME PEOPLE STILL CALL THE COUNTRY HOLLAND
One January 1st 2020 the Dutch government decided the country will not longer named Holland. The only official name become The Netherlands since then. This change was made in order to enhance the country worldwide image.
The Netherlands word etymology comes from the Dutch world “Neder” that means low. The Netherlands literally means low-lying country. The name Holland comes from the Dutch world “Hout” that means wood in English. Holland literally means wooden land and it was the original name give to one of the medieval settlement that later become the country. The name is still used for two of its provinces, “Noord Holand” and “Zuid Holland”
Amsterdam, for example, is located in the “Noord Holland” so when visiting Amsterdam you are visiting both Holland and The Netherlands but this does not apply to all cities in the country.
DUTCH CHEESE IS WORLD FAMOUS
Who has not tried some “Gouda cheese”? One of the most popular cheese worldwide. It is the Dutch cheese and the country is famous for its cheese production and some other dairy products.
The country is the second largest exported of cheese in the world. In 2021 4,49 B $ of cheese were imported.
The country soil and landscape make it an ideal place for cows and milk production. There are several cheese farms that offer free cheese tasting across the country and you can get a workshop on how the cheese is produced and try some delicious cheese, mixed with all kinds of tasty herbs.
THERE ARE MORE BICYCLES THAN PEOPLE
It is a well-known fact that there are more people than bikes in the Netherlands. The country is really flat and Dutch people love biking long distances.
People used their bikes for commuting to work, going out in the evening with friends, going shopping and so on.
Rent a bike when you come visiting this lovely place to have a true local experience.
DUTCH WOODEN CLOGS
The Dutch wooden clogs were originally designed in 13th century for farmers, fishermen and factory workers to get protected from injuries and more ergonomic walking.
The clogs are still used in some rural areas in the country or just kept at the door of houses with garden to go outside when there is mud and it is hard to walk outside.
People do not use them in the streets any more nowadays but you might be lucky and find someone walking on them. I have worked as a tour guide and one of my guests bought them and walked the entire tour with them, claiming that they were really comfortable. But this is an exception it is very rare to see someone walking with the clogs these days.
THE WORLD LARGEST COCOA IMPORTER
The Netherlands is the world’s largest importer of cacao beans and it hosts the second biggest chocolate grinding industrial areas in the world.
If you are visiting the Zaanse Schans when the factories are working and the wind blows on the right direction you will be greeted with a lovely chocolate scent coming from the factories.
In fact, the nearby area of “Koog aan de Zaan” is where all these chocolate factories are located and it was the first place in the world where in the 18th century cocoa beans were produced at industrial levels.
ONE THIRD OF THE NETHERLANDS IN UNDER SEA LEVEL
Around one third of the country is below sea level with the lowest point being 6,7 meters. The Netherlands used to experience very serious floods until approximately 100 years ago until the Afsluitdijk was built.
Check here the Afsluitdijk location:
Nowadays there is an extensive system in place of dikes, pumps and pumping out of water mills and sand dunes along the coast that keeps the country safe.
Residents of the Netherlands pay a yearly tax for the water management services. Rijswaterstaat is the company that takes care of this and they have a plan in place for sea level rising events caused by global warming. You can safely visit the Netherlands without fear of floods.
LAND RECLAMATION
A big portion in the Netherlands is claimed land to the sea or lakes. In fact the Netherlands was the first ever known country to reclaim land.
One of the earliest large-scale projects was the Beemster Polder in the Netherlands, realized in 1612 adding 70 square kilometres (27 sq mi) of land.
It is estimated that 16 per cent of the country is claimed land. Even the famous Dutch city of Amsterdam was originally a swamp and this is the reason why you will see old tilted houses in the Netherlands as the old wooden foundations are made of wood that is constantly in contact with water.
EUROPE BUSIEST STREET
Believe it or not some studies recently conducted have found that Kalverstraat, the shopping street in Central Amsterdam, is Europe’s busiest street.
You can find all kind of shops in this street that extends from Dam Square to the Munt Tower. It is open everyday of the week, including Sundays.
DUTCH HERRING IS THE BEST IN EUROPE
Eating raw herring is an old tradition in the Netherlands that dates back to the Golden Age. Since then the protein and nutrients rich fish has become a delicacy that millions of tourists enjoy while visiting the Netherlands every year.
Herring comes can be found in the waters around Norway and Denmark and a little percentage on Scottish waters. There are Dutch companies with factories in Skagen, Denmark, that process them and bring them to the Netherlands to sell.
You can find herring stalls in most of the main towns in the Netherlands and trust me it is delicious.
THERE ARE 1200 HISTORICAL WINDMILLS
There are around 1200 historical windmills in The Netherlands. There used to be many more in the past when the windmills were used to mass produced wood, during the Golden Age.
But after then invention of the electricity and steam many of the windmills disappeared as they were not used any more.
The windmills preserved today are still in use and preserved for cultural heritage purposes.
THE FIRST STOCK MARKET IN THE WORLD IS LOCATED IN AMSTERDAM
The first stock market in the world was the Amsterdam Stock Exchange and it was founded shortly after the establishment of the Dutch East India company.
The stock exchange has become Euronext nowadays and it is located very close to the Dam Square in Beursplein.
CANNABIS FRIENDLY COFFEESHOPS
No! Cannabis is not legal in the Netherlands as many people might think. However there is a tolerant policy for cannabis in the Netherlands and it can be sold to in coffeeshops up to a limit of less than 5 grams per person per day.
There are currently 165 coffeeshops in Amsterdam only. They need to hold a special permit and they cannot advertised.
Many tourists come to Amsterdam for the sake of visiting some of its famous coffeeshops
MIFFY
Miffy is a world famous children book character. The concept was born when artist Dick Bruma while on holiday in Egmond aan Zee was telling his eldest soon bed time stories about a tiny white bunny.
There is a world famous T.V and book series based on the character.
SNACK WALLS
Snack walls in the Netherlands are so Dutch as the Dutch clogs are. The concept was invented in 1902.
Snack walls are a FEBO concept and there are as many as 60 spread all over the country with 22 located in Amsterdam.
You can find some warm snacks and hamburgers on the walls.
VAN GOGH WAS A WORLD FAMOUS DUTCH PAINTER
Vincent Van Gogh was a post impressionist Dutch painter and perhaps the most recognized painter of all time. He was born in Groot Zundert in the province of Noord Bravant and nowadays there is an entire museum dedicated to his works in Amsterdam and it is the second most popular museum in the Netherlands.
RED LIGHT DISTRICT
Amsterdam Red Light District is one of the most famous in the world. The Red Light District makes reference to the lights used by sex workers to sign their places of work.
The area designates a place where prostitution is recognized as a legal activity by the government. The Red Light District area was so busy during the last few years that tours are not allowed in the area any more.
It is very impactful to see the red light windows close to a church in the red light district “De Wallen” are in Amsterdam.
FIRST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD TO LEGALIZE SAME SEX MARRIAGE
The Netherlands is worldwide known for its open minded views in many aspects and same sex marriage is one of them.
Same sex marriage was legalized in the Netherlands on April 1st 2001. The gay parade in Amsterdam happening every year in August is one of the most famous in the world.
KONINGDAG
The Dutch are very proud of their Royal Family and the birthday of the ruling King, or Queen is the biggest festivity in the country.
On that day everybody is allow to sell stuff on the streets without a permit and you will see a lot of people in the streets of Amsterdam selling antiques on the street and partying all around.
Until 2013 the festivity was held on April 30th that was the birthday of Queens Beatrix. Since then the day has been moved to 27th April that is the birthday of the ruling King Willem-Alexander.
THE NETHERLANDS IS THE LARGEST WORLD’S FLOWERS EXPORTER
One of the things most of my friends get very surprised about is how cheap buying flowers is in the Netherlands. In fact the country is the biggest world exporter of flowers. They grow many flowers in their fields, such as the tulips and greenhouses but they also export flowers from other countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya and Ecuador among others.
INTERNATIONAL COURTS ARE LOCATED IN THE HAGUE
The international courts were war crimes trials and such other things happen are located in the Hague.
THE COUNTRY IS MOSTLY FLAT
The combination of land reclamation and natural geography make the Netherlands one of the flattest countries in the world, following Maldives, which is the flattest.
The highest point in the Netherlands is at the border with Belgium and Germany in the so called “three lands point” and it has just an altitude of 322 meters above sea level.
The rest of the country is flat which makes the country an ideal destination for biking as long as you do not get very strong wind in the opposite direction.
REMBRANDT WAS DUTCH
Rembrandt van Rijn is one of the best painters of all time and he was a Dutch Golden Age painter.
He was born in 1606 in Leiden and you can visit some of its most famous paintings in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
ORANGE COLOR
Orange is the national color for Dutch people as it represents the Royal Family, the house of Orange.
The dynasty origins date to the year 1544 when William of Orange became a king.
You will notice a lot of people dressing up in orange outfits during the “Koningsdag” celebration.
ITS FAMOUS CITY AMSTERDAM
Amsterdam, the capital city of the Netherlands is one of the most visited places in the world. Many tourists come to the country just to visit Amsterdam for a few days, with a surprising number coming in from the cruise port of Amsterdam.
It is estimated that around 20 million people visit Amsterdam every year.
LACK OF CURTAINS
One of the most striking things for newcomers in Amsterdam is the lack of curtains on most of the houses and seeing how people just live without caring about any outside looks.
There are several theories about why Dutch people do this. A Dutch tour guide who was a colleague of mine told me that the origin is in the Second World War when people wanted to show that they were not hiding anybody inside the houses.
RECAP
There are so many interesting things about the Netherlands and places to visit. You will for sure will not get bored during your visit to the Netherlands.
It is a country very well worth a visit. The country does not only attract tourists but many expatriates form all over the world who come to live and work.
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