Art, museums, history, great nightlife, sports, good food and shopping: the Netherlands has something to entertain every visitor. There is a lot more to the Netherlands than tulips, clogs and canals. It is the land of Rembrandt, of dramatic architecture and historic houses, of water sports and, of course hockey. Indeed, hockey is the second most popular team game in the country, next to football.
Geographically, the Netherlands covers around 41,500 square kilometres, 18.5% of which is water. The Netherlands has almost 17 million inhabitants and more than 40% of them live in the central belt or Randstad. This is the urban area made up of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. The Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 is taking place at the heart of this urban conglomeration, so crowds are guaranteed. And the rest of the country is easily accessible for day trips as well.
Cities
Amsterdam is one of the jewels of Europe, not just because of the stunning 17th century canals, its museums and its cultural heritage. Rotterdam is a young and dynamic city with a world-class port and is famous for its modern architecture and design. Delft enjoys a worldwide reputation due to its link with Johannes Vermeer and Delft Blue earthenware, while nearby Gouda is famous for its cheese. There is a lot more to Dutch cheese than you think! And of course, we should not forget World Cup City The Hague
Water
Water dominates the Dutch landscape. The mighty Rhine and two other big rivers reach the ocean via the Netherlands and create an important delta. Around a quarter of the Netherlands is below sea level. The need to keep it at bay through dykes and reclaimed land has helped shape the Dutch character. The windmills at Zaanse Schans and Kinderdijk offer a fascinating insight into the relationship between the Dutch people, water and wind. However, if water and wind sports are more your thing, there is plenty of sailing and windsurfing as well.
Orange fever
The Dutch Royal family take their name from the House of Orange and the colour has come to represent the national identity of the Netherlands. That is why Dutch sports fans dress up in orange to cheer on their national teams, who become affectionately known as Oranje. During major sport events the whole country turns orange and people become infected with what we like to call ‘orange fever’. You may notice the bunting, the orange clothes and supermarket gimmicks. Hockey fans are no exception!
Did you know....
- The Netherlands still has around a thousand working traditional windmills?
- The Netherlands has no less than 29,000 km of cycle paths?
- The Netherlands has twice as many bikes as cars?
- The Netherlands has the highest concentration of museums in the world?
- Amsterdam has over 1,200 bridges?
- When you arrive at Schiphol Airport, you are four metres below sea level?
- Holland has more than 4,400 km of navigable rivers, canals and lakes?
- The Netherlands has approximately 1.5 million cows, which produce a combined 10 billion litres of milk a year.
- On average, the Dutch eat 14.3 kilos of cheese per person every year?
Source: NBTC
