May 22nd, 2013 at 3:00PM: Wikimedia Commons
It's getting to be that time of year again. People are heading to the beaches, especially around the Mediterranean.
Now choosing one has been made easier by a new interactive website by the European Environment Agency. The agency has released its 2012 figures for water quality of 23,511 "bathing waters." The website has them broken down by country and region. While most are ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Holland posts
Interactive Website Shows Cleanest, Dirtiest European Beaches
May 22nd, 2013 at 3:00PM: Wikimedia Commons
It's getting to be that time of year again. People are heading to the beaches, especially around the Mediterranean.
Now choosing one has been made easier by a new interactive website by the European Environment Agency. The agency has released its 2012 figures for water quality of 23,511 "bathing waters." The website has them broken down by country and region. While most are ...Classic Dutch Town Reflects Past, Embraces Present
Mar 28th, 2013 at 5:00PM:
Hoorn is a little Dutch town in North Holland about 35 kilometers out of Amsterdam. Founded in 716, Hoorn was a major harbor town and center of trade during Holland's Golden Age of the 17th Century. Still honoring its rich history, much of Hoorn looks like it did a century ago. We stopped by for a visit and found Hoorn to be one of those places where visitors feel like capturing a photo in any ...What's The Difference Between Holland And The Netherlands? This Video Tells You
Dec 22nd, 2012 at 11:00AM:
Remember that fast-talking fellow with all of the nifty geography lessons? The guy who sorted out the difference among Great Britain, England and the UK for us in one dandy film? Well he's back, and he's here to explain the proper use between The Netherlands and Holland. I won't ruin the surprise for you, but the geographic difference was quite enlightening.
His name is CGP Grey, by the ...
Getting To Know The Faces Of Holland
Oct 11th, 2012 at 4:00PM:
Holland's most recent campaign, "Faces of Holland," allows travelers to get to know the iconic facets of the region. Here are the six "faces," and how you can meet them for yourself.
Bicycles
Biking and Holland are almost synonymous. In fact, out of Holland's 16 million inhabitants, 18 million own bicycles, which means there are more bikes than people. With a flat landscape and over ...Photo Of The Day: Turkish Tulips
Apr 19th, 2012 at 6:00PM:
April showers bring May flowers, as the saying goes. We're getting plenty of rain this month in Turkey, but we've had flowers. April is the big month for tulips in Istanbul, and you can see them planted all over town as 11.5 million were planted for this year's season. I took today's photo at Emirgan Park, one of the prime viewing spots of the Istanbul Tulip Festival. There are over 100 ...A town with no roads: Giethoorn, Netherlands
Mar 17th, 2012 at 3:00PM: I recently came across a story, complete with entrancing photos, on SlightlyWarped.com. "The Town with No Roads" captured my attention with its title and then I read on. The series, worth reading, from Slightly Warped is called "Curiosities" -- and this curiosity is worth the intrigue. Giethoorn, Netherlands, is reminiscent of a fairytale. Tall trees and bushy shrubs are so well-placed alongside a ...10 things you probably didn't know about Holland
Mar 7th, 2012 at 6:00PM: While Holland is well known for its bright flowers, the canals of Amsterdam, and wooden shoes, there are still many surprises to discover about this region. To help expand your knowledge, here are some things you probably didn't know about Holland.
1. Rotterdam is the only Dutch city with a true skyline. In fact, it is so impressive the area is known as "Manhattan on the Meuse." In terms of ...VIDEO: Visit a guinea pig village in Holland
Feb 10th, 2012 at 6:00PM:
If you prefer cute and cuddly animals to the Big Five on safari, you may want to consider a trip to the Netherlands. VICE's Cute Show takes a look this week at a guinea pig village in Holland, where the hairy rodents go to "retire" when their owners can no longer look after them. You can adopt a guinea pig or just visit them (I'm partial to the scrappy and long-haired Droopy).
The guinea ...
Opinion: Dutch khat ban smacks of racism
Jan 16th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
The Dutch government recently announced that it will ban the use of khat, a narcotic leaf widely chewed in the Horn of Africa and Yemen.
I've written about khat before. I've spent four months in Ethiopia, especially Harar, a city in the eastern part of the country where chewing khat (pronounced "chat" in the local languages) is part of many people's daily lives. It's a mild drug that makes ...Amsterdam's Schipol Airport gallery opens winter exhibition (about winter!)
Dec 21st, 2011 at 11:00AM:
I love airport art galleries. They offer the delayed passenger something far more satisfying than eating fattening toxins in the food court. The gallery at Schipol Airport, Amsterdam, is one of the best because it's run by the world-famous Rijksmuseum.
The gallery has just opened Dutch Winters, a collection of winter scenes by Dutch artists. Interestingly, the curators didn't go for the usual ...Amsterdam day trip: Van Brederode castle
Nov 28th, 2011 at 11:00AM:
Amsterdam has plenty of day trip opportunities. Smaller cities such as Delft are a short train ride away and the pretty countryside has many historic attractions.
Ruïne van Brederode is a castle in the town of Santpoort Zuid, about 25 minutes away by train from Centraal Station. From the Santpoort Zuid station, signs lead through quiet, tree-lined streets to the castle. The ...One luxury and two budget hotels in Amsterdam
Nov 27th, 2011 at 3:00PM:
Visitors to Amsterdam are spoiled for choice when it comes to hotels. From flea-bitten junky flophouses all the way up to five-star luxury accommodation, hotels in Amsterdam offer something for everyone. Picking one can be tricky, though. Here are three places I've stayed at.
The four-star Hotel Estheréa is a good choice if you want to splash out. Its location on a broad canal in ...Amsterdam's Torture Museum
Nov 25th, 2011 at 12:00PM: Like many travelers, I have a soft spot in my heart for tourist traps. Whether it's the politically incorrect cheesiness of South of the Border or the shabby weirdness of The Thing, nothing brings a smile to my face better than some cheap, gaudy attempt to capture my attention.
Amsterdam's Torture Museum fits the bill perfectly. Behind a pseudo-spooky facade are reproductions of torture ...Down-home Dutch cooking in Amsterdam
Nov 24th, 2011 at 12:00PM: Dutch cooking isn't one of Europe's famous cuisines. Yet while it can't compete on the world stage with Italian or Spanish cuisine, Dutch cooking can been really good and travelers to The Netherlands shouldn't dismiss the culinary side of their trip. Here are three cheap to mid-priced restaurants that will make you appreciate Dutch cooking.
De Stadskantine
This "city canteen" at Van Woustraat ...Tasting gourmet Dutch cheese in Amsterdam
Nov 20th, 2011 at 1:00PM:
I'm addicted to it. Every time I'm in Amsterdam the first thing I do is get some to satisfy my craving. I couldn't think of a trip to Amsterdam without it. Yeah, you know what I mean.
Eating Dutch cheese!
I've always wondered why some countries get famous for certain foods. Why is Belgian chocolate so great? Why do the Dutch make such fine cheese? Why aren't the Dutch the chocolate experts ...Amsterdam's Maritime Museum
Nov 17th, 2011 at 3:00PM: Amsterdam owes its wealth to the sea. In the Golden Age of the 16th and 17th centuries, the Dutch sailed around the world looking for rare products to bring back to Europe. They were one of the great maritime powers and are still important in shipping today.
Amsterdam is a city made for the sea. Its canals are laid out like a spider's web, where every family that could afford it built a narrow ...Amsterdam's booming Eastern Harbor
Nov 16th, 2011 at 1:00PM:
Amsterdam is a beautiful city famous for its narrow canal houses that during its golden age served as both homes and warehouses for merchant families waiting for their ship to come in. The historic heart of Amsterdam is an architectural treasure, and the Dutch didn't stop building innovative spaces in the modern times. One of Amsterdam's newest expansions is the Eastern Harbor Area.
A century ...Preserved human flesh at Amsterdam's Tattoo Museum
Nov 13th, 2011 at 10:00AM:
This is exactly what it looks like--the preserved human flesh of a tattooed man. Judging from the style and subject, I'd say it's from a nineteenth century American sailor. I spotted it sitting on the director's desk at Amsterdam's Tattoo Museum.
Ah, Amsterdam! I've visited you so many times and yet you always have new surprises for me.
Amsterdam is a great city for museums. There are two ...Art and film in Rotterdam, Netherlands
Oct 31st, 2011 at 9:00AM: This winter, art and film take over Rotterdam in the Netherlands with two events you will not want to miss. Watch films by independent filmmakers, listen to enlightening debates, take in modern art, and drink up at fun after parties.
International Film Festival Rotterdam
January 25-February 5, 2012
The 41st International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) will be offering twelve days of films, ...New Gadling travel series: the lowdown on the Low Countries
Oct 24th, 2011 at 2:00PM: Today I'm starting a new travel series here on Gadling. While Alex explores Far Europe, I'm checking out Near Europe. I'm spending the next ten days seeing the sights and sampling the cuisine of the Low Countries. My first stop is Antwerp, Belgium, and from there I'll head to Amsterdam and the Hague in The Netherlands.
There's a lot to explore and I have a full schedule. I'll be seeing castles, ...
