See South Holland flourish!

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Zuid-Holland is best known for its flower fields, but there are plenty of other things to do in the western province of the Netherlands. The largest cities in this province are the cities of Rotterdam, Den Haag, Leiden and Dordrecht. As is often the case, these cities offer plenty of touristic activities. We will list a couple of them, but will also list other fun activities.

One of the biggest cities in the Netherlands, Rotterdam offers plenty of things to do. While it lacks in old architecture due to the bombing in World War II, it compensates with a more modern city center.
One of the mayor landmarks of the city center is the Euromast. From a height of 185 meters you can enjoy an amazing view over the city. During the warmer seasons (and if it is not too windy) it is possible to rapel down from the mast. For more information visit the Euromast website.
Traveling through Rotterdam can be done by ordinary public transport and by car, but it also possible to use a water taxi. If you are just interested in the views from the river the Maas, it is probably wiser to take one of the tours offered by Splashtours.

Your main stay in Rotterdam should however consist of either a visit to the zoo of Diergaarde Blijdorp or the Maritime Museum. With Rotterdam being one of the world’s biggest harbors, the latter is more fitting for the city.
Of course it is also possible to go all out with shopping in Rotterdam. More information about that and many other things can be found on the official tourist information website of Rotterdam.

Den Haag (The Hague) is the political capital of the Netherlands and thus the city is more internationally orientated. For young adults it is probably wiser to go to the beach town of Scheveningen. Besides offering a large beach with accommodations, it also hosts Sealife, a zoo for aquatic animals. Since Scheveningen is one of the more popular touristic beaches, it also hosts more attractions like Powerboating (site is in Dutch). It is advised though to visit the beach between July and October due to the water temperature.
Not afraid of getting wet? Then you should definitely try the whitewater course in Zoetermeer. Zoetermeer is just east of The Hague and could perfectly fit in your plan for the day. For larger groups a reservation is advised.

The province of South Holland is, together with the provinces of Flevoland and North Holland, one of the biggest suppliers of flowers. Starting from the end of March, these flower fields will start to flourish, with the Tulips being the last to flourish between April and the first week of May.

One of the most famous flower fields are found between the cities of Leiden and Den Helder.
Of course it is also possible to see it all in the Keukenhof, which is opened this year between 22th of March till the 20th of May. This year’s theme is 'Poland, the heart of Europe'. On the 21st of April there is also a flower parade in the park.

Local delicacies:

- Haagse Bluf (whipped egg with berry juice)

- Goudse Moppen (cookies)

- Leidse Kaas/Komijnekaas (cheese with caraway)

- Goudse Kaas (Cheese with a higher rate of fat)

                                                - Haagse Hopje (a sweet with coffee/caramel taste)

 

                                                - Schiedammer Jenever (local gin)

                                                - Nieuwe Haring (fresh raw haring)

Visit Utrecht!

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Visiting Holland this week or having vacation with nothing to do?
Check out Utrecht!

Utrecht is a province and a city in the middle of Holland and  is one of the largest cities in Holland. It is a beautiful city with many things to do and has a important historical centre. During your spare time, there are many things in the province Utrecht you should visit.

One place you should visit during your stay is De Dom van Utrecht, a gothic church that is more than 800 years old and 112 meters high. You can visit this church every day and you can find more information on http://www.domkerk.nl/.

Another place you should visit is het Spoorwegenmuseum. In this museum you can learn about the history of the Dutch railways. Boring? No way, there is a lot more to see than only just old trains. In het spoorwegenmuseum, you can also enjoy some small attractions, which will make your visit more interactive and fun! Are you interested in history but not interested in trains?  Don’t worry, there are also many castles in the province Utrecht which you can visit.

If you don’t have much time to visit different locations, you can also visit the city Utrecht, which is the capital of the province. In this vibrant city, you will never be bored. To start your day, the first thing you could do is visit a market. A few days a week, these markets are located in different squares in Utrecht in the mornings. After this, you can have lunch in one of the pubs in nearby. In the afternoon, you could start a great shopping session in shopping centre Hoog-Catharijne, which is located next to the train station. To finish your day, you can have diner in one of the restaurants located next to the canals and visit a theatre or a cinema like het Beatrixtheater Some tips for your visit in Utrecht:

·    Travel by public transport, parking your car can be very expensive in Utrecht and there are many city buses.

·     For all men: Try some of Utrechts special beers: Bockbieren. There are different types of Bockbieren, depending on the season, ask your waiter! J

·    At the site of 'Local specialties'  you can also find some nice local wines.

·   Visit http://www.dinnersite.nl to find some nice restaurants in Utrecht.

·   Check out this video of Utrecht below, it's in Dutch, but it gives a nice impression of the city.

Enjoy! J

Holland Hopping

Having fun in Noord-Brabant!

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Noord-Brabant is one of the larger southern provinces. Due to its proximity to Belgium and its catholic history, Brabant has a different culture then its northern neighbors. The fact that Vlaams (the language of the northern part of Belgium) and Brabants both originate from the same dialect largely explains the cultural similarities between Vlaanderen and Noord-Brabant. One of these cultural similarities is the festival of carnaval, which will be explained in detail below. The larger cities of Noord-Brabant are (from the west to the east): Roosendaal, Breda, Tilburg, Den Bosch ('s Hertogenbosch) and Eindhoven. These are also the cultural, shopping and clubbing hubs of the province. However these can also be found in other places throughout the province.

Carnaval

Carnaval originates from an eating festival that was held just before the catholic period of fasting. Traditionally the weeks before Easter no celebrations were held. To compensate for this period of fasting, people would celebrate extravagantly. From this feasting various traditions originated. In the Netherlands these traditions include costumes and parades. Carnaval is traditionally held from Sunday till Tuesday 40 days before the first day of Easter, but this may vary from town to town.

The upcoming years carnaval will take place on:

·  2012: 19 - 21 February

·  2013: 10 - 12 February

·  2014: 2 - 4 March

·  2015: 15 - 17 February

·  2016: 7 - 9 February

One of the big happenings for most towns in Brabant during carnaval is its parade. Almost every town has its own parade (although participants are sometimes featured in multiple parades). Each parade has its own starting time and date. Neighboring towns or cities try to separate their main parade starting times. Towns may also have a second or third parade on a different time, these may overlap with neighboring towns or cities. The date for each parade in 2012 can be found on this site. If you click on the parade that you would like to see, you are redirected to a new page which displays the starting time and other information.

Each town or city also has its own alternative name during carnaval. These names can be found here.

Things to do in Brabant

Not in Brabant during carnaval or do you wish to do other things in Brabant. Fear not, there are many other places to visit. We will highlight a few below.

Do you like karting, but do you want to try something different. Then icekarting is probably made for you. This indoor karting area makes use of electric karts. The track is a challenge for both beginning and more advanced kart drivers. Advanced kart drivers will have a higher maximum speed, which makes it harder to control your kart when taking a turn. More information and online tickets can be found here.

Looking for more excitement. Then indoor skydiving might be your thing. Indoor skydiving offers most of the thrills of actual skydiving. The tunnel is powered by 12 fans and is 23.5 meters high. You will be guided by a trained instructor and friends and/or family can watch your experience from a special viewing boot. More information and reservations can be made on their website.

Want to have a fun day independent of your age. Then a visit to the Efteling might be your thing. This amusement park is dedicated to bringing the fairytales of your youth back to life. The park features rollercoaster’s, relaxing rides, areas for young children, cafeteria and restaurants, a hotel, a golf course and a theater (some of these are only included with a hotel stay). Plenty of variety for everyone. It has to be noted though, that during the winter some outdoor attractions are closed (mainly the rollercoaster’s). More information? Check out the website.

A more relaxing option is the safari park De Beekse Bergen. This safari park houses a number of exotic animals. The park is open 365 days a year and can be experienced on foot, by car, bus and even by boat. More information can be found on their website (the website is in Dutch).

Delicacies

Below are some typical food that you may run into during your stay in Brabant. Be sure to try them out!

- Brabantse worstenbroodjes (sausage rolls): A meal that can be found in most bakeries and supermarkets. These are often served as lunch, but can also be served late in the evening (cut in smaller chunks).

- Brabantse eierkoeken: A replacement for lunch or a snack. A bread/cake like cookie.

- Brabantse peperkoek: A spiced cake that is often eaten as a snack.

- Brabantse roggenbrood: A special type of bread. The bread is 'baked' while the oven is cooling down. Giving the bread its unique flavor.

- Bossche bol: The signature delicacy of Den Bosch, a chocolate sphere filled with cream.

- Bavaria, Dommelsch and La Trappe: beer brewed in Brabant.

Check out Friesland!

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Welcome to our blog entry. This week, the province Friesland will be highlighted, as it is one of the most authentic provinces in Holland.

Friesland is a Dutch province in the north of Holland and is famous for her Elfstedentocht, a 200 kilometers long ice skating tour along eleven cities in the province Friesland (mentioned in our previous blog). Unfortunately, this ice skating tour will not happen this winter (or at least in the upcoming weeks) as the ice is not thick enough to skate everywhere. Furthermore, this province has officially her own language, Frysk, which deviates from the official Dutch language.



Fierljeppen

While you’re in Holland, Friesland is a great province to do something in your spare time. For example, you can go fierljeppen, a traditional sport from Friesland which is a sport with some similarities to pole vaulting. A jump consists of an intense sprint to the pole (polsstok), jumping and grabbing it, then climbing to the top while trying to control the pole's forward and lateral movements over a body of water and finishing with a graceful landing on a sand bed opposite to the starting point. (www.fierljeppen.nl)



Wadlopen

Another thing that might be worth a try is wadlopen. This is a thing that should be done in spring or summer. Wadlopen is a traditional art of wading across designated sections of the Wadden Sea at low tide. (www.wadlopen.nl)

If you don’t want to sport or walk in your spare time, you can also visit Leeuwarden, the capital of Friesland. This is a dynamic city with a historical city centrum and many nice shops and terraces. In this area, there are also a lot of recreation areas, where you can relax during a nice day.

Some delicacies you should try in Friesland:

·         Friese Duimpjes (traditional spiced cookies)

·         Oranje koek (a cookie with orange chips and glaze)

·         Suikerbrood (bread filled with pieces of sugar)

We hope you will have a wonderful time in Friesland!
Do you want to know some more about Friesland? Leave a message and we’ll respond to it.

Holland Hopping

Winter special!

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We Dutch just love winter, at least... most of us do!
A few degrees below zero and we Dutch cannot wait putting on our skates. But why are the Dutch so keen on an icy and snowy winter? Well, it is just in our genes and as it not possible to ice skate on open water every year, we looking forward for every chance. Especially the Dutch are looking forward to the world famous ‘Elfstedentocht’, a 200 kilometers long ice skating tour along eleven cities in the province Friesland (a province which we will also discuss in the upcoming weeks on our blog). This tour was last held in 1997, 15 years ago! The average number of participants of the Elfstedentocht is 16.000! (http://www.elfstedentocht.nl). Many speculations about a potential upcoming ‘Elfstedentocht’ are going around at this moment as the temperature is dropping. Watch this blog. We will keep you updated if this event really takes place!

If you are in Holland and it is possible to skate on open water, you can try on many places! In Holland you are allowed to skate whenever you like and wherever you can (you have to be careful though). If you don’t have any skates, you can hire them at local ice skating clubs, so don’t worry. Do you want some more information? You can look it up at http://www.schaatsen.nl (in Dutch). Moreover, at http://www.knsb.nl and the previously mentioned website, you can find some safety tips.

Some local tips for winter in Holland:

-       If it snows, try not to travel by public transport. (Just stay home and enjoy J )

-       If you want to ice skate on natural ice, make sure the ice is thick enough to skate!

-       Dress warmly!

-       Watch out for ice holes.

-       Enjoy a hot chocolate or try some ‘snert’ (a traditional Dutch split pea soup).

We wish you a nice, icy, snowy winter! J

Check out our facebook page for new photos of the Dutch winter! :) https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Holland-Hopping/348884058463097

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Experience Noord-Holland!

Welcome to the first blog entry of Holland Hopping. In the upcoming weeks this blog will be covering the 12 provinces of the Netherlands, kicking off with a popular tourist destination, Noord-Holland. We will be covering upcoming local events, list fun activities and local delicacies in these provinces. All with the goal to enhance the overall experience of your visit to Holland.

Noord-Holland is a province in the north-west corner of the Netherlands. It contains the capital of the country, Amsterdam, which is one of the touristic hotspots that you should visit during your stay.

Typical places to visit during your stay in Amsterdam are the

Amsterdam Dungeon, Madame Tussauds, the red light district and the canals of Amsterdam. A place that you might not initially visit is the zoo, Artis, which is also located in the centre of Amsterdam and is the oldest zoo in the Netherlands.

Amsterdam also regulary hosts events at the RAI Amsterdam and concerts at the Melkweg Amsterdam and the Paradiso. Tickets for these events and concerts may be sold out in advance. Therefor it is wise to check for ticket availability when planning your trip to Amsterdam.

As the capital of the country, Amsterdam is often the host of public events. Examples of this are the public festivals on Queensday (April 30th), the Amsterdam Dance event (17th october-21 october) and the Gay Pride (first weekend of august).

There is also plenty to do in the rest of Noord-Holland. Noord-Holland hosts a large portion of the Dutch coast line and has plenty of public beaches. The sea has a swimable temperature between the months of june and october, but this may vary every year. If you are into racing and also want to spend your day at the beach, you should visit Zandvoort. The circuit of Zandvoort hosts races multiple times each month. Before and after the races it is possible to visit the beach.

If you are interested in history and want to visit something different then a museum you should visit the

fortress island in IJmuiden. This island fortress used to defend the Dutch mayor harbours and was part of the atlentic wall during world war II.

While you are in Noord-Holland you should also try some of the local delicacies. Noord-Holland hosts most of the Dutch gin breweries, because of that the local food specialities are often best tried out when drinking. A list of some specialities:

• Boerenjongens (raisins prepared in brandy with a little bit of cinnamon)
• Schiedammer Jenever (Dutch gin)
• Amsterdamse kaas (spiced cheese prepared in a way that is unique to the region of Amsterdam)
• Weesper moppen (cookies with almond paste)
• Advocaat (an alcoholic beverage made from brandy and eggs)
• Alkmaarse kaassoep (cheese soup from the region of Alkmaar)