As well as tulips, cheese, bicycles, windmills, and more cheese.

Location: The Netherlands is a parliamentary monarchy and part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The capital is Amsterdam, while the seat of government is in The Hague.
The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east.

Colloquially, the Netherlands is often referred to as Holland, which is strictly speaking incorrect.
The name Holland actually refers only to the north-western part of the country, the former province of Holland. Since the mid-19th century, this province has been divided into two provinces: North Holland (capital: Haarlem) and South Holland (capital: The Hague). In Dutch, the name Holland is primarily used for these two provinces. Otherwise, Holland is more of an ironic self-designation, as in the famous football chant: Hup Holland Hup!
Outside the Netherlands, the Dutch are usually called "Hollanders." And even the Dutch tourism industry and other businesses consistently market the country as Holland. Dutch people who are not from the Holland region tend to harbour a certain dislike for the use of Holland to refer to the Netherlands and Hollander to refer to the Dutch.

The highest point of the Netherlands (mainland) is the Vaalserberg at the tripoint with Germany and Belgium, standing at 322.50 m above Amsterdam Ordnance Datum. About half of the country lies one metre above sea level, and roughly a quarter lies below. The flat areas are largely protected by dykes.
In the Netherlands, there are no mountain bikes or bicycles with gears — and why would there be? There are no mountains.

Parts of the Netherlands, such as almost the entire province of Flevoland, were reclaimed from the sea through sand deposits. This land reclamation is known as a polder (less commonly also referred to as a koog).

About one-fifth of the country's surface area is covered by water, with the IJsselmeer accounting for the largest share.

North Holland is primarily famous for its tulip fields. Therefore, the most beautiful time to travel to this region is in spring (April to June). A weekend getaway to the Netherlands is very attractive thanks to affordable flights when booked early.

From some parts of Germany, the country is also easily reachable by car or motorhome. If you are planning a trip to the Netherlands, be sure to bring bicycles or e-bikes along. If your vehicle is not yet equipped with an e-bike carrier, don't worry — there are plenty of opportunities to rent bicycles on the spot. The well-maintained Dutch cycle paths along the canals are the best and by far the most picturesque way to enjoy the views of the colourful tulip fields.

Along the highway from Alkmaar to Den Helder lie the most beautiful and most expansive fields. Planted in rows sorted by colour, they create a wonderful image of colour transitions as you drive past. Unfortunately, the view is sometimes obscured by the long greenhouses of Dutch tomato growers.
The town of Alkmaar is famous for its cheese market. Since 1365, every Friday morning from May to September, white-clad carriers haul wagon-wheel-sized yellow cheese rounds on colourful wooden frames to the weigh house on the market square (Waagplein). This spectacle is truly worth seeing. Of course, you also get to taste the cheese.
Also worth seeing in Alkmaar: the Cheese Museum (please check opening hours beforehand, as it is not open year-round!).

Tips for holidaymakers in the Netherlands:
– Have lunch at a pannekoeken (pancake) restaurant
– A traditional Dutch breakfast includes hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles) on bread
– Leave the car and explore as much as possible by bicycle. Bicycles can be rented inexpensively in every small town
– Driving to Amsterdam: Only park at a guarded car park. Better yet: drive to Alkmaar, for example, and take the 45-minute train ride to Amsterdam. Amsterdam Central Station is right in the city centre.
– Visit the beach promenade in The Hague (Scheveningen)

Zeeland: Below Rotterdam lie the Oosterschelde and Westerschelde, two arms of water reaching far inland.

The devastating flood disaster (North Sea flood) of 1953 is considered the most severe North Sea storm surge of the 20th century. It occurred during the night of 31 January to 1 February 1953 and affected large parts of the Dutch coast. The simultaneous occurrence of a pronounced spring tide and a severe storm caused the North Sea to rise. At Hoek van Holland, a level of 3.85 metres above NAP was measured, while the normal tidal range there was just 80 centimetres. Despite large-scale rescue operations, the flood claimed 1,835 lives. The greatest number of victims were in the province of Zeeland.

This catastrophe became the trigger in the Netherlands for an unprecedented flood protection programme. The Delta Works in the Oosterschelde. The coast of Zeeland and South Holland was reinforced by building hundreds of kilometres of new dykes, and the wide, deep estuaries of the Meuse and Scheldt were sealed off from the sea using locks and weirs. The construction of these massive protective structures created an entirely new infrastructure.
It is impressive to visit the Delta Works (the locks as well as the museum). Tip: find out in advance when the next test closures and openings of the locks take place, and be sure to bring a rain jacket and hat!

The beaches of the Schouwen-Duiveland and Walcheren peninsulas are wonderful for surfing and sailing.
They are kilometres long, wide, and perfect for extended walks. Here, too, you should bring a windbreaker and hat — except in midsummer.

Texel Island, the "Island of Lambs".
From Den Helder (North Holland), you can reach Texel by ferry, which runs approximately every hour (journey time approx. 20 min). The popular holiday island has around 50,000 inhabitants during peak season and about 20,000 in the off-season. The approximately 28 km of sandy beaches and dunes are perfect for a beach holiday and long beachside strolls.
The holiday centres are the towns of De Cocksdorp and De Koog. This is where the beach and nightlife happens. Worth seeing in De Koog: aquariums with seal enclosures.
10 km from De Koog is the famous bird sanctuary De Slufter.
Texel is called the "Island of Lambs" because thousands of newborn lambs can be seen in spring.

Ameland Island is one of the five inhabited West Frisian Islands in the North Sea. It is a popular holiday, travel, and excursion destination for families, caravan campers, school groups, and holiday camps.
Ameland covers 59.18 km² and has approximately 3,500 inhabitants.
The most popular excursion destinations are the lighthouse, the long beach facing the North Sea, and the water playground "in de Vleyen" in Nes. Nearby, the newly built Natuurcentrum with its observation tower opened in June 2009. Ameland is also known for its seal-watching boat trips to sandbanks. In Buren, there is a small modern swimming pool with a children's pool and slide. There is also a beach express that offers guided tours through the "De Hon" nature reserve.
Getting there: the ferry crossing to Ameland departs from Holwerd. Journey time approximately 45 minutes.

Rotterdam: "the world's largest port" and the second-largest city in the Netherlands. Simply driving past the port by car takes an eternity and is deeply impressive. Giant tankers, huge containers filled with coffee and oil pipelines from the Middle East are part of the everyday scene. Over 32,000 ocean-going vessels call at the port each year.
In Rotterdam, Europe's first pedestrian zone ("Lijnbaan") was opened in 1953.
Every Tuesday or Saturday, a visit to the colourful art and antiques market on Mariniersweg is worthwhile.

Between Rotterdam and Dordrecht lies Kinderdijk, the windmill country. Nowhere else does this cliche ring as true as here. 19 of them — the largest concentration of polder mills — can be found at the confluence of the Noord and Lek rivers. In July and August, the windmills turn every Saturday ("Molendag"). To witness the spectacle of these more than 250-year-old mills, once used as pumping stations, entire crowds flock to the fully heritage-listed area. How to get there: via the A15 motorway, exit Alblasserdam. From April to September, one of the windmills is open for tours.

• The history of the Netherlands essentially begins with the early modern period. Before that, the territories of the present-day Dutch state were divided among various rulers.
• With the revolt of 1568 against the Habsburgs and the founding of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (1581 to 1795), the foundation of the later Netherlands was established.
• In 1815, the Congress of Vienna united the northern and southern Netherlands. This year marks the beginning of the history of the modern Dutch state.
• In 1839, the Netherlands recognised the separation of the south, which had been calling itself Belgium since its declaration of independence in 1830.
• The Netherlands also had a significant colonial empire, most notably with the Dutch East Indies, which became independent in 1949. As a result of this loss, the country reoriented its foreign policy: the neutral maritime power became a partner in NATO.
• In 1954, the colonies of the Netherlands Antilles (in the Caribbean) and Suriname (in South America) became equal partners of the Netherlands with the adoption of the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
• In 1975, Suriname became an independent republic. Since the island of Aruba was separated from the Antilles in 1986, the Kingdom has consisted of the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, and Aruba.