 |
Netherlands Hotels | Holland Hotels
Accommodation in Netherlands hotels | |
 |
|
 |
Accommodation in Netherlands hotels | Holland hotels.
List of Regions in NETHERLANDS
Links to Main Cities in Netherlands
Amsterdam - Breda - Eindhoven - Groningen - Leiden - Maastricht - Rotterdam -
The Hague -
Search for Town in Netherlands:
The Netherlands, also commonly called Holland in English, is a Benelux country located in Western Europe and a founding member of the European Union. The Netherlands borders on Germany to the east and Belgium to the south. To the west, the country faces the North Sea and the United Kingdom. The people, language, and culture of the Netherlands are referred to as "Dutch".
The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy, administratively divided into 12 provinces. Though the Netherlands is a small country, these provinces are quite diverse and have plenty of cultural differences.
These provinces can be divided in four regions:
- The West - the most urban and dominant area with most tourist sights.
-
The North - the least densely populated area, mostly unknown to tourists.
-
-
The East - historic cities and forests to explore.
-
The South - divided from the rest by its Catholic culture.
The western part is the most urban and industrialized. This is the place to be for shopping, going out and most of the tourist sights. No wonder that about half of the population lives in and around this area.
The four largest and most dominant cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht) are located in this region, together with Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and the Port of Rotterdam.
The Randstad is a collective name for these and surrounding urban areas.
-
Noord Holland (North Holland) is probably the most important province for tourists. This province is heavily dominated by Amsterdam, the country's capital, and has the largest airport. The north however, is also interesting for tourists who are interested in the old heritage of the Netherlands. In Volendam you can experience old-fashion clothing, windmills and great seafood. Other notable old towns are Enkhuizen, Hoorn and Alkmaar. The west coast and the isla, especially Zandvoort, offers fine beaches. You can also take an island trip to Texel.
-
Zuid Holland (South-Holland) is the most densely populated province of the Netherlands. Rotterdam is the largest city and home to one of the world's largest harbours. The Hague has a number of tourist sights, like the governmental square and Madurodam. The west coast beaches, like in Scheveningen, are considered the best of the country. Leiden and Delft are historic student towns, while Kinderdijk has many traditional Dutch windmills.
-
The historic city of Utrecht is a good introduction to the Netherlands. It's one of the big cities in the Netherlands, but still has a bit the feeling of a village. It has a compelling atmosphere, a proper night life and the great shopping mall, Hoog Catharijne. Outside of Utrecht, you can visit the historic city of Amersfoort.
-
Flevoland is the newest province. Its land is created on the formerly Southern Sea. Due to a large commuter population from Almere to Amsterdam, this province is often counted as belonging to the west side of the country. For tourists however, probably the only good reason to get here is the theme park Walibi World.
The northern part is the least densely populated region. It's mostly an interesting region for tourists who are interested in the culture of the Netherlands. These provinces all have their own distinct dialects and languages. Nature and beaches can be enjoyed on the West Frisian Islands.
-
Friesland is a distinct region in the Netherlands, in which many people speak the Frisian language. Signs are double-posted in two languages. Frisia's culture is mostly characterized by speed skating, sailing, seafood and traditional farm life.
-
Groningen can be an interesting spot for curious tourists. The city of Groningen is an ambivalent city in which old-fashioned and modern blend. The city is historic, with the Martinitower as most important building. On the other hand, it's quiet a large city dominated by students.
-
Drenthe has remnants of the 'Hunnebedden' civilization. It's also home to the largest zoo of the Netherlands in Emmen.
The east has ancient historic cities in rural and wooded landscapes. You can head out to the forest for a weekend or experience the earliest Dutch towns the way they were in the middle ages.
-
Overijssel is a rural hinterland located behind the IJssel river. The west side is dominated by it's capital Zwolle. The east side is known as Twente and mostly dominated by the city of Enschede.
-
Gelderland is an experience into the historic Netherlands. Although Arnhem is it's capital, Nijmegen is the oldest city of the Netherlands; said to be founded in the year 6 after Christ. Another ancient town is Zutphen, which has a well-preserved city centre. Nature can also be enjoyed in this area.
All provinces in the South are separated from the north by three large rivers, the Rhine, it's main distributary the Waal and the Meuse. These rivers function as a natural barrier between earlier fiefdoms. Until quite recently, a clear religious dominance of Catholics in the south and of Calvinists in the north.
-
Noord Brabant (North-Brabant) has plenty of historic large towns. It's largest city is Eindhoven, a town mostly shaped by technological companies Philips and DAF Trucks. The Efteling, the largest theme park of the Netherlands, is also located in this province.
-
The most interesting destination in Limburg is the capital city, Maastricht. The historic city has great shopping areas and many pubs in the city centre. The city is however, quite different in style and architecture to the traditional Dutch cities. It's mostly a 'Burgundic' city, founded by the Romans and is the second eldest city of the country.
-
Zeeland consists of a couple of islands and a coastal area bordering Belgium. In history, this province had a big struggle with the water which led to the Zeeland flooding disaster in 1953. To defeat the water, the Deltawerken were created, a huge technological project to protect the dykes from breaking down. For tourists and youth, there are towns with beaches and night life, such as Renesse
Text from Wikitravel Netherlands where additional general information can be found
Netherlands hotels and Accommodation | Holland hotels accommodation for discount booking of your holiday lodging
|