Tourism in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is an attractive destination for tourists from all over the world; It is characterized by the diversity of its tourist attractions, and perhaps the most prominent of what is famous for its fields of tulips and windmills scattered in it; From which the name of the land of windmills was taken. The Netherlands also enjoys a beautiful nature that extends on semi-flat land; As the height of the highest tourist area does not exceed about 305 meters above sea level, tourists in the Netherlands have the opportunity to visit many natural areas such as picturesque villages, ^[1] and rural tulip fields, ^[2] and distinctive parks such as the National Park in Amsterdam, which extends over an area 55.8 km2 ^, [ ^1] and flower galleries, in addition to the archaeological monuments scattered all over the country; Like castles dating back to the Middle Ages,^[3] and famous museums such as the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam,^[2] and landmarks of the capital Amsterdam, and some museums that display the rich heritage of the country, and the heritage of famous Dutch artists; Kavan Gogh and Rembrandt, and learn about the most liberal Dutch culture in Europe. ^[1]

In the Netherlands there are many modern resorts and hotels scattered on the North Sea coast, in addition to large conference halls in which many international conferences, trade fairs and others are held, and tourists travel in the Netherlands by public railways, buses, and boats inland waterways, ^{[2 ]} They can also go around by bike to enjoy the beauty of the city, ^[1] The number of tourists has reached about 19 million, according to the statistics of 2018, 43% of whom came from Germany and Belgium, but in 2017, the number of tourists was 16 million, the British and Belgians represent more than Half of them, and it is expected that tourism in the Netherlands will continue to grow, registering about 21 million tourists for the year 2020, and about 29 million tourists for the year 2023. ^{[4] [5]}

The most important tourist cities in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, there are many cities that embrace various tourist attractions, cities rich in landscapes, archaeological areas, architectural buildings, and manifestations of Dutch art and culture. ^[6]

Amsterdam

The city of Amsterdam is the official capital of the Netherlands, and it is considered the cultural center of the country due to the presence of a large number of cultural monuments in it, such as universities, educational academies, research institutes, theaters, and museums; Which number up to 60 museums, and the city of Amsterdam is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, because the city is composed of 90 islands separated by 160 water channels connected together through bridges that are unique in their distinctive designs, the oldest of which are 8 bridges with wooden bases; Including the famous Magiri Bridge, which is one of the most photographed landmarks of the city. ^[7]

The city is also distinguished by its historical monuments; It contains about 6,750 archaeological buildings dating back to the 16th and 18th centuries, and it extends over an area of 8 km2 ^, in addition to the historical houses that were built on a clay surface based on strong sand with a depth of 18m. These houses represent the general planning character of the city; They are arranged in strips with a uniform fan-shaped center. ^[7]

The Hague

The city of The Hague is classified as the third largest city in the Netherlands, and it is a densely urbanized area located in the Randstad region, and is the political center of the country; ^[8] As it has the seat of the government, the home of the royal family, many government ministries and embassies, and many international organizations such as the International Court of Justice , and this city is characterized by its wide streets and squares, elegant parks, and organized residential suburbs, as well as many historical buildings, and museums and art galleries for being home to many famous Dutch artists. ^[9]

Rotterdam

Rotterdam is located along the banks of the Nieuwe Maas river branching from the Rhine, about 30 km from the North Sea. It is the second largest city in the Netherlands, and is considered the main port of Europe . ^[10] Rotterdam is characterized by modernity; As it includes many skyscrapers, restaurants, commercial markets, and many famous museums that display ancient and modern art, and photography, the most famous of which are the Boijmanns van Büningen Museum, the Kunsthalle Rotterdam, the New Institute, and the Nederlands Photomuseum in the Kobe van Zuid area, There is also a Maritime Museum where the world of marine navigation is displayed. ^[11]

Utrecht

The city of Utrecht is located in the center of the Netherlands, and it stretches along the Krum-Rhein, the old Rhine branch , the Fichte rivers, and the Amsterdam-Rhein canal, ^[12] and is built around the Dom Tower, which can be seen from all parts of the city, and this city is characterized by a system of domed pavement. Stretching next to the inland canals, which includes many cafés, ^[13] It should be noted that Utrecht was the most important city in the Netherlands until the Dutch Golden Age; It includes many historical buildings dating back to the early Middle Ages, the most important of which is the Gothic Cathedral of St. Martin; Its construction began in 1254 and lasted for about 200 years. The city has the largest university in the country, the University of Utrecht. ^[14]

The most important tourist attractions in the Netherlands

The following shows the most important tourist attractions in the Netherlands: ^[1]

Amsterdam’s Canals : These water channels connect the parts of the city, and the tourist areas can be reached and viewed by taking a tour on board the water boats.
Jordaan District: This neighborhood is located in the city of Amsterdam , and is a large number of small houses with inner courtyards built along the canal.
The Canal District : This belt was built in the 17th century in the city of Amsterdam, and is characterized by its elegant architectural designs, dating back more than 400 years.
Keukenhof Park:, also known as the Garden of Europe, is the largest public park in the world; It extends over an area of 283,280 square meters in the Lisse district of the capital, Amsterdam. The park is famous for the presence of more than 700 types of tulips in it, in addition to thousands of tulips , saffron, and daffodils.
Anne Frank Museum: This museum was the home of the family of the child Anne Frank; whose family came from Frankfurt to Amsterdam during the Second World War, and the museum contains the famous memoirs of Anne Frank, and a memorial to a little girl in her memory.
Van Gogh Museum: This museum specializes in displaying the works of the famous artist Van Gogh ; It displays more than 200 of his paintings, 500 drawings, and 700 artworks, along with a number of works by some of his contemporary artists. The museum attracts about 1.5 million visitors annually, and is ranked 35th among the best museums in the world.
The Windmills of Kinderdijk: The largest of the famous Dutch windmills are located in the village of Kinderdijk, which lies between Rotterdam and Dordrecht along the North River. There are 19 huge windmills built between 1722 and 1761 and were used to drain cultivated lands. It has sails with a length of about 28 meters per sail, and the village has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site .
Hoge Veluwe National Park: This park is located between the city of Arnhem and the city of Apeldoorn, and is the largest nature reserve in the Netherlands, and is home to red and spotted deer, and a number of birds, and the park contains an area of sand dunes interspersed with forests and forest lands, and the visitor can practice many activities in the garden; Such as walking in the dense forests, seeing the sculpture garden, visiting the Kroller Muller Museum, which houses the works of the artist Van Gogh, and enjoying one of the largest sculpture exhibitions in Europe, so the park is one of the most visited tourist areas in the Netherlands.
Ijsselmeer: is one of the villages located on the Ijsselmeer Lake, which has preserved its maritime heritage; In the golden age of Amsterdam, it was a center for fishing and maritime trade, but today its colorful houses have been transformed into museums and shops, and its buildings and navigational industries are displayed in the Zuiderse Open Air Museum, and kept a number of colorful wooden boats in the port of Volendam.
Zeeland dams: These technological dams have the ability to control the amount of water that enters the mouths of the main region of the North Sea, and is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. These dams were built in an area below sea level exposed to Constant flooding.
The Historic City of Valkenburg : The city of Valkenburg has many historical monuments that date back to the Middle Ages, the most famous of which are the hill castle, the Church of St. Nicholas dating back to the 14th century, and the Velvet Caves that form a maze of corridors to the castle, which includes a market Famous Christmas.
Castle De Haar: is the largest fortress in the Netherlands. It dates back to the 14th century by the famous Dutch architect Pierre Kuipers, but the castle was destroyed and rebuilt in 1892 . This castle includes a large garden of a square kilometer, and a group of Antiques, furniture, paintings, tapestries.

The most important events in the Netherlands

Tourists can enjoy the various events organized by the Netherlands each year, the most prominent of which are: ^[15]

King’s Day:The Netherlands celebrates the birthday of King Willem Alexander on the twenty-fourth of April of each year, and large festivals are held throughout the country, and flea markets are spread in the streets, and other special activities.
Amsterdam Dance Event:is the largest dance festival in the world; It is held in 120 different locations, and hosts about 450 music events, and more than 2,200 artists, and this event is held annually in the month of October, and lasts for 5 days.
National Mill Day : The Netherlands celebrates Mill Day annually in the month of May, due to the spread of approximately 1,048 windmills and 108 water mills throughout the Netherlands, and the oldest mill dates back to before 1450.
Pop Festival: This festival began since 1981, and continued to be held annually on the last Sunday of June until it became the largest free popular event in the Netherlands, and the largest free pop music festival in Europe.
Open Tower Day : Amsterdam opens the doors of many historical, classic, and modern buildings in March of each year, which are closed throughout the year, and art tours and musical performances are held on this day.

Best time to visit Holland

The weather is generally described in the Netherlands as constantly volatile, as it rains throughout the year, and the winds are strong due to the fact that it is mostly flat land, and the month of July can be considered the best time of the year to visit the Netherlands; Where the average temperature is 19 degrees Celsius, and the least suitable time to visit the Netherlands is in the winter; As temperatures drop to 2°C, ^[16]It should be noted that it is necessary to look at the weather patterns for each month when visiting the Netherlands; In January, the movement of tourists decreases due to the drop in temperatures, which range from 1 to 5 degrees Celsius, and the same continues in February; Where the weather is cold and humid, with the spread of frost to become temperatures between 0 to 8 degrees Celsius, and the water channels freeze at this time of the year to become suitable for skiing, and the spring season begins in March; Temperatures rise to 10 degrees Celsius, while the weather is volatile during the month of April, during which temperatures range between 4 to 12 degrees Celsius, while summer begins at the beginning of May, during which temperatures reach 17 degrees Celsius. ^[17]

Temperatures get high in June; It reaches 19 degrees Celsius, and the beaches are crowded with visitors, and the time of sunset does not come until ten o’clock in the evening in most parts of the Netherlands. Where it ranges between 11 to 18 degrees Celsius, and temperatures range between 8 and 15 degrees Celsius in the month of October, and the temperatures continue to drop significantly in the month of November, so the weather becomes cold with temperatures ranging between 4 to 9 degrees Celsius, and snow begins to fall In the month of December. ^[17]

The impact of tourism on the Dutch economy

Tourism contributes significantly to the Dutch economy, and its contribution to the gross domestic product of the Netherlands amounted to about 4.4%, according to the statistics of 2018, which led to a rise in the growth of the Dutch economy as a whole in the same year by 2.6%; This is due to what foreign tourists spend in the Netherlands each year; Tourism spending for the year 2018 amounted to about 87.5 billion euros, in addition to spending by local tourists, which amounted to 51.9 billion euros. His participation in the total jobs in the state is about 7.5%. ^[18]

The impact of tourism on Dutch society

Tourism is an important source of local income in the Netherlands, and provides many jobs for members of society, and creates opportunities for social communication between the Dutch people and other peoples, and the Dutch government seeks to increase the involvement of citizens in the tourism industry in the country, but the rapid growth in tourism, especially in the capital Amsterdam It creates some problems that negatively affect Dutch society; Such as weakening social ties somewhat, increasing real estate prices, increasing nuisance, and exposure to traffic congestion, in addition to the negative impact on the environment, such as increased pollution. ^[19]

The reviewer

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↑ Amy Lawrenson (18-10-2019), “Your Trip to the Netherlands: The Complete Guide”، www.tripsavvy.com, Retrieved 3-3-2020. Edited.
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Tourism in the Netherlands