The Netherlands – the state consists of the Western European part and the islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba in the Caribbean Sea. Shared land borders with Germany and Belgium. The capital is Amsterdam (the government is located in The Hague). The population is 15.8 million people.
The name “Netherlands” means “low lands”. The climate is temperate maritime. Temperature in winter +2*С, in summer +20*С. The monetary unit of the euro.
Central European time is 2 hours behind Moscow time. Flight duration Moscow-Amsterdam – 3 hours 20 minutes. To enter the Benelux countries, a Schengen visa is required.
God created the sea, and the Dutch created the shores, says the proverb. The industriousness of the Dutch is known all over the world – Holland is below sea level, and the land here is literally created by people.
This small country gave the world wonderful thinkers (Erasmus of Rotterdam, Uriel Acosta), artists (Rembrandt, Hals, Van Gogh), brave sailors (Barents). 14 million people live here. The official head of state is the King (currently Queen Beatrix). The government, parliament and royal residence are located in The Hague, but Amsterdam is considered the capital – the main center of business life.
According to Thenailmythology.com, Holland is one of the few countries where national customs have been preserved. Often on the streets of Amsterdam you can meet an organ grinder playing for passers-by. Holland is a country of bicycles. In any weather, everyone rides – both workers and members of the royal family. The bicycle is a common mode of transport here and is actually the national symbol of Holland.
Useful phone numbers
The Russian Embassy in the Netherlands is located in The Hague – Andries Bickerweg, 2, tel. 345-1300, 345-1301.
Aeroflot Representative Office in Amsterdam – Weterringschans, 26, tel: 625-4049, 624-5715.
In case of emergency, call – 06/112.
Curacao – a self-governing island state formation in the south of the Caribbean Sea as part of the Netherlands.
Sint Maarten is a self-governing state entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Resorts and attractions in Holland
Looking at Amsterdam for the first time, one gets the impression that it is a toy. This is especially felt when you ride a bike through narrow streets. And the city seems like a toy not only because it occupies a small area, but also because of the houses that resemble large doll dwellings. The peculiarity of this city is that if you go through all the streets, you will not find two identical houses.
Amsterdam is a city that has no equal in the whole world. Some call it the Venice of the North. The city stands on piles, crossed by canals (the length of dams and hydraulic structures is more than 3 thousand km), and there are three times more bridges than in Venice (1281 bridges). Someone calls the New Babylon and the city-garbage.
This is a city of sins and pleasures, where vices border on high culture. Here you can admire the ancient architecture, magnificent canals or go to the largest public library in Europe (Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam), prostitution and light drugs are completely legal here. The Red Light District is another attraction of the city.
Amsterdam is known for its out-of-the-ordinary entertainment – red-light districts and coffeeshops for many may give the city a bad name for being somewhat immoral. In reality, this is not the case, and a tour to Amsterdam can be a great trip for honeymooners, families or couples in love. Amsterdam is a beautiful city of culture, art, architecture and great food.
Amsterdam grew out of a small fishing village. In 1270, two fishermen landed on the shores of the Zuiderzee (South Sea) in the North Sea to wait out the storm. Bypassing the unknown area, they decided that this place can be settled. Around the mass of lakes and islands, and soon a village was built here. The flood problem was solved and a dam was erected on the Amstel River, which protected the village and a small piece of land. Amstell-dame, the first name of the settlement, in translation means – a dam on the Amstel.
National Maritime Museum Amsterdam – one of its most striking sights. Not far from the central railway station, one of the largest buildings of the 17th century flaunts, where since 1656 the warehouse of the Dutch navy was located. This house was designed during the Golden Age.
Interesting facts
The name Amsterdam appeared in 1275 – this name was given to a village located on the banks of the Amstel River, blocked by a dam. Then Holland was a series of isolated feudal possessions.
Amsterdam is the only capital in the world that is not the seat of government (the Hague serves as its seat). Despite this, Amsterdam remains the business, financial and cultural center of the Netherlands. Here are the stock exchange, the boards of the largest banks and companies, theaters, editorial offices of the largest newspapers, museums and exhibition halls.
When you see Amsterdam for the first time, you do not immediately understand whether it is located on the water or on land. The city stretches on the banks of the Amstel River and its branches, in addition, it is cut by more than 50 canals. The walls of residential buildings go right under the water, and numerous bridges are thrown across the canals – there are about 1200 of them in Amsterdam, many of them appeared in the 17th century. The city built on the water is often called the Venice of the North.
Even the Royal Palace – the eighth wonder of the world, according to the Dutch – rests on stilts. It took almost 14 thousand of them to build the palace. Built in 1665 by Jacob van Kampen on Dam’s central square, it is a fine example of classic Dutch architecture. There are a huge number of churches in Amsterdam, among which three stand out – South (Zuiderkerk, built in 1603-11), North (Noorderkerk, built in 1620-23) and West (Westerkerk).
One of the famous skylines of Amsterdam is the Montelbahnstoren tower. It was built in the 16th century and very soon changed its official name to the popular nickname – “stupid Jacob”, as the clock on this tower never ran correctly. The greatest treasure of the Rijksmuseum is undoubtedly the rich collection of paintings by Rembrandt, which gives a broad picture of the artist’s work, from his first independent works to his latest canvases. In it you can see not only portraits and paintings on biblical themes, but also rare still lifes by Rembrandt.
The Netherlands is often called Holland, which is incorrect, because. South and North Holland are only 2 of the 12 provinces of the country.
The official capital of the state is Amsterdam, but the actual capital is The Hague.
In the Netherlands people love sports, especially football. The only known sport invented in the Netherlands is korfball.
The lifestyle of the population is characterized by a high tolerance for unusual behavior, which is often condemned even in neighboring European countries.
The population of the Netherlands is the highest in the world – the average height of men is 1 m. 80 cm, women – 1 m. 70 cm..
The main means of transport are buses and trams. Traveling around the Benelux countries is also convenient thanks to an extensive network of railways and roads. You can use the metro in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels and Antwerp.
Making purchases in Benelux shops marked with the Tax Free sign and receiving a special receipt, you can get back -15% upon departure (for purchases of at least 140 euros).
No more than 200 cigarettes, or 100 small cigars, or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of tobacco can be imported into the Netherlands duty-free; 1 liter of alcoholic beverages with a strength of more than 22% or 2 liters of alcoholic beverages with a strength of up to 22%; up to 250 milliliters of toilet water; 500 grams of coffee, 100 grams of tea.
