The Netherlands is a country that appeals to everyone. It’s famous for its idyllic countryside with traditional windmills, its interesting museums and its nightlife. I have visited Amsterdam and many other beautiful towns of the Netherlands with my parents, my uncles and my cousins and we had many memorable experiences.
What makes Amsterdam really attractive is the fact that the historical atmosphere is combined with the mentality of a modern city. Amsterdam is a really beautiful town and it is a must to take a canal tour and discover the historical canal district that was added to the Unesco World Heritage List in 2011. There are also many interesting museums, like Van Gogh Museum for the lovers of painting, along with Anne Frank House and Nemo Museum. Visiting Anne Frank House was a unique experience, because we could really envision how Anne, her family and others were living while hiding from the occupying Germans. Anne’s original diary is displayed and there are also exhibitions, which focus on the wartime persecution of Jews.
Nemo Museum – Amsterdam
Venturing out of Amsterdam to other unique towns is definitely a must. We visited Volendam, which is one of the most visited tourist spots in the Netherlands. It is an old fishing village with many souvenir shops. We also went to Zaanse Schans that consists of authentic houses and windmills from the Zaan region, which have been rebuilt to their original state. Furthermore, we visited the idyllic Kinderdijk, which is well known for its 19 windmills, dating from around 1740. I highly recommend visiting.
Zaanse Schans
Kinderdijk
Delft is also a town that is worth exploring. It has a magnificent medieval Town Hall with a tower dating from 1300. Opposite the Town Hall there is a gothic church from 1384, which is called New Church and we had the valuable opportunity to take in a breathtaking view from the top of the bell tower. Our last destination was Rotterdam, the second largest town of the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. It is famous for its modern architecture, featuring many examples of innovative construction. The 185 meters high Euromast tower, the swan-like curve of the Erasmus Bridge and the impressive cubic houses of the architect Piet Blom are big tourist attractions.
Delft
Rotterdam – Cubic Houses
To sum up, I strongly recommend you to visit the Netherlands. Make the effort to explore beyond Amsterdam and visit other towns in order to admire spectacular landscapes with plenty of windmills. This quote by Pat Conroy seems fitting: ‘Once you have travelled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey’.
Elina Stylianou
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