The Netherlands is a small country in the Northwest of Europe, between the North Sea, Germany and Belgium.
Its recorded history starts with the Roman invasion halfway the first century A.D. but it had its heydays in the 17th century when it disputed hegemony of the Seven Seas with the English and the Spanish empires. In that period New York, parts of Brazil, a series of forts along the African Coast and the Colonies in Indonesia formed part of the vast Dutch Empire.
Though most historic town centers in The Netherlands date back to the Dark Ages, most building was done in era of oversea expansion and in the nineteenth century when the country finally took the industrial revolution seriously.
In Amsterdam, Utrecht or Leiden you can see the big 17th century mansions once owned by the commanders of the Dutch fleet and those of the rich merchants who financed the wars with their overseas gains. They were the Dutch elite by lack of real aristocracy. The preferred small items of great value stashed away in their mansions over baroque palaces. Though the Dutch never were really extravagant and did not have a real court like there was in Germany France and Spain, they were very proud of themselves. This can still be seen in the countless portrait paintings they commissioned. They also were the patrons of the famous Dutch painters like Rembrandt, Van Hals or Dou.
Apart from the glory days of the 17th century there is much in the Netherlands to attract the present day visitor. Visitors will find a very open, relaxed and international atmosphere, some great museums with both modern art and historical chef-d'oeuvres. Thanks to the bombardment and the reckless renovations that followed Rotterdam is the only real modern town of The Netherlands, not counting suburbs like Lelystad or Almere. Especially compared to mega cities like Paris, Berlin London, Berlin or even Brussels, the Dutch cities are all somewhat provincial and lacking the great gesture.
Maastricht is the most important city of the South. The atmosphere is quite different from the North. The town is pretty and is a good base for exploring the countryside as well as making daytrips to Liege and Aachen.
Because of its size and flatness The Netherlands is a great country to explore by bicycle. Netherlands,Getting Around:Public transport is another good option cause parking is problematic in most town centers. Trains and Busses provide excellent transport in the western most densely populated areas. In the eastern part it sometimes pays of to rent a car.
Rotterdam Harbour Rotterdam is the biggest port of the world. A trip through the harbour in a Water taxi is a unique experience!
