Travel in Holland – Hotels, Holland Vacations, Lodging, Trips, Attractions and Travel Guide



Bloom The Tulips In Holland: Things To Do And See

Vacation and Travel to Holland
Colourful, tall row houses in Amsterdam along a canal. Sunny day April 2007.

Holland is a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and consists of the Netherlands, Netherland Antilles and Aruba. The word Dutch is synonymous with anything that refers to the people, language or anything pertaining to the Netherlands. Holland is well known for its tulips, windmills, cheese, wooden clog shoes, delftware and gouda pottery.

With its 17th century canals and architectural structures, Amsterdam is considered to be one of the jewels in the crown of Europe. In Amsterdam, visitors can tour more museums than any other place in Europe. For an art-lover a visit to the Van Gogh Museum is a must, no other place on earth has more of his paintings under one roof. The collection of paintings is divided into three groups; the Van Gogh collection, works from other artists, and a collection devoted to the history of the Van Gogh Museum. There are more than 200 paintings, 500 drawings and 700 written documents relating to Van Gogh.

On Amsterdams Eastern Dock, stands a green building which is home to the NEMO Science and Technology Center. Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, it was first opened in 1997. The name NEMO, translates to mean “no one”, and refers to the voyage of discovery between fantasy and reality. NEMO has exhibits that cover three floors and an open rooftop terrace that is accessible to the public and provides stunning views over the city of Amsterdam.

In Rotterdam, tourists can visit the famous cube-shaped houses designed by Piet Blom and located outside of the Blaak Railway station. People live in the other houses, but there is one that is open to the public. Upon first entering the home, people must ascend a staircase and this brings them to a slanted window. The house is a bit short in height with some of the ceilings reaching only 1.5 meters. The interior is unique in that it contains no straight walls and on the top floor there are scale models, photographs and interactive screen panels that allows guests to find out more information about these architectural wonders.

Many people know Cornelius Escher, not by name, but by his art work. His pictures are graphic artworks in which water appears to be flowing upstream, the shadow of a dog turns into a dog, and are some of the most popular works of graphic art in the world. His childhood home in Hague, was turned into a museum, Escher at the Palace. There is a huge collection of his drawings and prints, old family photographs, and programs which provide wonderful informative facts about the artist and his life.

While in Utrecht, many tourists will find a City Canal Cruise an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. The cruise lasts an hour in duration and no matter what the season may be, there is always something stunning to look at. Particularly during the summer, the canal tours take visitors for a complete tour of the castles in the area, the nature area in Amelisweerd and day trips to Vecht with stops for shopping in Breukelen.

In the heart of the Netherlands there is a beautiful botanical garden, De Tuinen van Appeltern. It is unique in that it is the worlds only interactive garden. There are over 170 model gardens; city gardens, balcony gardens, waterfront gardens, and an English garden. The garden is also home to the largest collection of flora in the entire Netherlands and home to some of the most exquisite tulips in the world. There is also a restaurant, a garden shop, library and plant markets.

There are some very lovely hotels all over Holland that provide guests with convenience and quality service. The Multatuli Hotel Amsterdam is ideal for its location, it is close to major tourist attractions and has a five-star rating for guest service and satisfaction. The Fenice Hotel is also another popular place for tourists to stay, it is located inside a lovely historical grand canal house. The hotel is close enough to allow visitors to tour some of the most popular venues on foot. While around the corner is over eighty antique stores and small shops, which allow for some fascinating shopping excursions. From the tulips to the museums, Holland has some of the richest sites in Europe and is guaranteed to be a vacation that dreams are made of.

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