Netherlands
The land of Tulips, Canals, and Windmills !
The land of Tulips, Canals, and Windmills !
Introduction
Netherlands or Holland- as known earlier, is one of my favorite countries. I have been here many times. Amsterdam- the capital city, is one of the best tourism destinations in Europe.
Map of Netherlands
As you can see in the above map, Netherlands lies next to Belgium in the south and Germany in the east. West of Netherlands is England separated by the North Sea which covers the north side as well. Reaching here is very easy as it is well connected by air, rail and road to other international cities. There are even ferry ships operating between England and Netherlands. It takes about 7 to 15 hours depending on the route and the liner. London to Amsterdam takes about 5-6 hours by road or rail.
If you want to give yourself the most stunning visual treat with flowers, you shouldn’t miss the Keukenhof gardens. Imagine over 7,000,000 Tulips in 800 varieties bloomed in an 80 acre Garden! Keukenhof, also known as the ‘Garden of Europe’ may be the largest flower garden in the world.
Keukenhof Gardens is not the prime attraction for most tourists visiting Amsterdam. I am keeping it as the first in my list because it is seasonal and one needs to plan the visit date accordingly. Try for a visit between mid March and mid May. Reaching this place from the city is very easy. There are exclusive express buses from just outside The Schiphol Airport (bus line 858). You can get a combo ticket (Euro30) from the bus counter that is an entry pass to the gardens as well as a 2-way ticket for the bus.
There is a helicopter service for viewing the garden. For a 15 minutes ride the charges are 125 Euros.
Flowers Flowers Flowers Flowers- nothing but Flowers
I don’t think any adult tourist going to Amsterdam would return home without visiting this area. This is the world-famous Amsterdam red light district. Adult tourists of all ages including women make it a point to visit this place. Almost all buildings in this area, mainly on both sides of the canal have multiple, big glass windows. There are hundreds of such windows in this area showcasing ladies. At first look, they resemble mannequins in a cloth or lingerie shop. On a closer look, you realize that they are real people and standing there to attract and solicit customers. Red neon light in the window indicates that they are ready for 'business'.
It is estimated that more than 25000 people are on this job. There are many sex shops and a few old-style pubs and a sex museum in this area. Since it is a medieval city center, a number of huge, centuries old buildings of brilliant architecture can be seen in and around this place. The Oude Church, Basiliek van de Heilige Nicolaas, and the big red brick building are some examples.
Basiliek van de Heilige Nicolaas