Netherlands Things to Do

The Netherlands in summer offers blue skies and temperatures that average around 68°F (21°C), ideal for sitting in pavement cafés along the leafy canalsides and trundling around the canals on open-top boats between July and September.

The tulips are at last in full bloom in The Netherlands; the flowering season will peak in late April this year due to the chilly winter. Although not quite so ridiculously overpriced as they were in the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age, tulip bulbs are nevertheless fundamental to the Dutch economy in an industry worth around €25 billion in exports, and with nine billion bulbs grown every year.

When spring comes to The Netherlands everyone rejoices; the cold, dark days are over, much of the country bursts into a glorious patchwork of color and trees are in tentative green shoot as the sun creeps from behind the clouds.

The Netherlands still has royalty and mighty proud of Queen Beatrix they are too. The House of Orange-Nassau was founded in 1544 by William of Orange. It went through the usual topsy-turvy rebellions and wars, deaths and family challenges until everyone decided it was much simpler to be a Republic and those who would be kings took charge of the military – which actually gave them more power anyway.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kinderdijk is nine miles (15km) east of Rotterdam in The Netherlands and comprises 19 wooden windmills – once there were 150 – and pumping stations dating from the 18th century, built to drain water from the surrounding polders as land was reclaimed from the North Sea. Firmly below sea level, the mills march in two rows towards the horizon on either side of the dyke, silhouetted against the flat, grassy landscape of South Holland.

Beer drinking is a connoisseur’s pastime in Belgium and a team sport in Germany, and with The Netherlands squashed in between, Dutch beers are often overlooked. However, alongside the three giant multi-national brands, Heineken, Grolsch, and Bavaria, the country produces more than 30 boutique beers. Main varieties include pilsners; dark-brown dubbel beers and the strong, pale tripel; classic Dutch witbiers; and bok beers, which are brewed seasonally. Be warned – Dutch beers are generally higher in alcohol content than in other countries. Here are some of the best breweries to visit.