A short guide about Netherlands
The Netherlands is a small monarchy between the North Sea, Belgium and Germany and is known for much more than cheese, windmills, wooden shoes and tulips. Its history starts with the Roman invasion halfway through the first century A.D. but it had its heyday in the 17th century when it shared the Seven Seas with the English and the Spanish empires. In that period New York, parts of India, a series of forts along the African Coast and the Colonies in Indonesia formed part of the vast Dutch Empire.
Historic town centres date back to the Dark Ages, but most buildings expanded when the Industrial Revolution started. In Amsterdam, Leiden or Utrecht you can see 17th century mansions once owned by the commanders of the Dutch fleet and rich merchants. Although the Dutch were never really extravagant, their pride can be seen in their countless portrait paintings. Many of the world's famous painters are Dutch, such as Rembrandt, van Gogh, Frans Hals and Johannes Vermeer.
The tourist will find Dutch cities are very hip with a relaxed international atmosphere, and provide some great museums including both modern and historical art. Rotterdam is the only real modern town of the Netherlands, with the largest seaport in the world. Places like Den Bosch, Arnhem and Zwolle are also certainly worth a visit, as well as the National Park 'Hoge Veluwe'. Maastricht is the most important city of the South and is a good base for exploring the countryside as well as making daytrips to Aachen and Liege.
Trains and buses provide excellent transport to the entire country and because of its size and flatness the Netherlands is a great country to explore by bicycle. Tourabout has manly tours that travel through the 'big' small country providing rivercanal cruises while taking the culture.