Holland's culture is varied and lively. Dutch people themselves take immense delight in their cultural heritage. Arts of every form flourish in Holland. When it comes to culture, the country is possibly most renowned for its painters who were amongst the greatest in the world. Holland's cultural life attained an international reputation during the 17th century, which is often referred to as the country's Golden Age. Well-known figures of the Golden Age include the great 17th-century Dutch artists Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, and Jan Steen. The 19th and 20th centuries witnessed the emergence of artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Pieter Cornelis Mondrian.
Holland has exceptional museums and a remarkable variety of classical and innovative music and theatre. With almost 1,000 museums, the Netherlands has the highest museum density in the world. Some of the most famous are the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam and the Mauritshuis in The Hague. The Het Loo palace in Apeldoorn is of significance to those interested in architecture, gardening and history.
In Holland, major international arts festivals are held every year. The Holland Festival, held in Amsterdam in June every year, is an internationally distinguished music festival. Special events such as the Rembrandt Exhibition and an exhibition on the Golden Age draw many tourists and enhance the country's status as a centre of culture. Holland culture is also famed for other reasons. It has produced many great philosophers, astronomers, writers and mathematicians.
Dutch architecture is also a distinguished feature and has always been popular in other parts of the world. Holland has six monuments on the World Heritage List. Cheese is another important product that has become a hallmark of Dutch culture. Many high-quality varieties of cheese are both made and enjoyed in Holland. Several orchestras are based in towns and cities throughout the country. The natives are keen on sport and fitness, music, social clubs and organized events. Above all, Holland is considered to be one of the most liberal countries in the world.
Holland History
The name Holland was a Viking word for "woodland". It was visited by Vikings several times when Holland was called Frisia.
History of Holland dates back to the 9th century as a county of the Holy Roman Empire. Counts of Hainaut, Flanders, and Zeeland are similar to the counts of Holland. This extended for several periods dating back to the 13th and the 15th centuries. In the year 1432, Holland was considered a part of the Burgundian Netherlands. After 1477, it became a part of the Habsburg Seventeen Provinces.
Northern Dutch Provinces, including Holland gained freedom from the Habsburg-Spanish rule during the Eighty Years' War that started in 1568 and continued until 1648. After this period, Holland became the most famous, prominent and prosperous part of the United Province.
After the year 1795, the Batavian republic was formed and was inspired by the French revolution. This led to a better and civilized government in Holland. An administrative reform was introduced in the year 1798, and its dominance on Holland was reduced to a great extent. In the same year, the territory of Holland was divided into several other branches. From the year 1806-1810, the Napoleonic Kingdom of Holland did not exist but included many parts of modern Holland. Holland was separated after the French occupation in the year 1810-1813. After 1813, Holland was re-established as a province of the Netherlands. Holland is actually a small part of The Netherlands consisting of provinces called South Holland and North Holland.
Holland Cruises
Located in the central western part of the Republic of the Seven United Provinces of the Netherlands, Holland is famed as the land of tulip gardens. It is a tourist spot with Dutch windmills, nature parks, and wonderful harbors. Holland cruises along the Dutch waterways are an excellent option to see the beauty of Holland. The best season for Holland cruises starts from April as tulip time begins from the month of April.
Boats, yachts, and hotel barges are available for Holland cruising. Hotel barges are popular among tourists as they are noted for the regional dishes prepared on board and a wide range of fine wines. You can drink in the beauty of Holland and nearby cities of other countries while sailing through the rivers, canals, lakes, and seas. There are canal side bars and cafes that provide traditional Dutch food. You can enjoy Holland cruises by traveling along the Friesian region with hundreds of lakes. This journey takes you along coastal towns and fishing villages which are donned in a traditional look. Tourists have options for enjoying water sports.
Loosdrecht is a Holland base to start a journey along lakes and canals to reach the cities of Amsterdam, Hilversum, and Utrecht. Panoramic visions of the Dutch countryside, lifting bridges, and dykes make Holland cruises memorable. There are many canals in Holland and you have the option to choose the route according to your time schedule. Holland cruises charters help to plan the excursions in boats, ships, or yachts for visiting attractive locations in Holland. Keukenhof gardens during tulip time, Aalsmeer - the world's largest flower auction centre, the city of Hague, Amsterdam, and art museums are some places of tourist importance.
Holland cruises to visit different parts of Holland and the Belgium towns of Antwerp, Brussels, and Bruges start from the city of Amsterdam, on the Rhine and Moselle rivers. You can also enjoy the trip from Holland through the Baltic Sea and Mediterranean Sea to reach Sweden and Croatia respectively. These cruises take one or two weeks to reach the destination. All facilities for accommodation, food, and entertainment are offered in the ship.
Holland Climate
Holland is situated in Netherlands and is an exciting place to visit and explore. Holland is stunning with colorful flower fields, legal hash bars, windmills, and dykes. People in Holland are liberal and friendly. Holland is the place where people can find the world's best art. Tourists can walk around to take a glimpse of its historic cities.
Holland enjoys a moderate climate as it is close to the sea and flat in its terrain. Rains are frequent in the summer season, and may continue for approximately ten or twelve days in a month. Holland is geographically located in such a way that it faces many climatic changes. Weather in Holland is unpredictable as the sea has a great influence on the climate. Hence, tourists need to be prepared to face climatic variations.
January and February are considered the coolest months of the year, whereas July and August are the warmest. Holland experiences snow, rainfall, and hail. It snows in winter and Holland gets approximately 34 inches of snow every year. Winters here could be mild, although a sudden cold wave can be felt in the months of January and February. This time of the year people can be found skating on frozen lakes and waterways. The snow melts in the summer season.
Summer season in Holland is comparatively warmer. Temperatures decrease to an average of about 16 to 17 degrees centigrade. This can be noticed in the months of July and August. Spring is the driest season in Holland.
Vegetation in Holland is limited and restricted range of vegetation is found here. Very few rare plants and animals can be found here. Holland does not face natural disasters such as tornadoes. Floods are experienced frequently as Holland is situated along side the sea at the mouth of three of the major rivers in Europe.
Daily updates of the weather are available on Internet for easy access and accurate information. Such climatic variations offer a wide range of activities that has attracted more and more tourists to Holland.
Holland Hotels
Holland is a country packed with surprises and has everything a traveler eagerly looks forward to. With innumerable dream destinations Holland has to offer, the accommodation facilities to cater to these travelers are also on the rise. The hotels in Holland make available high standards of quality accommodation, facilities and services even to the most discerning visitors at reasonable rates.Most of the hotels such as the Hilton, Marriott, Radisson, and Best Western, which belong to international hotel chains in Holland, are located in the wondrous and multifaceted city of Amsterdam. The Amsterdam Marriott Hotel, situated in the heart of the city, offers around 390 beautifully appointed guest rooms and 5 suites which are spread over 11 floors. The Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel, in between the Central Station and Dam Square, is a deluxe property with a distinctively pleasant, informal atmosphere. This hotel has 399 rooms, 6 suites and 24 apartments/efficiencies. Close to the airport and near to the major business areas and RAI Congress Center, the Courtyard Amsterdam Airport Hotel has on offer 140 spacious rooms and 8 suites.
| Holland Culture | | |
The root of many misconceptions towards Dutch culture stem from the laws that are in place within the country. Many people view The Netherlands as a depraved country due to its relaxed policies concerning drugs and its openness towards sex. Nothing could be further from the truth. Holland’s lack of sexual inhibitions has led to nation of people with no sexual hang-ups whatsoever and very little interest in the sexual preferences of others. This social understanding has led to many significant changes within their society including the recognition of same sex partnerships since 1998.
The issue of Drugs within The Netherlands is one of complete misconception. Soft drugs are not legal in The Netherlands! Much like many other societies around the world Holland has approached the problem of drugs with the utmost of attention. During a pop festival in Kraalingen in 1970 the authorities issued a decree to the police to not arrest any persons selling or using Marujuana. Two years later the first coffeshop opened in Amsterdam ‘The Mellow Yellow’ and the coffeshop culture was born. The thought process behind these decisions where way ahead of there times and among much discussion today within other countries in the world. By 1970 the government in The Netherlands where already well aware of the effect of various drugs on the human body and in an effort to split the users of hard drugs from those who where only interested in soft drugs took a tolerant stance towards the use of Cannabis. With these measures in place people interested in smoking Cannabis where able to do so in closely monitored coffeshops without ever coming into contact with hard drugs. The irony of the situation is that to this day the possession and cultivation of Marijuana is illegal in The Netherlands and large drug busts of Marijuana farms are a regular feature within the Dutch press.
Many visitors to The Netherlands are struck by the abrupt and direct nature of people and sometimes incorrectly interpret it as rudeness. This mannerism takes some time to get used to but is just a way of being amongst Dutch people and within the country is actually considered as a positive trait.
Outward displays of wealth amongst Dutch people are not common and there is an emphasis within Dutch culture on financial equality that is reflected within wage and tax structures within the country. When either dinning out or drinking at a bar each person will nearly always pay their own part hence the internationally used expression ‘going Dutch’.
.Many Dutch are familiar with doing business with foreigners since the Netherlands has a long history of international trade.
.They will want to know your academic credentials and the amount of time your company has been in business.
.The business community is rather close and most senior level people know one another.
.Older, more bureaucratic companies may still judge you by how you are introduced so it is wise to have a third-party introduction if possible, although it is not mandatory.
.The important thing is to demonstrate how your relationship would be beneficial for both sides.
.The Dutch take a long-term perspective when looking at business, so be clear what your company's intentions are.
.Since the Dutch value their personal time, do not ask them to work late or come in over the weekend if you want to foster a good working relationship.
.The Dutch are hospitable, yet this is often reserved for family and friends. In business they tend to be reserved and formal.
.They do not touch one another and appreciate it when those they do business with maintain the proper distance, do not demonstrate emotion or use exaggerated hand gestures.
.The Dutch are extremely direct in their communication.
.They may sound blunt if you come from a culture where communication is more indirect and context driven.
.They do not use hyperbole, and likewise they expect to be told yes or no in clear words.
.In general, ideas will be discussed quite openly at meetings, with everyone entitled to their opinion.
.Information is shared across departments and corporate strategies and goals are usually communicated to all employees, especially in more entrepreneurial companies.
.Decisions are often consensus-driven in these cases.
.Always appear modest and do not make exaggerated claims about what you or your company can deliver.
.Your word is your bond and making claims that later prove to be untrue will brand you as unreliable.
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