Europe Independent Travel - The Netherlands
The Netherlands, officially the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is called 'Nederland' in the Germanic language (that's how I remembered the pronunciation of the Netherlands), meaning 'low-lying country', named because more than half of its land is below or nearly at sea level. Windmills were initially used to pump water and drain it into rivers and seas, protecting the land from flooding and making these areas habitable and arable. Later they were widely used in agriculture and industry. Today, windmills have become an iconic tourism symbol of the Netherlands, attracting visitors from all over the world to see and experience.
This trip to the Netherlands started from Belgium, first entering Rotterdam, the second-largest city in the Netherlands and the largest port in Europe. Rotterdam is the western bridgehead of the Eurasian Land Bridge (the eastern bridgehead is Lianyungang, China).
Rotterdam Old Port
The Erasmus Bridge, also known as the 'Swan Bridge'.
A HOSTEL composed of 38 bright yellow cube houses, designed by Dutch architect Piet Blom.
The Willemswerf building, the filming location for the movie 'Who Am I?'. Jackie Chan slid and jumped down the building's slope without safety measures, truly dedicated.
Various buildings on the city streets.
The Hague (Den Haag) is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Although it is not the capital of the Netherlands, it is the seat of the Dutch central government. The Dutch king resides and works in The Hague, and most foreign embassies are located here. Therefore, The Hague can be considered the administrative capital of the Netherlands.
The Peace Palace in The Hague is a famous building in the Netherlands, housing the International Court of Justice of the United Nations, the International Law Library, and the Hague Academy of International Law. The Peace Palace was built between 1907 and 1913, largely funded by American Andrew Carnegie. It accommodates the International Court of Justice (often called the World Court), the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Hague Academy of International Law, and a vast library of international law. Unfortunately, it was closed, so I could not go inside to see it.
The Mauritshuis Royal Picture Gallery is one of the most famous attractions in The Hague. Every visitor to The Hague will visit the Mauritshuis.
Interior of the Mauritshuis Royal Picture Gallery
The Dutch LEGO town of Zaandam, 13 kilometers from Amsterdam. Under the same accommodation conditions, Zaandam is much cheaper. As soon as I exited the train station, I saw houses like these everywhere, as if entering a fairy tale kingdom—so cartoonish and healing.
Truly a kingdom of bicycles.
The Dutch windmill town mainly refers to Zaanse Schans. We stored our luggage at our accommodation in Zaandam and strolled for 1.5 hours to reach the windmill village.
Taking a photo with this delicious ice cream shop.
The famous wooden shoe workshop in the village and finished products in the wooden shoe store.
Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, also the largest city and second-largest port. The name Amsterdam originates from 'Amster' and 'Dam', understood as a dam on the Amstel River, which is now Dam Square.
The total length of canals in Amsterdam city center exceeds 100 kilometers, with over 1,000 bridges crossing the interlaced canals, most of which are stone arch pedestrian bridges.
University of Amsterdam, a prestigious institution in the Netherlands.
Floating flower market
The Heineken Brewery in Amsterdam, founded in 1864. Heineken is a household beer brand. The interactive sessions on site were quite interesting.
Sitting on the street opposite, observing the inconspicuous SEX MUSEUM.
Netherlands itinerary: Visited Rotterdam - The Hague - Zaandam - Amsterdam in 4 days.
