Official language: Dutch
Capital: Amsterdam (although The Hague is the seat of the country’s government)
Currency: Euro
Population as % of total EU: 3.32
Joined EU: 1958

Did you know?

• The Netherlands is the most densely populated country in the European Union, and one of the most densely populated in the world.
• ‘Holland’ and ‘the Netherlands’ are not the same thing. ‘Holland’ actually only refers to two of the Netherlands’ provinces (North and South Holland). The Netherlands is actually part of ‘the Kingdom of the Netherlands’, which incorporates a further three autonomous countries, all islands in the Caribbean: Aruba, Curaçao and St Maarten. The Netherlands also has three ‘special municipalities’ in the Caribbean: Bonaire, Saba and St Eastatius.
• The Dutch once presided over a massive empire and, as a result, the country has had an impact on the world that is not entirely proportional to its size. Amongst other things, the Dutch founded New York city and were the first Europeans to discover Australia and New Zealand.
• The Dutch are one of the tallest nationalities in the world. Theories about why this is abound, but a frontrunner holds that it is a result of their love for all things dairy.
• About one third of the Netherlands is below sea level, and the history of the Dutch is intricately tied to a battle with the tides. One of the most notable occasions in this battle took place in 1953, when a massive flood drowned nearly 2,000 people, forced 70,000 to flee their homes and submerged around 200,000 hectares of land.

Visiting Amsterdam: a paperwork holiday

With a Dutch father whose entire family lives in the Netherlands, I’ve been visiting the country regularly my whole life. But I’ve struggled to write anything about these visits on here – their joy has derived from spending time with my family, not really lending itself to a travel blog. However, a recent spot of bureaucracy – the need to present myself at a bank in person to change the address on an account – took me to Amsterdam for a long weekend. With nothing planned once the paperwork was completed and the excellent company of my long-suffering boyfriend Matthew, it was time to try and do some “proper” tourism for once.

As with all of my “proper” tourism, though, this mainly consisted of taking some time to wander around. And, as we were treated to some totally out of character April sunshine, the city’s canals were made even more magnificent to behold.

Amsterdam is something of a victim of mass tourism and being in the city centre, especially around the main train station, can be a bit overwhelming and unpleasantly hectic. However, if you go just slightly further out, it gets more laid back quite quickly. Oud-West, De Pijp, Jordaan and the Museumkwartier (museum quarter) are all good places to head for a slightly slower pace.

Vondelpark, the city’s largest park, is a must for any walk. It covers an impressive 47 acres and, if you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of some of the green parakeets that live in its canopy. It’s also a great place for people-watching on a sunny day; expect to see everything from circus performers to rowdy hen parties.

Also try and take a trip to the Nine Streets (de Negen Straatjes), a mini-neighbourhood that is home to a whole host of independent, vintage and designer shops and quirky cafes and bars.

If you have a bit more time and get some passable weather, also consider hopping on a bike and taking advantage of one of the Netherlands’ excellent cycle paths. Several head out of Amsterdam and to some of the picturesque villages nearby; find out more about some of them here.

Film
There are two cinemas that I absolutely love in Amsterdam: the Eye and the Tuschinkski.

The Eye is, admittedly, much more than a cinema. It’s also a film museum (with both permanent and temporary exhibitions), and a stunning modern building. Like a white alien perched on the bank of the river IJ, it’s just over the water behind Centraal Station and can be reached by via a three-minute ferry ride (free, destination Buiksloterweg). The Eye also has a lovely café bar, where you can enjoy a drink while looking out over the water.

The Tuschinski is at the other end of the scale: a historic cinema oozing vintage charm. Its décor is partly Art Nouveau, partly Art Deco and 100% stunning. If you happen to be in town when there’s a film showing in English, book a box in the Grote Zaal (the main hall) and spectate in style. If there’s nothing suitable showing, the cinema is open for tours during the day – you can either book onto an official one or have a poke round by yourself.

Food
Our cuisine for the weekend mainly consisted of snacking on bread and pastry-based treats in the sunshine, so my recommendations for food are (perhaps unusually) thin on the ground. Aside from the obligatory croquettes (available from takeaways or, weirdly, vending machines), give the below a go.

• De Vier Pilaren: a pancake joint perched on the bank of the Singelgracht. The building used to be a travelling restaurant that visited fairs around the country, and the décor is just as eclectic as that suggests. Order some poffertjes and expect to be full to bursting.
• Foodhallen: a hipster food hall in a complex of former tram sheds in Oud-West. Expect to find cuisine from all around the world and a buzzing atmosphere.

Supermarket shopping
Every time I’m in the Netherlands, I try to pop into a supermarket and pick up some of my favourite Dutch things. If you’re in town, try and give the below a try…

• Gouda cheese with cumin seeds (komijn gouda): moreish Dutch cheese with lots of cumin seeds in it to give a unique flavour
• Stroopwafels: disc-shaped caramel waffles. Best eaten after resting them on top of a hot cup of tea or coffee to soften the delicious caramel
• Aniseed milk powder (anijs staafjes): aniseed-flavoured powder that is added to hot milk for a comforting before-bed beverage
• Calvé peanut butter: quite simply the best tasting peanut butter in the world. Somewhere between crunchy and smooth. Buy a 1 kilo tub!
• Hagelslag: chocolate sprinkles eaten by being smooshed into butter on untoasted bread (as an open or closed sandwich). Quintessentially Dutch.
• Paprika crisps: self-explanatory. Prevalent across much of mainland Europe and not at all Dutch, but you just can’t find these beauties in the UK.

Although we didn’t have time to visit them on this particular weekend, there are two other places in Amsterdam I would recommend making time to see: Anne Frank’s House and the Oude Kerk (Old Church). The former is horrifying and touching at the same time and is worth visiting even if you already know a lot about Anne Frank. The latter is Amsterdam’s oldest building, with an interesting history and a beautiful interior. Its location right on the edge of the red light district is in stark contrast to its sombre majesty.

And if you’re interested in finding out more about the Dutch? Then I would recommend Ben Coates’ excellent book, ‘Why the Dutch are Different­­­­­­­­’.