Regional info

^Holland

When we think of Holland we think of traditional costumes, Delft pottery, cycling past windmills and fields full of tulips.  Although it is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, the Netherlands is also known for its sky views that have made the painters from the 'Dutch School' famous worldwide.  The landscape has been modified by the rivers Rhine and Meuse in the ice age, when huge glaciers in the Veluwe area forced them westward.  These glaciers stretched as far as the Scottish coast so you could walk from Holland to Britain. The majority of Dutch land is below sea level, but the construction of solid dikes has helped prevent the land from flooding.  In the 17th century the country flourished economically, making the Netherlands a powerful place with an enormous trade fleet.  Arts and crafts were extremely sought after, sales flourished and Delft pottery became as popular as Chinese porcelain. The charming cities of Amsterdam, Delft, Leiden, Haarlem, Utrecht and Den Bosch have beautiful old centres with excellent museums. The wide beaches of the north sea can become very busy in the summer.