If 2020 has taught us anything, it is to enjoy the moments spent with our loved ones, to prepare for unforeseen circumstances and to take care of our planet. It’s a lesson which resonates with Amsterdam-based digital bank bunq, which is known for its rainbow coloured cards, but which has put going green at the core of the company ethos. bunq has always invested ethically and was the first bank in the world to offer ‘freedom of choice’, letting its... More >

Visit any Dutch office canteen at lunchtime (or, nowadays, many a Dutch home-office kitchen) and you can be sure of one thing: broodjes. Generally, two slices of bread (or perhaps a roll) filled with a couple of slices of Gouda cheese. All washed down with a glass of milk. Not that there’s anything wrong with this prandial tradition – it’s arguably what’s been making the Dutch so tall in recent generations. And I love a good Gouda as much as... More >

Funeral, bike, dentistry, personal liability – the Dutch, you cannot have failed to notice, are very fond of insurance. In fact it has been said that the average person,  has eight different types. Here are 12 to choose from. Health insurance (zorgverzekering) This is the one everyone is required to have by law. The government determines the basic make up of the policy and insurance companies compete on price and conditions, such as free choice of healthcare provider. Expect to... More >

Amanda van Mulligen is British born but calls the Netherlands home. On her blog Turning Dutch, she writes about all aspects of life in the Netherlands. In her latest post, she takes a satirical look at the state of Covid-19 in the Netherlands.  Last week we found a coronavirus flyer in our mailbox. The flyer contains Dutch coronavirus ‘facts’ and counterarguments for measures taken against the spread of the virus. It looks like the viruswaarheid movement has found itself some followers... More >

We’ve a very varied package of suggestions to keep you entertained this September, from Shakespeare to moonlight walks, Syrian artists and gargoyles. Take an art break at Schiphol Anyone having to linger at Schiphol airport could do worse than to banish thoughts of coronavirus by visiting the small annex of the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum there. Among the restful offerings to meet the anxious travellers’ eye are the atmospheric land and cityscapes of Dutch 19th century realists such as Jozef Israël, Anton... More >

Universities all around the world are facing one of the most difficult academic years in history. Here’s how Leiden University, the oldest in the Netherlands, has been dealing with the Covid crisis. Every August like clockwork, a gigantic fort made of beer crates materialises in a parking lot across the street from the A.L.S.V. Quintus building. It’s one of the most common sights during Leiden University’s EL CID, the name given to its annual multi-week introductory event for thousands of... More >

On a winter’s day just before Christmas in 2008, the Royal Dutch Rescue Society received a call-out to a boat that had broken down on the Markermeer lake, around six miles north-east of Amsterdam. The crew dropped anchor while they waited to be rescued, and when they pulled the weight back up again they found a piece of aircraft machinery attached. It was the first piece of a wartime puzzle that would take 12 years to piece together. More than... More >

Since 2019, a fearless team of Leiden University students and other local residents have been dedicated to removing and studying the random stuff that winds up in the city’s waterways. A strange leather vest. A tea kettle. A Troll doll with a scuba mask. These are just three of the unusual items Plastic Spotter’s team has retrieved from Leiden’s canals during their weekly boating treks. Far more common are cigarette butts, plastic bags, and random detritus from a certain indomitable... More >

The lockdown may be over, but we are continuing our very own inburgering course over the summer. Lesson 19: Seven Dutch artists Dutch artists were pioneers of artistic techniques and evolving aesthetics long before Dutch designers took centre stage in the 20th century. Here is our list of seven key artists who had a major impact on the art world. Pieter Bruegel The Elder  (1525-1569) Period: Flemish Renaissance Born in Breda, Bruegel lived in France and Italy before settling in Antwerp... More >

­A circular innovation hub housed in a former swimming pool, Rotterdam’s BlueCity is setting trends in the Dutch sustainability scene. The aim is to prove that waste, be it a building or coffee grounds, is a useful resource. A visit to BlueCity begins with a sensorial experience: the building smells better than the finest cosmetics shop. A fresh mixture of fruity and herbal scents penetrates every corner. ‘Today one of our entrepreneurs is making soap,’ explains BlueCity’s communications manager Diana... More >

The lockdown may be over, but we are continuing our very own inburgering course over the summer. Here’s a list of nine great Dutch reads in translation to expand your literary horizons. The Dinner by Herman Koch Novelist Herman Koch’s fifth novel takes place in a well-known Amsterdam restaurant (a thinly disguised De Kas) popular with the upwardly mobile. Two brothers and their wives meet for dinner and as the evening wears on some very unsavoury truths emerge. The book... More >

  Amsterdive is a personal blog where Ana V. Martins writes about all things Amsterdam, art and culture, and her experiences as a local / foreigner. She aims to promote different artistic scene(s), sustainable ways of living, as well as bringing people together. On wet weekend days, when museums and cafes get swamped by people, and all I crave is a calm, culturally-stimulating place: that’s when I typically end up at the Stadsarchief. Getting to the City Archives by bike... More >

The lockdown may be over, but we are continuing our very own inburgering course over the summer. Lesson 17: ‘games’ involving animals The Spanish chase bulls in the streets, with or without their horns on fire, the Brits used to stuff ferrets down their trousers and the Belgians swallow live fish, all in the name of tradition. So what do the Dutch do to animals for a bit of ‘harmless’ fun? Here’s a few examples, past and present. Zwintie tikken... More >