The weather outside may be frightful but, if you’re keen to escape the cabin fever of festivities and take the kids out to run off some energy then Esther O’Toole has ideas for you. She’s dug though Holland’s best seasonal activities for families to dig up some unusual and inspiring places to go this year. Amsterdam: Concertgebouw – sing along , Christmas concert and more December 20 sees the National Youth Choir arrive at the Concertgebouw for a special sing... More >

Like most other places where they celebrate Christmas, the Netherlands does tend to grind to a halt until the New Year. But what else should you be aware of about the festive season in the Low Countries? Here are 10 key things to know about Christmas in the Netherlands. Kerstpakket One of the joys of being employed by a Dutch company is the annual kerstpakket (Christmas hamper) distributed to staff in the days before the Christmas festivities. Around four million... More >

Looking for a restaurant in Amsterdam that is open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day (Tweede Kerstdag to some of you!)? DutchNews.nl’s favourite food blogger Amsterdam Foodie – aka Vicky Hampton – has some suggestions.     This isn’t an exhaustive list, but here are a few of the swankier places I’ve heard are open via various newsletters and press releases I receive. And it’s Christmas – so you want to go swanky, right? Incidentally, I’ve not actually been to all... More >

It hasn’t gone unnoticed that there has been quite a lot going on in the Dutch rental market in recent months. The commotion surrounding agency fees and who should pay who and for what has generated a lot of discussion in the media, among housing agencies, and at a local and national government level. For those involved in renting a property, listing a property or providing services, it has also been a period of uncertainty. Perfect Housing has been a... More >

Commonly referred to as Brabant, the province of Noord-Brabant attracts expatriates working in the high-tech industry and boasts a healthy economy. It might not be the obvious place for a day out, but Olivia van den Broek-Neri has plenty of suggestions. Also known as Den Bosch, ‘s-Hertogenbosch is the capital of Brabant and has retained the medieval character that continues to charm visitors. Begin your visit with a boat trip along the Binnendieze and discover the history of the former... More >

So you’ve got your degree, and you are ready to take that first or second step on your career ladder – but all the jobs you find that meet your profile are only open to an intern. Esther O’Toole takes a look at the minefield surrounding today’s internships.   ‘Is it just me, or is anyone else sick to death of seeing seven out of ten job ads asking for interns? […],’ wrote Leigh Cann, designer and curator at AfricanArtbeat.com, on... More >

As the cold weather sets in, an outing that fits perfectly with this festive period is taking the kids to visit the relatives at Amsterdam EXPO. That is, their long distant relatives – the Neanderthals – who, research suggests, make up a tiny part of most of us. The new EXPO show, Giants of the Age Ice, brings you face to face with the massive giant mammoth and the deadly saber-toothed cat as well as exploring what life was like... More >

If you are just setting up in business or have plans to take a leap towards entrepreneurship, the Netherlands has a great range of meeting places, networking and training schemes that you can dig into. Esther O’Toole has a few suggestions of where to look for the freshest inspiration.   Some 800,000 people in the Netherlands are now considered to be self-employed, or a ZZP’er. Amsterdam is busy repositioning itself away from tourist den of iniquity to creative international player,... More >

Have you ever sent out a frustrated comment on social media about plane delays, your lost luggage or the fact you are about to miss your flight? There is nothing worse than that sinking feeling you get when you realise your carefully planned trip is going wrong. So, Dutch flag carrier KLM has been helping passengers from other airlines in a five-day project to solve travellers’ problems all over the globe. The project, known as Happy to Help, was run... More >

Last week, the world’s first solar cycle paths were opened in Holland: ‘Starry Night’ near Eindhoven and SolaRoad in Krommenie. The cycle paths use two entirely different technologies to generate solar energy, but are solar cycle paths a crazy idea or the way forward? asks Holland-Cycling.com’s Hilary Staples. Starry Night near Eindhoven is both a functional cycle path and a work of art by Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde. It’s inspired by a painting by Vincent van Gogh. The opening of... More >

In both Dutch and English you can catch bulls by the horns and run around like headless chickens. Here is a list of 11 more popular Dutch phrases involving animals. Be poedelnaakt, or as naked as a poodle. Except the word nothing to do with poodles and comes from poedelen, or splashing about in the bath. Wash a pig. If someone says: Ik zal dat varkentje wel eens wassen they mean that they will tackle this job good and proper.... More >

Film makers Jelte Keur and Reinout van Schie say they were waiting 10 months for the perfect weather conditions to take this stunning footage of Utrecht’s Dom tower. The resulting film of the city’s cathedral tower surrounded in mist was taken earlier in November using a drone. The Dom is the tallest church spire in the Netherlands at 112.5 metres and was built between 1321 and 1382. The cathedral itself was never completed and collapsed in 1674, leaving the tower... More >

Okay. We all go through bad patches and we all want to go home at some point because the health service/weather/food/beaches/television/football is better there. But here are seven reasons to stay in the Netherlands 1. Holidays While most civilized countries (looking at you, America) offer 20 days of holiday a year, the Dutch are serious about taking it. They have mysterious extra holidays called ATV days. They get compensation for working public holidays. See seven holidays in three months. They... More >

In a departure from the 17th-century paintings that thousands of visitors flock to see every day, the Rijksmuseum unveils its newly refurbished Phillips Wing on 1 November with Modern Life, an exhibition of the museum’s 20th-century photography. The exhibition will run until 11 January. Although the museum has a collection of approximately 130,000 photographs, it has never displayed them in a large-scale show. But photography, according to co-curator Hans Rooseboom, has a rightful place in the art world. ‘The impact... More >