Heading off on summer holiday? Here’s a list of 10 great Dutch reads in translation to take with you. 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 narrator  is disillusioned and deeply cynical former teacher Paul. Although he and his wife... More >

If an exotic foreign holiday is a bit beyond your budget this year and you’re still digging around for something closer to home, then look no further: Esther O’Toole has dug up some hidden treasures for you. Feather Down Get unwired and back in touch with a simpler way of living. Feather Down (in Dutch, Het BoerenBed) has a variety of working farm locations geared up for guests who still want comfort when they’re in the great outdoors. If you... More >

Anne Frank and her diary are a symbol of the Holocaust, but many other children also went into hiding and some survived World War II. Anne Frank has become both a symbol of the Holocaust and of the city of Amsterdam, attested to by book sales, film rights, and an annual figure of over one million visitors to the Anne Frank house on the Prinsengracht. Yet the story of Anne Frank is not the definitive Holocaust story.  An estimated 28,000... More >

On June 6, 1964, in an auction hall in the Dutch village of Blokker, four musicans played two concerts – each lasting only about 25 minutes – and caused a national sensation, writes Tracy Brown Hamilton. It was the second stop of the Beatles’ first world tour, which was nearly cancelled when drummer Ringo Starr fell ill in London a few days earlier and was unable to travel. Beatlemania had hit the Netherlands. By that June, the Beatles had already... More >

Childhood memories, art and engineering come together in the new Lego exhibition in Amsterdam, writes Ana McGinley. Ever wondered what Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring would look like if it was created out of Lego? How about Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, Michelangelo’s David or da Vinci’s Mona Lisa? Opening in Amsterdam this week is The Art of Brick – an exhibition showcasing the work of American artist Nathan Sawaya, an ex-corporate lawyer, who has successfully tackled these artistic... More >

Blog Netherlands by Numbers has been looking at why the Dutch are so good at field hockey – ahead of the World Cup which takes place in The Hague over the next two weeks. Forget Brazil and the football. The hockey World Cup kicks off in The Hague on Saturday – both the men and the women’s competitions. There are 15 different countries taking part – 12 teams in each competition – and the Dutch women are hot favourites to... More >

With the Easter holidays and other school breaks coming up, Esther O’Toole has some suggestions to keep your offspring amused.     With the Easter and May holidays ahead, how can you make sure the kids are exhausted enough to fall into bed and leave you alone with a bottle of red wine and left-over chocolate? If you are in Amsterdam, why not start off over the long Easter weekend with Nemo’s High Tea on April 20 and 21? Food... More >

The Orange Grove initiative is a Dutch-Greek start-up which aims to stem the brain drain and reduce youth unemployment, writes Maria Vasileiou. It might sound like an initiave to stimulate citrus farmers in Greece, but Orange Grove is actually a start-up incubator in Athens launched with the help of Dutch money. At the flexible workspace of Orange Grove, a typical example of crowd funding initiated by the Dutch embassy in Athens, around 80 young Greek and Dutch entrepreneurs get together,... More >

Cycle along past the most important places in King Willem-Alexander’s life and enjoy some unique Dutch scenery at the same time! After over a hundred years of rule by queens, Holland has a king once more. To commemorate this milestone, Cycle Trips Holland has launched a truly royal cycling route. You can peddle in the footsteps of the new Dutch king, past all the important places in his life and see some beautiful, typically Dutch landscapes too. The King’s Route... More >

As the Wassenaar Brandweermuseum prepares to celebrate the man behind the modern fire hose, Tracy Brown Hamilton discovers the impact of his invention. On July 6, 1652, Amsterdam’s fire brigade fought in vain to save the Old Town Hall on Dam Square. All contemporary fire-fighting methods were employed: buckets of water, long poles to pull down burning walls and wet tarpaulins to throw over nearby buildings. The fire spread so quickly that nothing but a smoking tower remained. The scene... More >