Travel Archives - Page 3 of 9

Photoshop montage featuring the Lower House benches occupied by ordinary Dutch couple Sander and Sonja, an empty chair with Klaas Dijkhoff's name plate, Dick Advocaat, a bag of money and a portrait of doubtful origin attributed to Rembrandt.

DutchNews podcast – The Tweede Derde Vierde Kamer Mint Edition – Week 5

It’s a high-stakes edition of the podcast as political parties are banned from receiving foreign donations, the government sees an €8 million Rubens painting go west and cyclists face €95 fines for using mobile phones. In sport, physiotherapists’ goldmine Robin van Persie leaves Ajax’s €75 million man chasing shadows in the Klassieker, while FC Utrecht call time on Dick Advocaat’s lucrative career. And we discuss whether the deal to grant amnesty for more child refugees to settle means Mark Rutte’s... More >

Further delays to Hook of Holland metro line could hit summer tourist season

The metro line to Hook of Holland will not be ready until May at the earliest because of further delays caused by computer problems. RTV Rijnmond reported on Tuesday that the deadline to install and test safety software for the RET trains at the end of last year had been missed. The delay raises fears among local businesses that the line will not be ready in time for the summer holiday season. The upgraded line from Schiedam was originally due... More >

Make the most of the Dutch countryside – a few winter walks

The Dutch are keen on walking and the countryside is riddled with signposted walks to encourage you to get out and about. Here’s a few suggestions to help you walk off the effect of all that festive food. De Rijp – 7 to 22 km The pretty village of De Rijp in Noord Holland is famous as a place to go boating, but it also offers several walks past tiny villages and, outside the breeding season, across fields into the... More >

Dutch Destinations: explore Utrecht from high up and from way down

DutchNews.nl destinations: Utrecht Located on the eastern edge of the Randstad, Utrecht is a picturesque city full of history and culture – if you avoid the hideous concrete area around the main railway station – that is. From the top of Dom Tower all the way down to its iconic canals, there’s no shortage of cafes, museums, and other attractions to keep you busy for a weekend trip or an entire lifetime. Human activity in and around Utrecht dates all... More >

DutchNews podcast – The George Soros Eye Shadow Palettes Edition – Week 49

As a round-the-clock deportation-busting church service draws the attention of the world’s media, Amsterdam calls time on the giant letters outside the Rijksmuseum, Dick Advocaat causes some ophef when he gets a time out in the referee’s room and Emile Ratelband is told he can’t turn the clock back on his passport. We also discuss why the Marrakesh pact to control migration has sparked a heated debate both in the Tweede Kamer and internationally. Ophef of the week: Intratuin’s packaged... More >

Dutch destinations: enjoy suikerbrood and sailing in Sneek

Most famous for its Sneek Week, a week long sailing competition and festival, the Frisian city of Sneek (Snits in West Frisian) has plenty to offer during the other 51 weeks of the year. Molly Quell goes north (again) to check out to eat more suikerbrood and see what the city has to offer. The area around Sneek has been inhabited since Roman times and received its city right in 1456, joining the other 10 Frisian cities that make up... More >

Union seeks injunction to stop Ryanair closing Eindhoven base

Aviation union FNV Luchtvaart is seeking an injunction to court to reverse Ryanair’s decision to close its base at Eindhoven airport on Monday and relocate staff abroad. The airline ceased operations and dismissed 16 cabin crew at the Dutch airport, where pilots have twice gone on strike this year in protest at changes to their pensions and other benefits. Last Thursday the district court in Den Bosch blocked the airline’s attempt to relocate 16 pilots who were based in Eindhoven... More >

DutchNews.nl destinations: get a taste of the south in Venlo

Venlo’s strategic position on the river Maas, right on the border of Germany and the Netherlands, has made it a travellers’ and merchants’ crossroads since Roman times, and a central point in the final battles of WW2. Esther O’Toole has been checking out this very southern Dutch town. The urban regeneration after the war has allowed Venlo to grow into a bustling city today with a strong local culture and sense of place. And despite the wartime damage, it managed... More >

Passengers ‘fuming’ as Schiphol baggage carousels go down for two hours

Air passengers flying in to Schiphol accused the airport’s management of leaving them in the dark after the baggage retrieval system went down for several hours. The carousels in Terminal 3 stopped rolling at around 8.30am as a result of a brief power failure. The system was restored at 10.30am, according to a spokesman for the airport. Passengers used social media to complain about the lack of communication from airport officials about why their bags were not being offloaded. Sam... More >

DutchNews.nl destinations: enjoy art and cream pastries in Den Bosch

Whether you call it Den Bosch or s-Hertogenbosch, the capital of North Brabant is a great place to spend a weekend. Its museums and quirky cafes are truly one of a kind. Here’s Brandon Hartley’s rundown on just a few of the city’s attractions. s-Hertogenbosch means ‘The Duke’s Forest’ in English but learning how to properly pronounce it if that’s your native language could take hours or longer. This is why many people opt to use ‘Den Bosch’, the city’s... More >

From heather fields to eagles – seven Dutch national parks to visit

The first national parks in the Netherlands were established in the 1930s and they now cover over 130,000 hectares nationwide. Esther O’Toole takes you on a tour through seven of the Netherlands’ natural treasure troves. If you have been led to believe that the natural landscapes of the Netherlands are flat, grey, largely rainy and agricultural then you have been mistaken. There are hills, dunes, forests and a beautiful coastline to explore; where you may encounter, wildlife as diverse as... More >

Blogwatching: Cycling through Limburg history (and a message to the countess)

Welcome to Waking Up on the Roof, where Kim Stokes share stories, thoughts and photos from her bicontinental life, her travels throughout Europe and Canada, and her road-trips in Electric-Blue, her trusty VW van. About two years ago I invested in a bike with battery power. Very un-Dutch, I know, but we live in a very un-Dutch part of the Netherlands. A hilly part. And since I bought that bike (and Arthur followed suit), we’ve been spending an increasing amount of... More >

The 10 quirkiest locations to eat dinner in Amsterdam

The Dutch have a long history of turning old buildings into something else. Think of the Kruisherenkerk (church) in Maastricht that is now a hotel. Or the old tram depot in Amsterdam that’s now the Foodhallen. So it’s no surprise that there are some weird and wonderful places to eat dinner in Amsterdam and its environs… Here are 10 of the quirkiest, for next time you feel like dinner with a difference: 1 Revolving office block: Moon When the old... More >