AboutSteven Kleid Expertise If you are planning a trip to The Netherlands and would like some information on places (like the official witches` scales) that most tourists never hear about, I would be happy to provide a few suggestions from my 3 years in that beautiful little country. Here`s one right off the bat: Don`t limit yourself to Amsterdam!
Experience I was stationed there for 3 1/2 years, as the principal Public Affairs officer for the U.S. Air Force. In 1998 I received a citation from the United States Ambassador to The Netherlands for "...significant contributions to the fostering of friendship between the peoples of The Netherlands and the United States."
Expert: Steven Kleid Date: 4/28/2008 Subject: parks
Question Hello,
I am visiting Holland soon to visit the parks. Do you have contact details for the parks department in the city?
Answer I don't know about parks departments, and in any event you didn't mention which city you're interested in, but I would recommend checking with the VVV, which is the Dutch equivalent of our AAA. I do have some recommendations of my own, however:
Go to www.goholland.com and you will find hotels, attractions, and just about anything you need to know. You can also get information on most of the things I will mention in this message.
In Amsterdam, the first thing to do is take a tour boat ride. Take a city map with you, and mark the location of things that interest you as the boat passes them. Then you can go back after the boat ride. The Anne Frank House, for example, is one of the most popular attractions in A'dam.
Not far from Amsterdam, in Lisse, is the world-famous Keukenhof Gardens. It is one open for several weeks in the Spring, so if you'll be in Holland during that time don't miss it!
Public transportation is excellent in Holland, so whatever you can't walk to in the city (or country) you cen get to by bus, trolley or train. For museums in the city, the two most famous are the Rijksmuseum and the van Gogh Museum. Both are great museums, and I highly recommend them (assuming you're looking for culture and not just Heineken). Speaking of Heineken beer, the brewery is near the Rijksmuseum, and they have an excellent tour, with samples.
Of course, the famous Amsterdam Red Light District is worth seeing. Be careful about taking pictures of the women and windows, though, as they don't like it. I'm not saying don't do it, but don't be conspicuous about it.
Frankly, my favorite museum is in Utrecht, a short train ride from A'dam. It is the Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement (Music Boxex to Street Organs). It is a short walk from the Utrecht train station, and is relatively small (the tour takes about an hour), but they demonstrate dozens of fascinating mechanical music devices and it is well worth the time. See www.museumspeelklok.nl, and click on the little British flag for English text.
Not far from Utrecht (if you can get transportation) is de Haar Castle, one of the most beautiful in Europe (www.kasteeldehaar.nl), and in the small town of Oudewater, between Utrecht and Gouda, you can get weighed on the historic Witches Scales and get a ertificate proving you are not a witch (www.heksenwaag.nl, click on British flag for English language). By the way, that certificate is a
wonderful souvenir, and the scales are part of history, not just a tourist attraction. They go back to the Spanish Inquisition.
There is another tourist town, called Volendam, north of A'dam, that is picturesque, but is purely tourist. The thing I really enjoy there is the small photo shops, where you can dress in traditional Dutch costumes, complete with wooden shoes, and have your picture taken in an old Dutch living room setting.
Another interesting museum, further outside of Amsterdam, is the
Kroller-Muller Museum, which specializes in van Gogh and his more modern contemporaries. For more info get on the GoHolland website, click on Amsterdam, then Museums, then Other Museums, and you will see the link to Kroller-Muller. It is in a large park).
There are, of course, many other things to see and do in Holland. These are just some of my favorites. Browse through the Goholland website and you'll see lots more.
But in my opinion, the best thing about this little country is its people, most of whom speak English (and Dutch and French and German), and almost all of whom genuinely like Americans.
Have a great time!
Steve
PS: Almost forgot. Find a good restaurant for pannekoeken. These are large crepes (pancakes) with almost any kind of topping you can imagine. I happen to like apples, cinnamon and powdered sugar. This, by the way, is dinner, not breakfast. Also ask for a good Indonesian restaurant and try Rijsstaffel (don't let the "j" in Dutch words fool you. It is pronounced like our "y". This is a dish of white rice surrounded by small dishes of various goodies, which you mix with the rice. It's one of the Dutch peoples' favorite things.
