Rick produces a public television series (Rick Steves Europe), a public radio show (Travel with Rick Steves), and an app and podcast (Rick Steves Audio Europe); writes a bestselling series of guidebooks and a nationally syndicated newspaper column; organizes guided tours that take thousands of travelers to Europe … Herring vendor: In Amsterdam we cut it in pieces. Here they're portrayed as if they control the globe. see our FAQ. Before posting, please read our Community Guidelines. ▲▲ Rotterdam Europe’s busiest port with soaring skyscraper architecture and 21st-century buzz. Even with impressive dikes already in place, the Dutch are moving mountains of sand and mud to fortify … Haarlem's towering organ has been giving worship here an inspirational soundtrack since 1738. One more pull. Posted on July 26, 2014 July 25, 2014 by Rick Steves The Netherlands Big and Small: Rotterdam and Marken For our new Netherlands TV show, we’re going big and we’re going small — from minuscule Marken to muscular Rotterdam. What was the work it did? But if your Dutch travels are part of a much wider-ranging trip, a Global Pass might well pan out (just keep in mind that extra seat-reservation fees are required on the region's high-speed Thalys trains). Pondering group portraits above the mantle, you can imagine the influence and the wealth of these tycoons. Along the way, we enjoy charming towns … This table setting is laid out as if it was the home of a wealthy person here in Delft. GBH 44. That's it. Those were the days! Netherlands. Get inspired with Rick Steves’ recommended places to go and things to do, with tips, photos, videos, and travel information on the Netherlands. By Rick Steves. Built where the big river meets the sea, the Maeslant Storm Surge Barrier is an amazing engineering project. ▲ Leiden Historic, charming college town that was the Pilgrims’ last stop before Plymouth Rock. Title Author Replies Last Post ; Tipping hotel housekeepers: mfkohn: 18: 09/22/19 02:38 PM: Delft to Belgium: Jessie: 3: 09/21/19 … In its day this cannon warned villagers of a high tide. 4.7 out of 5 stars. Captain: The purpose is a fishing boat, it's a working boat. Rick Steves' Europe is public television's most-watched, longest-running travel series. Rather than fight the sea, here people play in it. We'll cruise through a mighty port, go for an old-fashioned sail, and visit the ultimate flower market. And here at the Aalsmeer flower auction, it's clear: flowers are big business in Holland. The town gate, no longer needed as part of its fortification, welcomes all into a delightful Old Town. I'm standing on reclaimed land, 12 feet below sea level. They witness millions of dollars in the trafficking of flowers. Post questions and answers about travel in the Netherlands. It's Thursday, and that means market day in Delft. Like our other Pocket … Excerpted from the Rick Steves Amsterdam and the Netherlands g… For centuries, the Dutch built windmills. And then we eat it with the Dutch flag. … Rick: Hello. A centerpiece of most Dutch cities is the church. Rick: And in Amsterdam? Is this — people say this is a healthy thing to eat. When the Dutch broke away from Spain and the Catholic Church in the 1600s, they established an independent Protestant republic. With a harbor tour, you can appreciate its immensity. Back in the 17th century the Dutch East India Company, which did business in ports around the world, was, in a way, the first great multi-national corporation. ▲▲ Delft Picturesque hometown of Vermeer and Delftware with college-town vibe — a good base for day-tripping to The Hague and Rotterdam. To catch the desired amount of wind, millers, like expert sailors, know just how much to unfurl the sails — or furl them back — as necessary. These Dutchmen worked hard and were proud of it. Located in the town of Hoorn, this museum — with a curiosity cabinet, still lifes, devotional art, city bigwig group portraits, and elegantly furnished living rooms and a kitchen — takes the art and heritage of the Rijksmuseum and the Dutch Masters and puts it in the context of a real town and Golden Age community. Delft has two grand churches that hold tombs of prominent local residents. Post questions and answers about travel in the Netherlands. ▲ Flevoland Intriguing province reclaimed from the sea featuring Schokland, a former fishing village now surrounded by dry land. Ellen leads Rick Steves tours in the Netherlands and Belgium and offers trip planning for those countries as well as Dutch language lessons. In one corner, people are living as if still in a remote fishing village back in 1905. Crewman: How are we doing, Captain? After mighty Rotterdam, the tiny but historic port of Hoorn (a couple of hours to the north) seems quaint. Cheese monger: Um, about four to six weeks. The Netherlands is small — smaller than West Virginia — and the most densely populated country in Europe. Delftware is famous all around the world. Exploring the park, you enjoy intimate slices of life from old Holland. The blacksmith pounds his iron…in his wooden clogs. Start a New Topic. Hi, I'm Rick Steves, back with more of the best of Europe. But in its day, it was one of six trading cities that joined forces to create the Dutch East India Company. He's also a sommelier … Every day from this building, 20 million flowers are shipped, destined to make someone's day. Dutch society was a merchant society, and now artists worked for a new kind of customer…. My Account. Along the way, we enjoy charming towns with … Rick: Let's have it Amsterdam style, please. On weekends, children enjoy trying out old-time games, playing at the dress-up chest, and making sailing ships out of old wooden shoes. Start a New Topic. Post questions and answers about travel in the Netherlands. The port handles 35,000 ocean-going vessels each year — that's almost a hundred ships a day. In its auction halls, hundreds of wholesalers bid on trainloads of flowers as they roll by. I know that because I picked up a handful of dirt and it came with some shells, and this marks sea level according to the official Amsterdam measure…zero. Get a bird's-eye view of the huge Dutch flower industry in this cavernous building where the world's flower prices are set. Captain: At Sunday they went to church, of course, and they started on Monday morning, and they came back at Friday evening. Written and hosted by best-selling guidebook author Rick Steves, each half-hour show takes viewers to Europe's most interesting places, from great cities to off-the-beaten-path discoveries. Explore the Netherlands! With the comfort of knowing Dutch engineers are keeping the sea at bay, my favorite days in Holland are spent below sea level, in its quaint and picturesque corners. Before posting, please read our Community Guidelines. Rick Steves Pocket Amsterdam works best for people taking a short trip, or perhaps a return trip, to Amsterdam — and not venturing beyond it. Add to favorites: Description By train, bike, and boat, we visit the top Dutch sights outside of Amsterdam: from Haarlem to Rotterdam, and from Delft to the Zuiderzee. Over the centuries, these little canals shipped out countless barge loads of the town's famed earthenware. By Rick Steves Are rail passes a good value for the Netherlands? Much of it once covered by the sea, it was encircled by dikes and dams and then drained. See the Travel Details above for recommendations highlighted in bold, excerpted from Rick's guidebooks. Rolling through the Netherlands and connecting with its people, you can't help but think, \ 7:00am - Wednesday, December 9, 2020. Rick: Five days out, two men in this ship? Rooms of historic Delftware show off this art. Today the old barges are retired, and many are permanently moored in front of cafés and restaurants for outdoor dining. Post questions and answers about travel in the Netherlands. And flood protection requires more than massive dikes. Add to favorites: Description By train, bike, and boat, we visit the top Dutch sights outside of Amsterdam: from Haarlem to Rotterdam, and from Delft to the Zuiderzee. It was tough on the fishing industry, but, overall, good for the people. Netherlands. Everything we'll see is within an hour of Amsterdam. Are these fresh? Herring vendor: You already are, but now you're better. Do you want onions and pickles with it? Here, some business leaders close a deal. And you can also watch a video clip related to this story: Just visit Rick Steves Classroom Europe and search for polder.) Starring Rick Steves Genres Documentary, Special Interest Subtitles English [CC] Audio languages English. Famous for both their frugality and their foresight, the Dutch are investing billions of euros as climate change makes its costly impact felt on sea-level communities here and around the globe. This is polder land. And this is actually raw? While this was great for freedom, it was a crisis for painters — no more wealthy bishops and art-loving kings to commission grand works of art. ©2020 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | This one earns its keep by hiring out to visitors…and, in the case of this motley crew, putting them to work. In its 17th-century Golden Age, Dutch traders established a global economy — and funded a culturally rich society back home. Rick Steves' Europe. Quirky highlights of the church include a replica of Foucault's pendulum, the "Dog-Whipper's Chapel," and a 400-year-old cannonball. Rick Steves' Europe. To get the flowers out as fresh as possible, everything happens fast, including the bidding. Cordon off sections of the shallow sea with hundreds of miles of dams and dikes like this. gracialynne: 32: 10/04/17 11:58 PM: Hotel de Leydsche Hof Amsterdam: Craig: 3: 10/03/17 … A few of these venerable boats survive. Traveling here, it's easy to see how the Netherlands is a lot like its people: efficient, a good balance of old and new, hard work and fun, innovation and tradition. ▲ Keukenhof and Aalsmeer Flower-power destinations with fabulous tulip gardens (Keukenhof, open only in spring) and famous floral auction scene (Aalsmeer). The people here claim if you stand on a chair you can see all across their country. Top positive review. Before posting, please read our Community Guidelines. The building that houses the museum is perfectly suited for its task, dating from the 1630s, with a distinctive, ornate facade. Be sure to venture beyond Amsterdam — take advantage of the efficient train network, which puts nearly every Dutch destination within an easy day trip. Netherlands. For coronavirus (COVID-19) travel information, For coronavirus (COVID-19) travel information, The leaning church, just down the canal…not so much. Towering over the square is the church, with its brick steeple rocketing skyward. And for 700 years, the Dutch have developed their expertise at keeping this country dry. Rent a bike and cruise the flat countryside. Consider attending — even just part of — a concert to hear the Oz-like pipe organ (regular free concerts Tue at 20:15 mid-May–mid-Oct, additional concerts Thu at 16:00 July–Aug). Netherlands. Haarlem's Grote Kerk, or "great church," towers over the market square as if to bless all the business that takes place below. Locals say that while the money is spent in Amsterdam…it's made here in Rotterdam. …and you see it today as you explore. Merchants. We'll sail what was the Zuiderzee, blocked off by long dams, explore characteristic towns from Delft to Rotterdam and Haarlem to Marken, with lots in between. Lekker en gezond! A Message from Rick | Frequently Asked Questions. Inside, you find a towering Gothic nave, which was whitewashed and purged of its Catholic ornamentation when the Reformation arrived in 1566. Thanks for joining us! With the bland cuisine of Europe back then, you can imagine the demand for these new, exotic spices. Rick: What is the normal way? Small frescoed sections, revealed when the whitewash was cleaned off, show how the entire church was originally decorated. Royal Delft, the oldest surviving workshop — established back in the 1600s — welcomes visitors to drop in and see how it's made. Just down the street, Haarlem's top museum features the work of its most famous son: the great portrait artist Frans Hals. Rick Steves has spent 100 days every year since 1973 exploring Europe. Rick Steves Netherlands Audio Tours provide humorous and insightful commentary on the art and history of many of the Netherland's most notable museums and historic sites. Over a thousand survive, and many still work. Rick Steves Amsterdam & the Netherlands › Customer reviews; Customer reviews. Buses and trains seem to go everywhere all the time. Herring vendor: Raw fish. We're sailing to the fishing village of Marken in a traditional fishing boat. I'm standing below sea level. ▲ Hoorn and Enkhuizen Time-warp duo of the Golden-Age merchant’s town of Hoorn and charming village of Enkhuizen, with an open-air museum that preserves lost Zuiderzee culture. Herring vendor: That's fresh, it's now herring season. 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