Netherlands Overview

A fascinating and free-thinking country, the Netherlands has brought us the masterpieces of Van Gough, Vermeer and Rembrandt. Cycle among tulips and windmills, stroll along picturesque canals and bridges, marvel at the gothic grandeur of Utrecht Cathedral and delight in discovering the array of Dutch cheese. All this and more awaits you in the Netherlands!

There is so much colour not only in the country’s cultural aspects but also in the land itself; beautiful expanses of greenery where you can literally see for miles due to the remarkably flat geography. Windmills, tulips and canals are everywhere you look and decorate the beautiful scenery with Dutch identity. This makes easy-going terrain for cycling and walking, plus opening up sweeping, vast skies that famous painters have sought to capture on canvas for centuries.

Amsterdam, the outstanding capital, is a partying city with so much culture to experience that people tend to spend longer here than a lot of other cities. Even towns such as The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht are instilled with a genuine buzz and unique charm. Outside the cities, you will find the bucolic countryside, as well as a number of stunning medieval towns and superb beach resorts. There is a wide variety of accommodation, ranging from very posh to cute and affordable.

Essentially, what the Netherlands offers is high culture in low land. Amsterdam alone enables you to delve through centuries of history aboard a canal boat or explore an impressive array of museums and galleries. So do as the locals do - grab a bike and explore! It's a marvellous country, full of salutary surprises.

The Netherlands has a mild climate with prevalent rainfall all year round. The summer months are reasonably warm, but hot weather is not very common. Wintertime is generally quite cold and snow can be expected.

Since the early Middle Ages, the region of the Low Countries had not only established itself as one of the most prosperous parts of Europe but also, paradoxically, as one of the most politically unstable. At various times, the ambitions of both the kings of France and the Holy Roman Emperors threatened to annex the region, although neither was powerful enough to permanently subdue the proud municipalities, which had grown up during the medieval period, largely as a result of the wool trade.

The Netherlands' roots in the arts stem from the 17th century, known as the Golden Age, which placed this tiny but rich country at the forefront of European culture. The gaining of the upper hand by imperial influence and the annexing of the Netherlands to the empire of the Hapsburgs in the 16th century resulted in the rebellion of the largely Protestant northern provinces of the Low Countries, led by William of Orange and Nassau. This struggle for Independence would last until 1648. This was compounded by a remarkable growth in Dutch sea power, as many Spanish and Portuguese possessions in the New World and East Asia were seized. This reached its peak in 1689 when William III of Orange became King of England, although the association was severed on his death in 1702.

William III of Orange's death portended the Netherlands' 18th century decline and its eventual absorption into Napoleon’s empire. The whole area of the Low Countries was briefly reunited (1814-30) and, in 1848, the constitution was amended, leaving the Monarch only limited powers. The Netherlands took no part in World War I but suffered badly as a result of the Nazi invasion of 1940.

Post-war Dutch diplomacy has concentrated on increasing European unity. The Dutch are enthusiastic Europeans and the EU is the main focus of Dutch foreign policy. Today, the Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral multiparty legislature.