Travel ideas for Netherlands - unique sights, worth Guinness records

Every year at the end of April the Dutch celebrate the "most orange" festival on the planet - Queen's Day. The date of the event varies from year to year and falls on the 29th and 30th of April. The symbolic significance and grand scales are the main features of the huge party. The festivities are dedicated to Juliana, the ex-Queen of the Netherlands. It is also the day of national unity. This beautiful holiday, which has long received the status of important international event, is very symbolic and traditional.
Orange clothes is ‘’a must’’. Many sew their own costumes. Such outfits are distinguished by originality and extravagance. The owners of domestic animals sew festive outfits for their pets. The hugest party across the whole country includes a variety of entertainments. Performances of street actors, live music and special festivities are combined with the market in the streets.
The Queen’s Day is an occasion to trade all possible things. Very often in the street markets you can buy unique antiques and works of art. The most extensive festivities are traditionally held in Amsterdam. As the city centre is overcrowded, no transport is possible there. Thousands of visitors have to walk. Plenty of interesting decorations and orange clothing, exciting street performances and markets that stretch for several kilometres are really worth visiting and enjoying. ... Complete sights collection

In the Netherlands there is the incredibly beautiful and interesting castle on the water - Muiderslot, which is located in the surroundings of Amsterdam. The castle is situated on the mouth of the river Vechte and was built, according to some assumptions, in the second half of the 13th century. The construction was of great commercial importance. During more than 700 years the place for the collection of the taxes of ships, which went to Utrecht. Until the 17th century, the construction lost its strategic importance. The palace served as the residence of Peter Hoft, ruler of Amsterdam.
Its name is one of the most interesting stages of the history of the castle. Peter Hoft was interested in the literature and therefore made the majestic castle a literary salon. Outstanding writers and poets, including Jacobs Kats and Bredero have visited the castle. Among the other well-known guests is the world-famous painter Maria Tesselschade Visscher. At this period, the magnificent gardens on the castle's dungeon, which inspired many writers.
Already a century later, there was no trace of the fine, exquisite atmosphere prevailing in the castle. The gardens were destroyed and the castle was converted into prison. In the 20th century the historical building was restored. Today the castle is a branch of the Amsterdam State Museum. Recently, the unusual medieval-style attractions were arranged in the palaces. All visitors can try on the ancient armor or costume of the court jester, learn to deal with the old weapons. In the small courtyard you can enjoy the aristocratic entertainment - participate in the falcon hunting. ... Complete sights collection

In the Netherlands there is the unique house that can not be found in any other country in the world. The house with the original name God's Loftstory was set up in the empty building of the old church. The best specialists of the design studio Zecc Architecten have worked on his project. The original house is located in the church on the territory of the picturesque province of Gelderland. During the reconstruction of the building, its external appearance has remained unchanging.
The church is also today one of the most striking historical sights of the region. Around them was the picturesque landscaped garden, which was the home of the snow-white figures of the cute little flocks, which are still a landmark in the region. In the design of the building, many original elements of the church were preserved, including the high narrow windows with the stained glass windows and the ceilings with the wooden supports, the stone elements and the parquet floor.
In the room design of the house, the white color prevails, which makes the atmosphere very quiet and warm. Thanks to the numerous huge windows, the house is always well lit, and the variety of the plants harmonizes with the surrounding picturesque nature. The interior of the original house is not rich in the accessories, the spacious rooms were furnished with the stylish design furniture of the bright colors. Many decor elements are made of precious wood, which is still a reminder of the old traditions. ... Complete sights collection

Many tourists know the Erasmus Bridge, located in Rotterdam under the unofficial name 'Swan Bridge'. The author of the design of the unique bridge on the Meuse river is the architect Ben van Berkel. Its talent and boundless imagination have created the unusual outline and the recognizable exterior shape of the bridge. The bridge, whose extension is 802 meters, was opened in 1996. For more than 15 years it has been the longest drawbridge in the world.
The main feature of the bridge is the high fine support, whose outlines resemble the neck of the graceful swan. The height 'of the neck' is 139 meters. In the evening, the support is decorated with the impressive festive lighting. The longest drawbridge in the world has one more interesting feature - Erasmus Bridge is one of the finest and lightest bridges on earth. The bridge thickness is only two meters.
The construction of the bridge cost more than 163 million euros. Queen Beatrix took part in the ceremonial opening ceremonies. Since the opening, the bridge has 'an active social and cultural life'. The director and main actor Jackie Chan has the bridge as the shooting location of the series 'Who am I?' Filmes in 1998 was chosen. In 2005 the concert of the world famous DJ Tiesto took place on the background of the beautiful bridge. The Erasmus Bridge is one of the landmarks of modern Rotterdam, connecting the city center with one of the newest and most active districts - Kop van Zuid. ... Complete sights collection

Efteling amusement park is one of the most remarkable and fabulous sites in the Netherlands. Every year, thousands of people choose Efteling as a place for family reunion. 'The main inhabitants' of the magnificent park are fairies, dwarves, elves and magicians. The park is characterized not only by a lot of the attractions, but also by the exclusive decorations. In the park there is the very beautiful castle and the numerous sculptures of the mythical figures. The unique landscape makes the park particularly magical.
The park was opened in 1952. Its founder is the well-known decorator Anton Pieck. It was his idea to turn the traditional amusement park into a strange fairy-tale land that would definitely please the followers of the work of Charles Perrault and Hans Christian Andersen. The masterfully cultivated flower beds, the alleyways surrounded by the slender trees, the tiny ponds with lilies - the rest in the park is a must for the dreamers and artists.
For the guests who like the breathtaking and active entertainments, there are more than 30 attractions, including 5 roller coasters. The interesting attractions can also be found in the 'house with the ghosts'. The realistic attraction 'the Land of Dreams' will please the small park guests. As a legend tells, Walt Disney visited the Efteling Park shortly after the opening. The magical atmosphere of the park has inspired him to found Disneyland. ... Complete sights collection

The guests of Amsterdam have a unique opportunity to visit the Museum of Marijuana. Such a facility can hardly be imagined in any other city in the world. The museum was opened in 1991. Its founder was Ben Dronkers, for whom the breeding of hemp became the life-work. Visitors to the museum will learn that hemp is one of the oldest grasses on the planet, which has long been applied.
The hemp was used for cooking, from this grass the remedies were made of many diseases and even fabric and paper. The large collection of exhibits illustrates this remarkable fact: in the museum one can see the old medical books and recipes, the beautiful clothes and even the old Heupräparate. Part of the exposure is dedicated to 'the smoke side of the question'. Here is a rich collection of old pipes, shisha and other smoking accessories presented.
Some museum rooms are dedicated to breeding the exhibits - here the various hemp varieties cultivated by the museum staff grow. Since 2003, the large and constantly updated collection of exhibits has been located in the new building, not far from Dam Square. Today, the museum's guests can see more than 6,000 unique exhibits. Although the theme of the museum is quite contradictory and controversial, the numerous tourists have been receiving it for several years. It must be borne in mind that the children under 13 years of age can visit the museum of marijuana free of charge, but only accompanied by adults. ... Complete sights collection

In the Netherlands, in the town of Halsteren, the unusual bridge was built during the reconstruction of the old castle, which was later called 'Bridge Moses'. This beautiful wooden bridge does not extend across the river, but literally chipped its water. It is not surprising that the origin of the bridge was associated with the well-known biblical motif. It was decided to call the bridge to the honorary Prophet Moses, who once made the waters of the Red Sea sit before him.
The originality of the bridge, which is not far from Fort Fort de Roover, is that it was built deeper than water level. The designers of the project of the unusual bridge were the architects from known studios RO & AD. They have designed the design of the building so as to minimize the natural harmony in picturesque landscape. The strange 'bridge Moses' has so arranged itself into the natural landscape, that it is quite invisible from some angles of view.
With due regard for the specific peculiarity of the bridge, the building material was specially selected for this purpose. Accoya wood was preferred, the duration of use of the bridge in the water should be at least 50 years. The unusual bridge built in 2011 was awarded several prestigious architectural prizes and became very popular among tourists. The general area of ​​the bridge is relatively small and forms about 50 square meters. The bridge construction cost about 250,000 euros. ... Complete sights collection

At first glance at the remarkable construction of Slauerhoff Bridge, one can hardly guess that it is a full and irreplaceable bridge. The unusual bridge is located in the city Leeuwarden and consists of a square platform 15 x 15 meters, which is equipped with the lifting mechanism. For the city dwellers, the unusual bridge is considered a true landmark. The lower part of the platform is colored yellow and blue. So are the colors of the flag and the coat of arms of the city.
The drawbridge was named in honor of the well-known poet Jan Jacob Slauerhoff, who was born in Leeuwarden and has made the tiny town famous all over the world. The people with the lush imagination compare the bridge construction with the dredger. The bridge built over the river Harlinger is lifted up to ten times a day. And the lift-off takes only a few minutes.
The locals call the ultramodern and fast Slauerhoff a 'flying' bridge. When lifted, the bridge platform hangs above the nearby autostrada. With regard to such a complicated location, it is very important that the bridge be quickly lifted and lowered so as not to interfere with ship and car traffic. Along the Autostraße is the large footpath. This is an ideal place to look at Slauerhoff Bridge and to make the beautiful photos on their background. ... Complete sights collection

A lot of beautiful and unusual bridges can be seen in Amsterdam. Among them, the python bridge or the snake-shaped bridge must be mentioned above all. The distinctive name of the bridge perfectly reflects its primary particularity. The metal bridge is characterized by the unusual serpentine shape. The bridge is equipped with beautiful railings with a lot of scarlet threads, which makes the figure even more attractive.
The bridge connecting Borneo Island with the Sporenburg Peninsula was opened in 2001. The bridge is located in the center of Amsterdam, next to the striking historical monuments. The workers of the architectural office West 8 decided a few years ago to refresh the center of the city and built this strange high-tech bridge, which reminds of the huge winding python.
The color of the bridge was chosen by chance and has no particular symbolic character. Within a few years 'Python' Bridge became a must for many excursion programs through Amsterdam and attracts not only the curious tourists, but also the construction workers from different countries. Like the other bridges of Holland, 'Python' is very solid and secure. Only high-strength steel was used during the construction of the bridge ... Complete sights collection

In the western part of the Netherlands is the picturesque village of Lisse, where the extensive tangle fields have been used for many years. The travelers who visit this strange area in the period from March to August have an excellent opportunity to graze in the colorful and magical landscapes.
The extensive plantations of tulips of different colors grow on the huge surface. For a few months of the year the beautiful flowers color the fields in all rainbow colors. The plantations look particularly beautiful from the bird's perspective. The tulips of different varieties form the specific geometric shapes on the earth and intertwine into a huge abstract drawing.
In total, more than three billion flowers are planted annually on plantations. Almost all flowers grown on plantations are exported to the other countries. Tourists traveling to Lisse can visit the beautiful plantations as part of a bus excursion. The followers of the more original entertainments, prefer to enjoy the colorful landscape during the helicopter excursion. From the height you can appreciate the size of the plantations and their harmonious shape. ... Complete sights collection