Amsterdam

41,526 km²

UTC +1

Dutch, Frisian

Vaalserberg - 321 m

There have been many theories about the origins of the Dutch flag over the years. After much disagreement Queen Wilhelmina signed the shortest Royal decree ever: "The colors of the flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands are red, white and blue ". After World War II, more precise shades for the colors red, white and blue were specified: bright vermilion, bright white and cobalt blue.

The euro was introduced simultaneously in 12 European countries, as well as in Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City on 1 January 2002. This was the largest monetary exchange operation of all time. On the front of the note is a gate or window and a bridge on the back. These are all fictional. De euro replaces the Gulden.

Leiden, the name is derived from an old Dutch noun 'Leitha' (watercourse) that later became 'Lede'. In 1575, the city was given the oldest university in the Netherlands by William of Orange. The city arose as a village at the confluence of the Old and New Rhine. The oldest notation, around 860, mentioned the village of Leithon. In the Golden Age, Leiden was the second largest city in the Netherlands after Amsterdam. The old city center with canals, monumental buildings and courtyards, was completed in 1659. The most famous painter of the Netherlands, Rembrandt was born there.

After the French took the Sint-Pietersberg in 1673 in order to destroy the walls of the city, the military commander of Maastricht Daniel Wolff van Dopff decided to build a fortress there. The French commander of the siege in 1673 was Charles de Batz de Castelmore, Count of Artagnan. He was the first musketeer in the army of King Louis the 14th. When the musketeers stormed the city d'Artagnan, 62 years old, was killed at the Tongersepoort by a bullet to his throat. The fortress Sint Pieter was built in 1701-1702. A pentagon in defense of the southern fortress walls of Maastricht. In 1717, Tsar Peter the Great visited the fortress. The fortress was attacked from the rear by the French in 1794 during the siege by Kléber. At the beginning of the 19th century it has been radically modernized to meet the requirements of that time. It lost its defensive function after the closure of the stronghold Maastricht in 1867.

Berenschot's Watermill was built in 1652 and rebuilt in 1749. G.W. Berenschot bought the mill in 1911 and gave the mill its current name. After a major flood in 1960, the mill was out of use until 1984. A major restoration started from that year, and between 1988 and 1991 part of the building was furnished as a restaurant.

De Hoge Veluwe National Park: In the past, farmers let their sheep graze in this area. From 1909 to 1917 the wealthy businessman Anton Kröller started buying hunting grounds which he had surrounded by high fences. He became financially grounded in the early 1930s, after which the national government gave fundings to the new established Foundation National Park De Hoge Veluwe to buy the area. As a thank you, Anton donated his large art collection to the foundation. The collection can be seen in the museum in the park. The park is 54 km² in size and has three entrances: south, Otterlo and Hoenderloo. In general you will find many more cyclists than hikers.

With only 1500 ha, De Groote Peel is the smallest park in the Netherlands. A circular walk of 15 km shows almost everything in the park. Peat was mined here until 1964. The water features in the park were created by mechanical peat extraction. The park is located near the village of Ospel in the province of Limburg.

The Loonse and Drunense Duinen are one of the largest drifting sand areas in Western Europe. The park also includes a wet zone, De Brand. It can be very busy in the park. The park is located between Drunen and Loon op Zand.

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands and is located on the IJ and the estuary of the Amstel. The name Amsterdam is derived from a dam in the Amstel built in the 13th century. In the golden age (17th century) it became one of the most important port cities in the world. The city center of Amsterdam is located south of the IJ. The oldest area of the city is the Red Light District, 'de wallen'. Until the 17th century, the canals were formed around it. Amsterdam was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on August 1, 2010. Other attractions in Amsterdam include the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House.

Ravenstein was founded in 1360 by Walraven van Valkenburg. In 1735, the St. Lucia Church was built. It is the only Dutch church in Baroque style outside the province of Limburg.

Zutphen was founded as a Germanic settlement in Roman times. The place has been continuously inhabited for more than 1700 years and is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands. The name Zutphen originated from Zuid-venne, a river dune complex amid swampy pastures. Around 1195 Zutphen received city rights. In the 13th century it became a member of the Hanseatic League. The golden age of Zutphen was the 14th century. Many dozens of houses still date from this century from basement to roof. Places of interest include the Drogenap tower built 1444, the Burgundy tower built 1457, the Powder Tower in the early 14th century and the Spanish Gate.

The Veluwezoom was the first national park (1930). During the penultimate ice age, about 150,000 years ago, the glaciers pushed mountains of sand and gravel in front of them. During the last ice age, 60,000 to 11,000 years ago, the channels were formed. The park is located at Rheden in Gelderland. The lateral moraine walls are roughly in the line of Haarlem - Nijmegen. The largest are at the Utrechtse Heuvelrug and at Nijmegen.

The Duivelsberg near the village of Beek near Nijmegen is part of a lateral moraine (see Veluwezoom). The hill is 76 meters high and is on the border with Germany. The nature reserve covers approximately 125 Ha. The hill belonged to the German village of Wyler until 1949.

From 71 to 104, a Roman legion was stationed in a Castra (large fortress) at the location of Nijmegen. This fortress was built around a trading settlement called Noviomagus (new market). In Charlemain's era, the city was called Numaga. The city lies at the foot and on the lateral moraine. The city center was accidentally bombed by Allies during World War II. The city has a rich past which you can see in the countless beautiful facades in and around the city center.