The 30 YouTube movies I made about the Netherlands were the starting point for this book. These videos have gotten more than two million total viewings on YouTube, while attracting thousands of comments from viewers. I am sharing about 500 of the more interesting remarks here, organized by city and various topics.
They are slightly edited for grammar, punctuation and spelling, but remain in a semi-raw fashion to give you a feeling for the emotions and spontaneous reactions of those many viewers in their own authentic voices.
You might find some useful, entertaining information in these remarks, which are mostly from Dutch residents, along with visitors and those who want to visit. I am forever grateful to interest shown by the locals, who understand far more about their country than I will ever know. They are pitching us the real deal here. Come along and have a casual conversation with several hundred fellow travelers.
THE CITIES
Haarlem -- Alkmaar -- Leiden -- The Hague -- Delft -- Rotterdam -- Gouda -- Utrecht -- Maastricht
VARIOUS TOPICS:
General --- Bicycles --- Trains --- Other Destinations --The videos
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--- My old hometown. I miss it still, even though I haven’t lived there since the early 1960s.
--- I love it when people discover other parts of the Netherlands, like Leiden, Groningen, Delft, Den Haag, Haarlem, etc. Tourists do not bother me. Actually Haarlem has per citizen the largest number of restaurants in the country.
--- Did you know that the organ in De Grote Kerk was played by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
--- I live in Holland but I was never in Haarlem! Time to change it!
--- I always stayed in Haarlem if I am in Holland
--- Very interesting.......a place to visit one day. Thank you.
--- Spent 4 days in Haarlem last week. What a lovely little town, really beautiful. Much better than Amsterdam. Some nice coffee shops too. I will be back again.
--- I will visit the Netherlands in a couple of weeks and Haarlem is on my list mainly for Franz Hal museum but you’ve shown me many other thing to see, thank you. Haarlem is the 2nd largest municipality in the province of North Holland right after Amsterdam.
--- Very beautiful and clean city
--- Very nice people in Haarlem. I love them
--- I like that guy in the camera shop.
--- This distance Haarlem—Amsterdam was the first one in the Netherlands that could be taken by train. Halfway there was and still is a place called Halfweg...
--- It’s too bad that tourists think they’ve seen Holland city life (I really mean Holland, not The Netherlands) if they’ve been in Amsterdam. Haarlem is much more representative for it. For a city, tourism is a good thing, but Amsterdam is an example that it can be too much and even disturbing. Haarlem doesn’t have those problems, and that’s the reason why I prefer shopping in Haarlem and skip Amsterdam.
--- Haarlem has everything, the best bars and much better than Amsterdam
--- and isn’t it amazing how many cats we have in the Netherlands :) :)
--- Cat reminded me of a little but nice fact about Holland. We don’t have stray cats or dogs or any animal. Sure we have animal shelters, but if a cat wanders into your house, someone is looking for it.
--- How is the internet access around this areas? Is it available everywhere? How about the public toilet? (Dennis:) I did see wifi stickers on various cafés in town. Use of toilets in the cafés, bars, restaurants should be easy because the Dutch are so friendly, just ask. I didn’t notice “public” toilets but suppose they have some.
--- The Spaarne is NOT a CANAL, it’s a River!! The definition of a river is shaped by nature, it’s connected with the sea & goes all the way to Germany, way more then 35km.
--- Harlem in NY is named after the city of Haarlem, Brooklyn deriving from the Dutch town called Breukelen and all that from a time long gone when New York was still called New Amsterdam.
--- Dennis as a NYorker do you know all the Dutch names in NY? Founded by the Dutch. Harlem, Brooklyn, Utrecht, Flushing, New Amsterdam, Bronx, you have to study those, haha (Dennis adds:) “I lived in Brooklyn for 8 months, Fort Greene, with free rent (long story)!”
--- The City of Haarlem is in Noord-Holland, so you can say you are in “HOLLAND”.
--- I´ve been to Holland for a few days and I loved every minute there...
--- I live in Haarlem and it’s great fun to see all the things I already know through foreigners eyes but take for granted most of the time.
--- Traveled to Haarlem a few times on our visits to the Netherlands, we tented to do a week in the Netherlands so we get around a bit, we buy a rail, tram bus travel card, to get around. Amsterdam is great but in the day get out and about and visit places and get the real feel of the Netherlands
--- Haarlem, great place, campsite only 1m from town centre, good nightlife, 15mins from Amsterdam on train, great bike shop, very nice people, don’t forget ur brolly, the bigger the better, it rains constantly
--- It’s beautiful and interesting. How I wish I was there physically.
--- this place is my favorite
--- Great video! Can’t wait to see beautiful Haarlem.
--- I’m sure there are millions of Dutch that never have been to Haarlem including myself. This urges me to go there.
--- Trivia question: where is the highest point of Europe ? Mont Blanc, you would say, but it’s Haarlem. The French physician Horace de Saussure chopped off the tip of Mont Blanc and it is on display in the Teylers Oval room since 1787.
--- I sometimes went to the Teylers museum with my parents, as a small boy it was always very interesting
--- and the telescope is a Dutch invention
--- We’ve lived in Haarlem the last thirty years or so and our kids are genuine ‘muggen’ or mosquitos, as the Haarlemmers tend to call themselves ( the origin of the nickname is not known for sure). It’s a great place to live and work but real estate prices are skyrocketing which is tough for new buyers.
--- we are called ‘muggen’ or ‘mosquitos’ because the region of Haarlemmermeer consisted of a lot of water, which attracted mosquitos
--- I live there :) I wasn’t born in Haarlem, but I consider it home and never want to leave again. It is one of the oldest cities, but not as big or crowded as Amsterdam for example. It has great museums and architecture. Another great thing about Haarlem is that it is famous for the huge variety of restaurants and cafés. Visiting Haarlem during the day should result in having a great meal in one of the many restaurants in the small streets in the centre. And if the weather is good, perhaps have a nice, cold beer at one of the bars around the marketplace in the evening.
--- I was born and raised in Haarlem. Stayed in Haarlem during my study years in Amsterdam. Left the city at 30 to live in The Hague and now moved to a modern city. I will still be a “Haarlemmer” all my life. But, I would not want to go back. Many things changed for the good. There has been a massive, huge, overwhelming influx of highly educated people from Amsterdam (with money) who did not want to have kids in the overcrowded city of Amsterdam. There were no houses there. Now the same happened to Haarlem. It is crazy expensive to live there now. Also the atmosphere in the city has changed. It is now poshy in the city center. I am NOT saying that is worse, but just not so recognizable for me anymore. What really improved is the city itself. It is now in so much better shape than only 30 years ago. There is one thing I do miss a lot: you only have to bike a few minutes to go to beautiful polders and old Spaarndam (with Hansje Brinkers saving the dyke) if you go east. If you go west, it takes a few minutes to find the nature reserve in the dunes, the coast and the sea and if you go south it is 1 hour bike ride to the tulip fields in April. That all, I still miss a lot.
--- Actually Haarlem has become a suburb of Amsterdam. Also this phenomenon is not restricted to Haarlem. All over the world same thing is happening everywhere as population is increasing in African and ASEAN countries and moving to less populated Europe.
--- When visiting the Netherlands Haarlem is a must visit easy to get to by train
--- I love Haarlem they have a cute little town with fairytale houses white ones and a little church and a little market Square and drawbridge,
--- 15 minutes from Amsterdam and 15 minutes drive from Schiphol airport. I stay at the area name schalkwijk in front of the winkle centrum nice area in Haarlem.
--- Haarlem truly is a beautiful little city. Easy walk from the train station. Lots to see if you like wandele (wandering about). The church is impressive; the beer is good and everywhere; the people are very pleasant; and you really must visit the Taylor Museum. The building alone is worth the visit. I really enjoyed the video. Dankje wel.
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Outdoor Market:
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--- Looks like a market for the local people, not a tourist attraction filled with overpriced knock offs. We will be staying in Haarlem soon and look forward to sampling the delights of the market.
--- Beautiful market, I had been there. There are lot of variety of food items, clothes, flowers, and other things.
--- I like the video and have watched it many times because I love Haarlem and those markets etc. Cheers
--- very beautiful place indeed.
--- You gonna smell my Dutch haze in Haarlem when you walk by
--- I want to live next to such market
--- I live next to this market, a 5 minute bike drive ;)
--- I wanna live in the Netherlands one day again and this looks like a city I might enjoy a lot
--- You also need to visit the market on Saturday in Spakenburg, there are still people in traditionele kloding.
--- poor residents have to deal with hordes of tourists in their way.
--- Taste our bread! You won’t regret it. It’s soft, flavorful & bouncy. Put a layer of ‘Echte boter’ on it and get a taste of heaven :)
--- I would have travelled there just to sample those scrumptious breads.
--- A lot of cities and villages have a weekly outdoor market. My city has one in basically every neighborhood and I think Haarlem has that as well.
--- Thing with the Dutch is, their real authentic markets don’t sell fake or cheap fabricated stuff and food. it’s real.
--- WoW this is an incredible market. Love the bikes, flower shop, and bread!
--- Vegetables and fruit on the market are no different than the one in the supermarkets, they are cheaper. Markets are efficient shopping, because everything is in one place. Especially fish and flowers are there in a bigger variety than in the supermarkets. A lot of cities run a special market for flowers and fish on the same day. And I love that because can’t stand the smell of fish.
--- Your hesitance on the raw milk cheese made me smile. And yes: warm bread, fresh fruit, and fried fish, Thank you for this nice video on us!
--- Dutch cheese is the best in the world
--- the Dutch don’t like to just talk they want to sell cheese
--- Oh please...now I’m hungry...I grew up in a Dutch family...it’s cheese, and baked goods with lots of sugar and butter! And of course, aardappeltjes. Lots, and lots, of potatoes. And, of course, the Dutch cheese shops are wild...
--- Non-pasteurized cheese normally won’t hurt you, dairy farmers know not to put the milk from a section of the udder if it has mastitis. :) Healthy cow’s milk rarely harbors bacteria.
--- Doing a cheese market in Haarlem? Why not Gouda they have the same thing but with better cheese you know Gouda cheese!
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--- My beloved City, Second home, I lived in Alkmaar for 13 years out of 15 years I lived in Holland. I got married in Historical Town house, with my beautiful Dutch wife, may a soul rest in peace. Alkmaar heel moie bijzonder stad.
--- Beautiful city, very informative. I’ll have to add this to my wish list for future travels.
--- I had to smile at the young lady pedaling her way to school. I smiled but she certainly didn’t look too happy to be school bound.
--- The only city that had a victory over an empire. True fact!
--- I live there, At least in Heerhugowaard next to Alkmaar, yeah Alkmaar is ok pretty normal here..—Dennis, You have the best videos. I love your narration. What a pro. Thanks for sharing. It is helping us on preparing for our move there.
--- I love finding out about these places that aren’t on the main track. Thanks for teaching me something new and cool. -Henry
--- Great Reportage, Thanks Mister
--- I remember my family traveling to the Netherlands and the morning breakfast included a tray of indigenous cheeses. And wow! So so delicious. Gouda, Emmentaler, and Edam cheeses are. My favorite.
--- That town was recently captured by Google in the 3D photogrammetry imagery. So yes, one can go right to that market location or anywhere else in that town in virtual reality. Then others have taken 2D-360 degree photos of most everything as well. In a VR—HMD one just “looks around” after enabling any one of those images. Some places sell that cheese from street shops.
--- Small towns and villages are hidden gems.
--- Alkmaar! I was Born, raised and I am still living there.
--- From Alkmaar you should take the bus to: Schermerhorn, Schermerdijk to visit: “De Museummolen and see old windmills. (Line: 123 or Line: 129) It’s also possible to visit the famous Zaanse Schans by train, railway station: “Zaandijk Zaanse Schans
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--- Leiden is my hometown and I dare say it is a hidden treasure. Luckily not so packed with tourist as Amsterdam, I hope we can keep it that way .
--- should have visited this place and stayed overnight instead of the extra night in Amsterdam before going on to London—oh well
--- I had visit there last week and really appreciated this city. I can say that I love Leiden!
--- This is beautiful! I went to school in Leiden and miss it very much. The floor in the house next to the Pilgrim’s Museum is 1 - 2 meters below street level. When I asked why it had been dug out they told me it wasn’t, that used to be street level. They raised all of the streets everywhere in the city hundreds of years ago, and the result was that all houses had to have their floors raised, or be descended into. It’s utterly amazing.
--- I’m looking at this city for sure on my next visit. You made me wish I would have visited on my last 2 trips. I can say that so far my fav is Amsterdam with Gouda a close 2nd, but it look like Leiden may be my new fav. What an awesome video!!
--- Dennis, there is an old Dutch saying that says: haring en witte brood, Leiden is uit de nood! This is something historical! You figure it out when that was, ok...? (herring and white bread, Leiden is out of necessity!)
--- Always a joy to see my hometown from the eyes of a visitor. Glad you liked it. :)
--- Great, beautiful Holland..Thanks!
--- fun to see Leiden covered like this, I live in Alphen aan den Rijn, a small city not too far from leiden, that is split through the middle by a extension for the rhine they dug up somewhere around 1589, so I’ve visited Leiden many a time :)
--- I want to point to something really interesting: the star shaped (ancient) map of Leiden. That’s also something historical and will be seen at more ancient maps of towns in NL. You’ll be surprised...
--- only 26% of Nederland is under sea level. and Nederland is just a part of the Netherlands (lower countries).besides that, beautiful video of Leiden!
--- wow, This is a better tour then they do in Holland itself
--- Never been there, good to know this, will put in on my list. Thanks.
--- Being a Leiden University graduate this video makes me very happy. I studied there from 1982 till 1987. Happy memories!
--- That ugly grey residential area is from the 80s! YUK! I wouldn’t be found dead in there!
--- I love Holland.
--- Imagine, America could have the same level of old city center preservation as we have done in Europe. America not that old? True, but most preserved parts in European cities and towns are not that old either. Like, if they’re from the 1700s, that’s pretty old already. When were The Thirteen Colonies founded again? Somewhere in the 1600s...Even if they didn’t build many impressive buildings early on, surely they did in the mid and late 1700s.Just look at the handful of few preserved buildings from that time, like the Old State House in Boston. Of course we do have some older buildings in Europe, like churches and cathedrals that were originally built in the Middle Ages. But what exactly does the process of ‘renovation’ or ‘restoration’ mean? Well, if it’s really old, it means breaking down the structure brick by brick, carefully numbering the pieces, cleaning and if necessary, replacing them, then building it all up again.They do not have to do this with every old building, in many cases just a partial rebuilt will suffice.
--- Very beautiful video! And to think that there are some big museums here: Naturalis (Natural History Museum of the Netherlands), Rijksmuseum der Oudheden (Museum of the Ancient World) and Museum Volkenkunde (Museum on the Peoples of the world). I do advise everybody thinking about visiting the Netherlands to not only visit Amsterdam but really come to cities like Leiden, Haarlem and Delft. As a born and raised Leidenaar I must say, you really did your homework on this. Nice to see an American reviewing another town other than the known ones like i.e. The Hague and Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Take a walk along the Singel (it’s the name of the street, but these canals are in the Dutch language also referred to as singels (plural)). It’s a winding walk along a beautiful canal, very green all around, and there’s a thing there called Het Observatorium (The Observatory) where you can watch the stars in the sky. I loved the presentation. Well done :)
--- Thank you for the most detailed information. I am sure most Dutch didn’t even know why that city mill is so high up and I had never known Leiden even has one of the oldest Motte and Bailey castles!
--- I remember a chart from secondary school: google Hoogtekaart Nederland. The dark blue parts are definitely under sea level, the light blue parts guarantee wet feet and the yellow more earthly colors indicate ‘dry land.’
--- I LOVE LEIDEN the best stad van Nederland denk ik.
--- I was born in Leiden. Thanks for the video!
--- I love the beautiful cities of the Netherlands so much. But I’ve heard there are so many Dutch who are suffering from so many tourists in Amsterdam. So hesitant to visit there. How’s Leiden? In your video, Leiden is full of canals, windmills and bicycles except for trams that I love. I have to put it on my destination list. Thanks for the wonderful video!
--- Please don’t be put off—visit our country, You are more than welcome here. Of course there is a part of the tourists who cause nuisance, certainly in Amsterdam, but those are the tourists who come for the wrong reasons (soft drugs and red light district). Don’t limit your visit to Amsterdam, the country has so much more to offer, especially outside the cities.
--- Another beautiful video dedicated to the town where I studied for six years (history and medieval languages) back in the eighties and which is still very dear to me. Even though I live near the German border and going to Leiden takes me much longer than half an hour, it’s still always a treat to stay a few days in Leiden, just as it’s always a treat to watch your splendid video’s. Thank you most kindly!
--- Thank you and you are always welcome in our country making such splendid videos. Indeed in Leiden I had very happy years and I studied hard. And I served honorably in the Dutch Royal Field artillery as a conscript and since thirty years I work for agricultural publications here in the east where farmers are greatly honored. Maybe some day you will find the time to visit the old Hanseatic towns here in the east alongside the beautiful IJssel river. Thank you again!
--- About the Museum voor Volkenkunde: it is now joined by 3 other museums: the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, the Africa museum in Berg en Dal (near Nijmegen) and the Wereldmuseum in Rotterdam. The building the Museum voor Volkenkunde is housed in used to be the university hospital btw (and you can still kind of see it in the floor-plan)
--- Why take a canal tour when you can just get high at a coffeeshop
--- Did you know that Mayor Van der Werff offered himself up to the people of Leiden to be eaten during the Spanish war? Because the Spanish couldn’t take Leiden by force, their intent was to starve Leiden out. And they nearly succeeded. Leiden and it’s people were on the brink of starvation, and so the mayor eventually offered himself up to be eaten by the people. But the people refused this. And not much later a boy named Jan (or Jantje, which translates much to Little John) saw during a night a parade of lights marching away. It turned out to be the Spanish army retreating. He then found food that the army had left behind, which was a mix of potatoes, onions and carrots. Enough food was found for Leiden to survive. That’s also why the 3rd of October (when we were liberated from the Spanish army) is still celebrated to this day and that food Jantje found, we call it “Hutspot” and it’s the traditional food of Leiden during the 3rd of October.
--- The ‘hotchpot (hutspot)’-recipe in the 16th century (and earlier): parsnips (pastinaak) + winter carrots (winterpeen) + onions (ui) + boiled brisket (klapstuk). In later times parsnips were replaced by potatoes. Traditionally on the 3rd of October lunch is herring and white bread (brought into the city by the Watergeuzen (Sea Beggars, nickname of the Dutch resistance at the time) in flat-bottomed ships from Delft to Leiden); dinner is ‘hutspot’ (left behind by the Spanish occupying army fleeing the rising water on the flooded land—caused by the dikes that were pierced by the Watergeuzen during the nights before).
--- William of Orange, usually known as ‘William the Silent’, asked the people of Leiden what reward they wanted for their heroism in resisting the siege. He offered them the choice of lower taxes or a University. They opted for a University. Modern politicians who insist on keeping down public spending so as to reduce taxes please note.
--- You told about the choice the city elders made between paying no taxes or getting a university. I wonder if they would choose the university if it was offered to them today. Sometimes I think we’ve lost that long term view. Now the university is the beating heart of this town. Most industry left Leiden after 1970. Without the university my town would have been a poor town. It’s directly and indirectly the biggest employer and attracked all kind of new high tech companies. And thanks to the 20.000 students it’s a lively town. I studied here in the 80’s and still live here, because, well I fell in love with this town. Most of the old houses shown in your video are expensive, buying or renting. But Inside the star shaped circle of the Singel there are lots of very affordable houses too. Some very old (de hofjes), some newer (build in the 70’s and 80’s). When I could afford it, I bought a small apartment at the Nieuwe Rijn. Then I became unemployed, had to sell it but could rent another affordable apartment (social housing) just 200 meters away and even closer to the heart of the city.
--- William of Orange (William the Silent / Willem de Zwijger) was Stadtholder (Stadhouder) for king Philip II. ‘Stad’ meaning ‘in stede van’ / ‘in de plaats van’—in English ‘in stead of’. He was the king’s Lieutenant (plaatsvervangend bestuurder) in provinces of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht. In modern terms this can be compared to a ‘Governor of a state’ or ‘Commissaris van de Koning’. So ‘Stad’ in ‘Stadhouder’ does not mean ‘city’. It was the fact that William, being his Lieutenant, became the leader of the Rebellion against him that so infuriated Philip II that he officially ‘banned’ William, had his eldest son, Filips Willem, kidnapped and transported to Spain and commissioned a contract-killer (Balthasar Gerards shot William in Delft on the 10th of July 1584). William was buried in the New Church (Nieuwe Kerk) in Delft on the 3rd of August 1584 (he was the first to be laid to rest in what is now the Royal Crypt of the House of Orange).
--- The university of Leiden was founded with the money from the auction of the immense richness of the abbey of Egmond. A catholic abbey that was stripped and demolished during the reformation. Unfortunately we Noord Hollanders lost our beautiful 12th century Abbey! And the biggest castle of the Netherlands slot Egmond aan den Hoef.
--- According to the Tourist Information Office, VVV, both Bush and Obama had Pilgrim ancestors who departed from Leiden to America. Here is the TI brochure quote: “The ancestors of President Obama lived in Leiden. He is a direct descendant of a Leiden pilgrim family. Presidents Grant, Coolidge, Taylor, F.D. Roosevelt and the Bushes too have Leiden Pilgrims as ancestors.”
--- I love this country :) I work in Leiden. we have a great festival 3 Oktober. A historic festival. The festival commemorates the anniversary of the 1573 - 1574 Siege of Leiden during the Eighty Years’ War.
--- Leiden is just amazing, I really like this city.
--- I quite enjoyed your videos on Leiden, not in the least because I was born and bred there. You actually filmed the house along the Langebrug where I lived during my time as a student at the Leiden University, some 35 years ago.
--- Your videos provided accurate information about the city; my only worry would be that—as a result—the hordes of tourists now choose to come to Leiden, instead of Amsterdam...
--- great vid, you should have also shown the poems written on the walls thru town.
--- Very good video of the city where I live since 1978.
--- Love the video of my city and even my house.
--- It is excellent. Believe it or not, I have spent at least quarter of my childhood in Leiden but I was wheelchair and I have never been able to properly explore it. Now that I can walk again, I can’t wait to return to Nederlands and explore. Your videos are above excellent and they have inspired me. I will follow your walking tour. Good luck in your future work.
--- Lived in and around Leiden all my life and absolutely love the city. The city has so much to offer like museums and I’ve always found it has a great atmosphere with a lot of good bars and restaurants. It is cool to see this perspective from someone outside of the Netherlands and I feel it represented the city well.
--- so beautiful and peaceful...would love to live on a boat on the canals..
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--- I already knew I live in a great city, but thank you for this tribute :)
--- Man, I’m Dutch, lived in The Hague for years, and I still enjoy watching your videos. Good job, and thanks for publishing them.
--- Den Haag is my city—know all the blocks in my head
--- I’ve been around almost everywhere, Hollands Spoor, Centraal Trein Station, the fountain, chinatown, centrum ALOT of times, royal garden, city hall, have seen the sky scrapers, Bijenkorf, Zuiderpark so many placeeeees since I actually live in the city
--- not a city, biggest village in Europe :-)
--- I am moving to the Hague from Spain in a few weeks and this has given me so much joy, to see how beautiful the city is :)
--- The City of The oldest rockband off the world...Golden Earring! And the best and greatest band of Holland
--- Best place please let all tourist go there, avoid Amsterdam please ;)
--- Marks and Spencers is gone now. Sadly.
--- Hotel des Indies was in a movie with Ralph Finnes.
--- Netherlands is my dream country....l just wish to be part of those who wish to go there...l love Netherlands.
--- Beautiful peaceful city and Royal family home.
--- ’Skyscrapers’ lol....Most of em hardly scrapes 100m high.
--- My home town rules, especially without tourists! ;-)
--- As an inhabitant of The Hague you gave a very good overview to what to do in The Hague. For further adventures explore Scheveningen Harbour and beach. There is a lot of sport events and some real good sea food!
--- I used to live in the Oude Molstraat, noticed how that street is not straight? it is because it follows an old dune path up to the church, the old james church being on 8metres above NAP, sea-level, was built on an old dune and as many churches, was built there.btw binnenhof = inner courtyard, buitenhof = outer courtyard. The Escher museum is located in the Palace Lange Voorhout, used to be the offices of the king and queens up to 1984, then the palace Noordeinde became the offices of the queen and king The small canal near the palace gardens was up to 3 years ago actually paved over and a parking spot for cars, they demolished the structure above the canal and opened up the canal, very beautifully done imo.
--- visit Rotterdam in 20 minutes, connected with a metro line from Den Haag Central Station.
--- The House of Orange didn’t create Holland, before becoming a monarchy it was the world’s first republic
--- You also have 2 redlight district called doubletstraat and geleenstraat en some privatehouses fore those who come for something else
--- The Passage is a two third scale copy. I know The Hague is a very difficult city to tour, because it has square blocks, not circular. I worked as a guide in Den Haag—you made a very nice and informative video
--- Great video but I want to add something about the central train station. It opened in 1973 but was completed in 1976. Much later they decided to renovate the train station and replace the roof with the the glass one you see now. The renovation was completed in 2001
--- Interesting city and a great movie
--- Love the View of Delft, great video.
--- I’m looking forward to our upcoming trip and this is on my must do list! Thank you!!
--- Yeah, but it closes at 6 p.m.
--- The Hague does not exist. Its true name is Den Haag. The original place names substantiate the very identity of landscapes and countries. The inhabitants of Den Haag were never allowed to have their say in a new name for the city. There never was a referendum.
--- Den Haag is a fun discussion at parties. Is it a city or not? They say it never got it’s city rights, others say it did...I don’t care as it’s big we tend to see it as a city, but it’s actually a village to some haha.
--- This is the best video I’ve ever seen about the Hague, I’ve been searching for this kind of city tour videos for the last 3 months I definitely gonna take a look at your other videos too :) Loved the classy way of your narration, the sound and all images are in high quality. It seems I’ve already liked my city for a year! :) Thank you very much and all the best from Istanbul!
--- Very interesting video :) It almost feels like a promotional video made by the city of the Hague itself...Some things have been forgotten but oh well.
--- There are a lot more skyscrapers coming and way higher
--- amazing how easy it is to navigate this place, I’ve been to 99% of all the places in this video
--- a lovely clean place with no trash or litter lying about unlike some cities...
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[About Prinsjesdag, Prince’s Day parade]
--- Great video. Thanks for that. You’ve got an impressive amount of historical facts largely right in your commentary. The kids in traditional clothing are probably on a school trip to learn about democracy and the system of government. They do not normally wear those clothes. And practically no-one wears wooden clogs anymore (although they are indeed very practical in certain situations). If you are interested in an even older (1255) sort of democratic political structure in the Netherlands, largely still in place today, look into ‘waterschap’ (loosely translated as ‘watership’ or ‘watercounty’). They were in charge of the dikes and dams, responsible to keep the drained polder land dry.
--- Love watching parade like this....organized well and people’s enjoyed watching it...
--- I am Dutch, And no! I don’t wear wooden shoes (Klompen)..
--- Some of these people are from a small farmers village called Staphorst. Go visit that unique village! Others are from a small fishers town called Urk.
--- Long live His Majesty The King, say 97% of the Netherlands.
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DELFT
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--- Very beautiful city indeed.
--- Love my city Delft...Living in Delft.
--- I love Delft because it produced the most wonderful artists ever. The whole Delft school of art. Can’t wait to visit!
--- Europe is the best, keep up the good work. You explained everything so well
--- I mainly love the Church of Delft. Been there only twice, both because of “eating”
--- Damn the more I see this, the more it looks like Gouda (where I live)
--- I will certainly be making a point of visiting Delft in the not too distant future.
--- I work at the TU-Delft, our building is 3 km from the center, I love visiting the old city center, especially in the summer sipping beer outside in de Beestenmarkt!
--- I’ll live there someday, I promise. I am an aeronautical engineering and I’m really craving for studying in TU Delft!
--- Will take a day trip to Delft in September while I’m in the Netherlands. BTW it’s expensive to eat in Holland : (
--- Nah it can be really cheap actually. Do some research on a travel website. Of course a fancy restaurant in the center of the old town isn’t going to be cheap, but not crazy priced either. But if you are on a budget there are plenty of options. Get some fried fish at the stand you see in the video for example. Hot, fresh and good size portions.
--- Delft, my hometown. Till 12 years lived and at school then moved abroad with my parents. Thursday still the market
--- Europe is the best. Steeped in thousands of years of history. The architecture is stunning in each and every country in Europe.
--- Thanks for the information about Delft CITY....I want to go there next time for a vacation...I love Dutch country.
--- This video brings back so many memories. I worked for a software company in Delft 15 years ago and Delft seems to be my second hometown during my stay. When I see this video today, I remembered the streets I walked, the markets I’ve visited, the canals I’ve crossed and the same church with the old clock is still there. I’ve even ventured as far as IKEA store across the highway. Thank you so much for this video Dennis, you’ll never know who you’ve touched by all your travel videos.
--- I’m going to TU Delft this August. Videos about this city pops up sometimes and make me love it already. Thanks, great vid; great town. Pronounced “Delluf”, BTW.
--- The video is so good that you really don’t need to visit Delft anymore.
--- Your videos are just wonderful! So informative and to the point! Excellent job, thank you so much! Mary
--- Wow! Nice video. It serves as a guide for me. Will be in Delft in September this year and will be staying there for a year.
--- Very nice video, I lived in a few of these cities. Delft is my town now.
--- the BEST cafe on the Beestenmarkt is Kobus Kuch. They have the Best apple pie and coffee in town.
--- Thank you for an excellent tour of Delft, we are hoping to be there this April and I have learnt so much about this city from your video which would have taken me a long time googling all this so thank you again
--- You mentioned the glass windows in the “Old Church” in Delft. If I am allowed to add some additional remarks, the cause of this is the big explosion of the Delft Powderhouse, just north-east outside of the walls. Before that event all windows of this church were colored.
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ROTTERDAM
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--- Superb video, and thanks for your excellent commentary. I first visited Rotterdam in 1978 and it was obvious back then that the Dutch had done the right thing -- to ‘rebuild the city from scratch’.
--- It’s great that you made us visit this wonderful place—that you always do. Thanks for making us aware! Wish you the best!
--- Rotterdam also has a world renowned zoo, called “Blijdorp Zoo”. It’s known for its Art Deco architecture.
--- Koopgoot. The o is to be pronounced as in Obama.
--- Great explanation of the “o”. The g on the other hand is pronounced like you’ve got a loogie in your throat that you need to get out
--- A beautiful and lively city
--- If you venture outside the center there are lots of pre-bombing buildings left. As you say the bombings were mainly concentrated on the center. There are markings that denote where the “brandgrens” (burning border) was and you can see new buildings on the one side and old ones on the other side. There was an area in the west of Rotterdam that was bombed later on in the war. By the Americans. Because they made a mistake in finding their target. It’s known as “het vergeten bombardement” (the forgotten bombing) because it was seen awkward to remember such an event after WW2.
--- You can even get a guided tour to the city hall too. for free....but it requires a reservation. The dome of the tower mirrors the dome of the tower of the Arminius church at the entrance of the Museumpark (across the Picasso statue you showed.) Both are from the same architect: Henri Evers. The coats of arms on the city hall are those of Rotterdam, and the Burroughs that were added to Rotterdam at the time when the building of the city hall commended....so it has Charlois, Kralingen, Katendrecht. Cool, ‘s Gravenzande (as Hoek van Holland was part of that municipality at the time...it reverted back to its own town later) and Delfshaven, but not Schiebroek, Hillergersber, Overschie or IJsselmonde as those were added in 1941 by the Nazis. The design was the ‘winning’ entry in a competition where the jury was led by the architect and he and the mayor back then were close friends so....while a nice building, there were (in my opinion) better designs available.
--- --Rotterdam is the most modern city in Europe, I don’t think anyone can dispute that.
--- That’s because hitler bomb Rotterdam
--- And still not the most bombed city of the Netherlands!
--- the Rotterdamse haven the biggest in Europe and the third biggest of the world
--- That train station is something Germany should look at and learn how to build beautiful train stations.
--- They should look at Schiphol how to build an airport. Given that Berlin’s new Willy Brandt airport is a famous white elephant that still is not finished after more than a decade.
--- I grew up in this town and left in 1960. Nice to a see its new face.
--- We appreciate your series on Rotterdam, since we’ve decided to base there and Leiden instead of Amsterdam for our upcoming trip. We like the way you choose hotels of high quality with close access to the train station. Since hotels are the major expense of a European trip for us, finding the right place to stay is important. We love the way you’ve shown transportation links, museums, a few restaurants, etc.—all the things that a tourist needs to plan a trip! Thank you!
--- UK with their big mouth should watch and learn from EU countries!!
--- Friday 6th, September 7th and Sunday 8th of September there are ‘The World Port Days’ (annual).Last year there were 450.00 visitors. The port of Rotterdam is 42 km (26 miles) number 10 in the world and biggest in the EU. Main events (over 160) are in harbors in the city center, but they’re also excursions, to visit places that you normally can never visit like a container terminal or take a helicopter flight over the harbor. Reservations are often necessary, but there is also plenty to do if you just drop by. Some events cost money, but a lot is also free. No problem if you can’t make it this year, just put it in your agenda for next year.
--- Lived in Rotterdam in 1992 when I was in the Army! Great experience! Used to love shopping at De “Bijenkorf” department store! The Market Hall didn’t exist then.
--- Kop van Zuid is also highly recommended to visit. You will find Hotel New York, which was used as starting point for the Holland-America cruise line. Also Het Nationaal Fotomuseum (our national photography museum) is around the corner.
--- the nickname for that (Santa Claus) statue is “Kabouter Buttplug”. Kabouter means gnome in Dutch. It’s supposed to be a statement against rampant consumerism.
--- Beautiful city beautifully narrated in a simple and lucid language
--- I love that there aren’t many supertall buildings in Europe. Instead, Europe focuses on urban planning and live-ability. Great job, Europe! Sincerely, an Asian living in Asia.
--- Actually I’m British born, lived in Washington DC as an early 20’s person in the late 60’s but have lived in Ned. for 20 years plus with my Dutch born wife and our kids who are at uni. here. Now a Dutch citizen. I take your point, but the way Americans pronounce van Gogh drives me crazy. The Brits say van Goff, which is a little better perhaps !!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway, keep up the good work; you do the best travel videos I know. Your understanding of Dutch culture, and your perceptions are perceptive!!!!!!!!
--- Note: Rotterdam population is more than 51% of foreign background and the mayor is Moroccan multi citizenship nationality.
--- Great how the city rebuild after WWII. It created an unique mix between old and new, making it unlike any other city in The Netherlands.
--- It wasn’t the entire city that was destroyed, only the center.
--- To think that Rotterdam was once a beautiful and charming city before it was bombed by the Germans. Sad that so little respect was shown by the architects for the thousands of men, women and children who died in the destruction of Rotterdam in 1940. I am always filled with a deep sense of loss every time I walk through the streets of Rotterdam. The architects should have been invited to Flevoland where there is no local culture or history.
--- One of my next destinations. Thank you for show me this cool city.
--- Thanks for sharing and seeing Rotterdam through your eyes.
--- You remind me how beautiful Holland is. Thanks Mr. Callan!
--- What a huge port! The skyscrapers are also unique and wonderful.
--- What a picturesque Rotterdam city!
--- My husband’s German ancestors left Europe on a boat from Rotterdam, so we want to visit this city. As a design professor, my husband is looking forward to seeing the modern architecture of a thriving city. With the Markthall, Maritime Museum, boat trip to Kinderdyke, short trips to The Hague and Delft, it seems like a great base for several days. We have been inspired by your video of the harbor and museum. The text of your presentation is dense with historical and contextual information, which teaches us and helps guide our travel choices. Your efforts and generosity are appreciated!
--- I like Rotterdam the most. A waterfront modern city since I’m from HK. But why the sky is not always blue I hope there’s more sunshine. Otherwise it’s perfect.
--- I feel as if I were in this place. thank you.
--- Great to see videos from my hometown! Good job!
--- Astonishing channel full of beautiful tours around the world!—Great video, I love Rotterdam, I live 20 km south of the city—Thanks for your videos are always interesting and helpful and your English its easy to follow and understand.
--- As usual with your videos, excellent. But please, learn how to pronounce Van Gogh. It is not Van Go !!!!!!!!!
--- Yet another very detailed and informative video. Keep them coming, Dennis!
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Markthal
—Very interesting building, thank you.
--- I’ve been there a few times and it’s incredible!
--- It really is the highlight Rotterdam needed. Love it.
--- It reminds me of the ancient Dutch Immense exchange halls. Very spectacular, love the painted interior. Surprised only 228 apartments. Excellent idea to create a center commerce that will be a focal point
--- Think I’ll take an apartment for at least two weeks in this incredible place—then I’ll eat until I drop !!! Have seen lot of travel shows featuring this market but have never seen inside. 10 out of 10 Dennis -fantastic video.
--- Fabulous and unique place! Was there in 2017 and could not decide on what to eat for lunch! So much choice!
--- I would add one point. The Markthal is quite a long walk from Rotterdam CENTRAAL train station, but it is very close to Rotterdam BLAAK main line and metro stations.
--- I live in the Netherlands and believe me the food is nice very nice also the drinks
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GOUDA
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--- I cycle through a lot of the streets you showed everyday :)
--- Born and raised in Gouda, loving it :) So I am very proud there is a video like these.
--- Thank you soo much for this video. I’m currently sat in a Coffeeshop in Gouda after following this video whilst walking around Gouda by pausing and starting the video. This was very very helpful. Thanks again
--- You pronounced the name Gouda perfect. Compliments!
--- Love your videos of towns in Netherlands, as we are going there next year.
--- I love your google earth views. Very nice videos.
(Dennis says:) “That is a new feature I added to my movies, thanks to Google’s generous sharing policies, glad you like them. I always use lots of maps from openstreetmaps.org, but Google Earth is spectacular.”
--- Thumbs up Dennis for another great episode.
--- The city hall next to the station and the cinema also next to the station are buildings shaped in what Gouda is famous for. Cheese and Sirup waffles. And oh yeah, there is GoudAsfalt, which is now a huge event location and a city beach. Then the fact our city lies in the middle of everything, yes you mentioned it a bit. But basically you can reach the whole country from our station without needing to get a next train. Even from the smaller Goverwelle station. That for a city of just 70K. it’s quite recognizable.
--- OMG. Every time I see vids of Gouda I tear up for having to leave that city. I spent the best years of my life there and they were 22. My compliments on your excellent knowledge of our tiny country.
--- I moved from Australia to Gouda three years ago and love it here! The people are great and everyone is friendly and I live in the centre of the old historical town.
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UTRECHT
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--- It’s nice that you like Utrecht so much, I completely agree with you ;) My father has a store in Leiden so I’ve been there a lot, also a beautiful city but I certainly prefer Utrecht too :)
--- Here now. It’s even more beautiful in person.
--- Darnit. Here I am, living in a different city, watching my birthplace through new eyes. This guy holding a sandwich of utter glory...And now I want a Broodje Mario...Roll on and there they are, the old boss level dispensers of delectable foodstuffs...past midnight, miles away, and i’m waving at my screen like an idiot. “Wait! Take my money and make me one with extra peppers! “Great city must visit place. Thanks
--- Utrecht is very beautiful—Thank you most kindly for this great video, it was a great joy watching it. Utrecht has the largest festival of early music in the world lasting for ten days. I go there every year. It’s my late summer vacation. I love both Leiden and Utrecht (more than Amsterdam). Very kind of you to pay attention to the Nieuwe Gracht which I find the most elegant canal in the Netherlands.
--- You’re right about the university, but Utrecht has more historic buildings than Leiden (but less than Maastricht and Amsterdam).
--- The official ranking of cities with monuments= Amsterdam with 7504 monuments, Maastricht 1681, Utrecht 1439, Leiden 1242, The Haque 1164 and Haarlem with 1144 monuments.
--- Greetings from the Achterhoek. Utrecht is now my favourite town, but please don’t tell my fellow alumni from Leiden University ;-)
--- My dad lives here, I love it so much! Wow he mentioned broodje ben!
--- Thanks for this high quality guide through Utrecht. Many tourists do not realize that the Netherlands are dotted with old towns, each with their own charm and history. The main railway stations are close to the city centers and on a five to ten minutes walk distance, all reachable by train, with a frequency of about every 15 minutes. Travel time from the train hub Utrecht usually less than 1 hour. Students and commuters use the trains mainly from 7:00 to 8:30 and from 16:30 to 18:30, and you may avoid those rush hours.
--- Utrecht! I can be found there quite often! Beautiful city! Easily reached by train! Than you go to Manneken Pis to have a quite descent meal of French fries and kibbeling which I can barely manage to finish eating it....For only € 6,95! That’ll be around 8 Dollar or so....But, you gonna love it!
--- Thanks very much and respect. You give a lovely description of this very nice city where I did my University studies and lived for 10 years.
--- My daughter lived and worked there for a couple of years...gorgeous. Thank you again for the wonderful memories we both have...xxx
--- Thank you for this! I’ll be visiting in a few weeks. I have a ticket to the Dom Tower.
--- Best Dutch city guide ever!!
--- I’m already emigrated for more than 12 years to Thailand but my city of birth always attracts me.
--- I will be travelling to Netherlands for my third time. After watching this video and report I want to make sure to spend sometime in Utrecht. Many thanks from Brazil.
--- I wanna move to Utrecht I don’t know the language but it looks so cool. To live there
--- Trust me almost everyone here speaks English
--- I didn’t know places like this existed outside of movies.
--- wonder how many people fall into the canal sitting so close to it...that light show tunnel is amazing...pity about the graffiti...and amazingly, no sign of litter anywhere.
--- Here now. It’s even more beautiful in person.
--- And of course Utrecht has an awesome craft brewery scene as well and even a brewery in the vaults of a medieval castle right along the Oudegracht (Old Canal).
--- I hope no one makes more videos about Utrecht.....Don’t want it to become commercialized touristy....It’s selfish love. Great efforts
--- A long time ago I was a theology student in this city. It wasn’t that touristy and done up then. Recommend the old post office, which is a striking example of art nouveau architecture. And if you want a tailor made suit, even better than Saville Row, there is a shop at the Oude Gracht.
--- Also visit Rietveld Schröder House, The Inktpot, Nederlands Spoorwegmuseum, Museum Speelklok.
--- Didn’t know there were tornadoes in the Netherlands.
--- Tornadoes can happen anywhere, they just are not as common and not as powerfull as in US. Couple of months back a tornado hit Amsterdam, did next to no damage.
--- I’m staying in Utrecht for 1 week at Christmas / New Years in 1 of those warehouses on the canal converted into an apartment. 1 week in Haarlem and 1 week in Amsterdam. This will be my fourth trip to The Netherlands. I love The Netherlands.
--- At least 4 Universities preceded the Utrecht one, of which two still exist...; the University of Leiden (1575) and the University of Groningen (1614).
--- Still one of the oldest. And it doesn’t matter, Leiden and Groningen university both have a very good reputation, as does Universiteit Utrecht. :)
--- Yum, thanks for those food memories, getting hungry now, got to get back there for more of those spicy little dishes covering the table, mmmhhhhhmmmm.
--- For English speakers, the Dutch have 2 words for a canal. Gracht is a canal inside a town or a city. Connecting towns or cities is the function of a kanaal.
--- love the canals and wayside cafés and shops and...again...no litter...
--- Thanks Dennis & appreciated, it’s made my memory flash back to 1989, hope one day will be back again. Dutch trains are indeed magnificent. I would suggest staying in Utrecht (right in the centre of the country) and using Utrecht as a base to explore the whole country. That saves on packing and unpacking every 2-3 days!
--- As a Dutchman I approve this message. Because the country is so small travel time is minimal. So if you’re staying a week in Utrecht, you can basically go see every corner of the country.
--- Utrecht is THE centre of the Dutch railway system, and is therefore ideal as a base for exploring the WHOLE of the Netherlands—and perhaps even further afield. So do not just stay a night or two! Stay there for about a week!
--- I would even dare to say that Utrecht is a fairly Burgundian city. Understand that that is a no-go for people under the rivers, but Utrecht also has a real terrace culture where people prefer to sit outside until the night. Just as well a beautiful historic center and a relaxed atmosphere in the city center (in other peripheral cities you can often find it far away).
--- Thank you Dennis...love your wonderful videos, watch them a lot...I have been there and it is very beautiful and so interesting.
--- This was really a detailed video. I really loved it and subscribing your channel. Every second of it I played attention to the video and really liked it. I would love to visit and looking forward for more videos like this from you. Mainly from Amsterdam, Utrecht.
--- Thank you.—Dennis, again a wonderful video! Thank you so very much! Can’t wait to travel through the Netherlands. I gained so much new insights about this beautiful small country because of you!
--- Finally a video that doesn’t go about the coffeeshops. I live in Utrecht. You should go to Nijmegen as well the next time.
--- Utrecht. One of my favorite cities of the Netherlands. Greetz from Alkmaar, also a very nice old city in the nord of Netherland
Very well made and narrated. As a native from Utrecht I enjoyed it very much too!!
--- As someone living in Utrecht I like this one a lot, very sweet and you show the beautiful side of our little city, thank you
--- I’m very very very wants to go there, just for riding bike -- ohhhh is soo goood -- I’m from indonesia by the way
--- lives in Utrecht as a student - watches video - learns some new stuff
--- And of course Utrecht has an awesome craft brewery scene as well and even a brewery in the vaults of a medieval castle right along the Oudegracht (Old Canal).
--- I hope no one makes more videos about Utrecht.... Don’t want it to become commercialized touristy... It’s selfish love. Great efforts
--- Thank you for the beautiful video! It’s my aperitive before I travel to Holland. After a couple of years in Britain, the difference in cleanliness and maintenance of streets and buildings is striking. Britain has many run-down areas and problems with poverty and homeless people.
--- a shameless plug for Utrecht where I was born. It too is a nice city to roam around in especially if you go to the Binnestad (the inner city) . It’s about a 10 minute walk from Utrecht Centraal, the train station.
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MAASTRICHT
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--- Born and raised here. I love going for walks here. I recommend this town for anyone on their bucket list
--- Nice to see my hometown in a other perspective. I even got some info I didn’t know. Thanks
--- I stay here in Maastricht. Let me tell you Sir, you have covered all the beauty spots and aspects of the great city!! Hats off!!
--- I study in Maastricht and I really love it there!
--- Love the city! One of the best places I’ve ever lived in
--- I lived in Maastricht for half a year. It’s def a beautiful city to visit in the Netherlands.
--- I’ve been studying there since 2014, and I like the way you put this video together. You really appreciate the little things I don’t even notice anymore after all these years, it’s very endearing
--- I lived there for 3 years! best city ever
--- What a lovely video! I am a student at the university in Maastricht and I can approve that the town is stunning!
--- Good to hear you enjoyed our city.
--- Thanks for this interesting tour through my ancestral city of Maastricht!
--- Come and visit us around Christmastime, it is very beautifully decorated, wonderfully atmosphere
--- If you have time I would totally recommend checking the caves. They are just magical and the guides are so nice and interesting.
--- I went there twice for a quick visit. It’s charming. Nice to see your video. Too bad it wasn’t aired before our visit. Great work. --- If you can walk don’t take the city bus from the train station to market. You’ll miss a beautiful part of the city (Wyck). And come on....It’s just 1 km (~0.6miles)....You have legs.
--- Yes, the bookshop is one of the finest I have seen, great place. Next time you get there, pay a visit to the Basilica of St Servatius, it has a great collection of church treasures some of them dating back to 387 ad. Visited there a few years ago, time for another visit soon.
--- If you go a bit north to Geleen or Sittard, you can get from Belgium -> Netherlands -> Germany in like 10 minutes on a moped, it’s like ~6 kilometers wide from border to border over there :)
--- Born and raised in this beautiful city, proud to have Maastricht as the place of birth on my ID. The city centre is stunning and Wyck is also lovely, but there is more! On the east side, you can visit Heer, now part of Maastricht, but it used to be a village in itself! Very nice old buildings and close to the beautiful nature and another village called Bemelen. We have the most stunning nature around Maastricht, I am a very lucky girl to be able to keep my horse in that area and make stunning trail rides along the old marl caves and the stunning Juliana quarry. Or ride in the beautiful mountains and forests!
--- I loved it, you made a nice montage about Maastricht, I live about 30 kilometers north of Maastricht ( in the same province, Zuid-Limburg) but go regularly to Maastricht, it is a lovely city !!
--- City is a big word for a small provincial town. The center may be cute, but the rest is spoiled by typical Dutch endless rows of same-same uninspired flats.
--- how pedestrian is this city? Wow this is the most pedestrian city of all pedestrian cities in pedestrian countries. More pedestrian as this pedestrian city you can’t find them. I like pedestrian areas in pedestrian cities.
--- I’m so excited to live here soon
--- Die beste Geschichte über die Stadt Maastricht. Danke! (The best story about the city of Maastricht)
--- fantastic city been twice for work but would move there in a heartbeat
--- We LOVE Maastricht. It is also the ‘hometown’ of concertmaster, Andre Rieu! Throughout the Netherlands, Maastricht is famous as a place with a keen appreciation for civilized living...and its residents are known for having a ‘quirky’ sense of humor! When first I knew it, Maastricht was the European Air Traffic Control Center. It is true that the city is a technology center in addition to everything else. We last spent several days there...and we didn’t begin to see some of the points of interest covered in this fine video. Given my interest, this program went straight to my LIKED videos.
--- Love the city! One of the best places I’ve ever lived in—If you still have to travel for 2 hours, I’d rather go to a city that deviates from the standard ‘Dutch’ city and then Maastricht is the only truly Burgundian city in the Netherlands with its deviating architecture that looks more Southern European than the logical choice. In addition, the surroundings of Maastricht are really beautiful with the hills and valleys, beautiful villages and of course two other countries around the corner.
--- Great video! :) I’m living in Maastricht currently and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it!
--- Beautiful, very recognizable places from my home town of Maastricht in high-quality 4K shots! One of the most beautiful places in the Netherlands. Well done Dennis Callan.
--- This video of Maastricht was great ! Really enjoyed watching, we started visiting Maastricht every year already and enjoyed watching places we visited thank you from Malta
--- Another very nice video of a part of my country that isn’t Amsterdam! Nothing much against it but your videos show that there is so much more to the Netherlands. Thanks!
--- This is a great video. I’m going to Maastricht coming mid-December for the Christmas Fair. I’ll be staying for three days. This video really helps to decide what other sights I will be seeing when I’m there. I’m a keen walker and I love history so I think I will enjoy myself.
--- Your informative and well produced video on Maastricht has inspired me to include it on next summer’s holiday to the Netherlands, which will also include Utrecht and Rotterdam. Maastricht’s café culture looks especially appealing, and your calm, relaxed approach to producing holiday travelogues is to be commended. Thank you for your many years of promoting European travel.
--- I’ve lived in big cities like Arnhem and Amsterdam, but Maastricht is the most beautiful city. Such caracter and beauty everywhere.
--- This is definitely a very nice introduction...Maastricht is a lovely city. Full of restaurants, bars and shops. You will not get bored. Born and raised here, so I know first hand.
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COMMENTS ABOUT VARIOUS TOPICS:
--- -General --- --Bicycles --- --Trains --- Other Destinations --The videos
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GENERAL COMMENTS
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--- you’ve inspired me to visit the Netherlands. Thank you so much for the thorough coverage. My kind of travel.
--- I love the Netherlands...l feel like l would like stay in any place in that country. everyone has his dream country for me l really love to be part of the Dutch community...lts my dream country, l wish I would get chance to work there...l can’t wait. God will be happy to be there.
--- Excellent overview of my country :) look forward to seeing the series
--- My country the Nederlands is the best. I really love it and the Dutch language is the best in the whole world
--- OMG!!! I miss old Europe—tables in front of restaurants and bars...none of those in New York :(
--- The Netherlands is more than just Amsterdam (which I like).
--- I love that country n people so friendly
--- I had the bad luck to be born in England, which is now deeply embarrassing. But my great-grandfather was Dutch; his surname was deGroot. So now at least one eighth of me is from “an excellent country”. (One of my great-grandmothers was Romany, but I’ve no idea where she was from.) Thank you.
--- Regarding the outdoor cafés/restaurants in your videos of the Netherlands....do you have to wait to be seated or can you just find an open table and wait for a server?
--- you can just find a table and wait for the server.
--- anywhere in the Netherlands you can just take a seat. If you are outside the don’t always notice you, especially if it is more of a bar than a restaurant if that happens just walk in.
--- If you must wait for a table, you know they’re serving good food, for a decent price.
--- Small country, too much people.
--- Very inspiring lifestyle—we here in India fed up of motorcycles...polluted the atmosphere...
--- this makes me feel very sad and happy at the same time. I was in Germany two years ago and I wanted to go to Amsterdam but I could not because the time. I hope one day have the chance to travel to Europe again and visit Holland.
--- I’ve read it’s unusual to get ice in drinks, is this true, anyone? I really my iced tea, and ice in my water. My fav is smoked Gouda—yum! (or yam! in Dutch) :)
--- If you are out in a restaurant or bar you can get ice in your drinks if you want to. But I think due to the somewhat colder weather it’s a bit less usual, when i’m at home or visiting someone you don’t usually get ice in your drinks unless you ask for it.
--- And also big producer of Slim people ??not like America ??
--- A smile??????, generosity and being courteous to one another is something some people don’t believe in. Miss those days of being friendly with one another.
--- matt D. How will the weather be in end of September. As we are plans to visit in September and how about the other market you mentioned is it close to the city and easily accessible by bus or train ? (Dennis says:) “September weather should be perfect, and less crowded.”
--- The Dutch “sociable”? Well....
--- The nicest thing of the Netherlands is that most of us are multi lingual, we do everything to make you feel comfortable and helping where we can. If you are also into “cheese” then visit Gouda, where the famous Gouda cheeses come from. The north side of the Netherlands ( Friesland, Groningen) is also worth to visit, especially for the lakes and sailing.
--- Wish to visit Netherlands before dying.
--- Dutch people are tall and good looking. And most speak English !!!!!
--- English is an official language there, obviously they have to speak it, and Dutch people are the tallest in Europe according to data, they didn’t do anything to get that, just that’s the way they are
--- Well...almost....Dutch women back in the ‘golden age’ (around the year 1600) were highly attracted to tall and wealthy / rich businessmen. They simply didn’t breed with short men. That has never changed, Dutch women still like to date tall men. Nowadays a 14 year old girl can easily be 1.75 mtr ( 5.7 ft) and boys that age 1.80 ( 5.9 ft) I’m 6.5 ft, and sometimes even I feel ‘short’ ! Also very healthy food from the day we’re born, lots of exercise by riding bikes everywhere, stress free living are helping people grow bigger and bigger.
--- English is NOT an official language in The Netherlands. There are two official languages in The Netherlands: Dutch and Frisian. Frisian is spoken in the province of Friesland. Elderly people often don’t speak English.
--- Not totally true. English is not a official language here, but because Dutch is so difficult for foreigners, so overtime Dutch people started to speak English with them. Of course kids learn English in school here, but the main reason is that all TV programs, that are not in Dutch, run here with subtitles, so kids pick it up easy. You forgot to mention that we learn English at school, the reason why we are multilingual.
--- Glad to hear you like it, but the country is called the Netherlands. Holland is just two provinces within the country. Especially in this part of the Netherlands, the Limburg province, Holland is not the preferred name. We also have our own language and culture, different from the one in the rest of the Netherlands.
--- Netherlands is not Holland but Holland is Netherlands. Is this correct. I’m always confused??
--- (Dennis adds:) “According to Wikipedia, Holland is a region and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. The name Holland is also frequently used informally to refer to the whole of the country of the Netherlands....From the 10th to the 16th century, Holland proper was a unified political region within the Holy Roman Empire as a county ruled by the Counts of Holland. By the 17th century, the province of Holland had risen to become a maritime and economic power, dominating the other provinces of the newly independent Dutch Republic.The area of the former County of Holland roughly coincides with the two current Dutch provinces of North Holland and South Holland in which it was divided, which together include the Netherlands’ three largest cities: the de jure capital city of Amsterdam; Rotterdam, home of Europe’s largest port; and the seat of government of The Hague.”
--- Yes, it pisses me off when people ask me where are you from and they expect Holland! But even though I come from Haarlem in North Holland I still say the Nederlands or Nederland!
--- Thank you for great experiences. Best regards from Romania!
--- Holland is very interesting country, small but very influential. It has a peculiar language somewhat between German and English. It was the first country to legalize cannabis use and providing safe heroin and needles to addicts. Also, one of the first countries ever to remember, when it comes to sex ! Did you know that it was also Holland, where “sexual service” was presented to hospitalized people for the first time ever ! Brothels for women were a Dutch invention, too ! Sex and flowers belong together and Holland is world’s number one exporter of flowers. We all love you, beautiful Holland !
--- By the way: tulip season is over in August. But you can come back in May....
--- We Dutch work to live and not live to work, we don’t need a bigger car than the people next door or more money than we need, we enjoy life, it’s over before you know.
--- The Dutch are really sweet people :)
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BICYCLES
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--- bikes contributed a lot to make those beautiful leggy birds—And yes...the bicycles! Wish I could still ride one! Stay on the walking lanes, and don’t walk on the bicycle lane. Some cyclists can get abusive if you walk in their lane, and I don’t blame them.
--- Brilliant. Love all the bikes, and lack of traffic. Lucky Dutch.
--- I have never seen an obese Dutch person. Why? you might ask. All that cycling...Take note Americans.
--- I was an obese Dutchman till I started to ride my bike again and took two dogs...now I ride on average 6 miles a day and walk 3....Lost 30 kilograms in 6 months...go figure!
--- I like the common-sense helmet use...without mandating a law like a nanny state.
--- i wish I knew where that bikes are from, china? they look heavy but practical
--- There are many bike factories in The Netherlands, most bikes are Dutch made.
--- Very beautiful cities. People have environmental awareness. Mostly moving by bicycles. Or prefer to walk. Excellent culture.
--- No it’s because car’s cost a lot, parking cost even more and don’t let me start about gasoline.
--- Did you notice that in all this videos the children are not wearing bicycle helmets....
--- I’m Dutch I can answer that. First reason, we’re pragmatic. You don’t/never fall on your head. You fall on your hands and wrists (statistics). Best reason. We designed our country to suit pedestrians and cyclists first, cars come in fifth place. There’s a whole heap off great youtube clips about why the Dutch decided to choose to become a cycling-nation. (And the great way it has worked out for us.) Yeaeaea Holland
--- Cars and bikes are segregated and where they do meet bikes have priority. Helmets are not necessary or wanted. It’s Dutch culture.
--- Wow so beautiful...bel posto.....schön! I like the bicycle, very helpful to carry groceries and little angels too.??awesome bicycles, no pollution,nice photography, love from india
--- I think the bikes are brilliant
--- Ride bycycle everyday very healthy Habit; firstly whole body exercise; keep u healthy inside body & also keep u fit; no pollution, no crazy Traffic jam problem.
--- That’s how we roll ! In the morning most mothers bring the kids (from 4 to 8 years old) to school by bike with a front and rear seat, and on the way home picking up the daily fresh groceries from a supermarket or an outdoor market like this. It saves a lot of time doing it like that because no time is wasted while looking at the bumper of the car in front of you and/or for a place to park the car.
--- me too—I hate cars, esp when you are stoned.
--- No pollution no cars here only bicycles veri good and veri beautiful
--- More bicycles, less polluting motorized vehicles would be nicer. All over the world. Whenever it’s not an emergency just leave the damn car at home
--- Bicycles are so popular in holland because the country is flat as a Dutch pannekoek. No hills. Just a wind that always blows against you no matter what direction you are headed!.
--- It snows, and rains, and gets cold all over the world...But it’s not flat as a pancake all over the rest of the world. And, you know, you can dress accordingly to deal with the weather. If you could deal with hills by wearing the appropriate garments, without needing a Superman cape, I’d love to know, living as I do now in a terribly mountainous area. Bicycles do not have the right of way, they are treated as other vehicles with the same rights and restrictions as all vehicles.—I would also recommend renting a bicycle. The biking infrastructure is great, there’s virtually no hills, and it will allow you to get to many more places and see much more in a shorter time span.
--- everybody has one or more bikes. In The Netherlands the quantity of Bikes is around 21 million and people around 16,5 million.
--- I by the way have 4 bikes, 3 regular and one electric ;)
--- Ride bicycle everyday very healthy Habit -- firstly whole body exercise -- keep u healthy inside body & also keep u fit -- no pollution -- no crazy Traffic jam problem
--- love those tricycles with the seat/box at the front...and everywhere is so clean...no litter at all unlike the UK and the town I live in which has litter everywhere...
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TRAINS
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--- RE: Dutch railways services. Do NOT travel during peak hours unless you have to get to your job. During rush hour, some lines are so full that people have to stand for 20 minutes or half an hour even. So for tourists, best times to travel are between 9.00 and 16.00 and in between 18.30 en 6.30. During the weekends and on national holidays, you may travel all day (no peak hours).Weekend starts Friday 18: 30 and ends Monday 06: 30.Two notes about Dutch Public Transportation (Trains, Trams, Metros and Buses). In terms of frequency of services, the Netherlands is even better than Switzerland. But visitors do have to get used to the complexities of the OV-Chipkaart
--- Actually it’s the best to say that there are four tram systems and two metro systems in the Netherlands. Because each system does not only serve it’s main city, but also several towns and cities within the region. For example, the Rotterdam tram system does not only serve Rotterdam, but also Schiedam, Vlaardingen and Barendrecht. The Rotterdam metro does even serve The Hague (Den Haag) Central Station (metro line E). So The Hague doesn’t have a metro system itself, but it’s still being served by metro’s of it’s neighbor Rotterdam. ;)
--- There are only four Dutch cities with a tram but several municipalities are connected to these cities: Amsterdam (GVB), Den Haag (HTM), Rotterdam (RET), Utrecht (U-OV).
--- We have from 30 september 2019 a new metro line from east Rotterdam to Hoek of holland beach you can travel with the OV ticket or ovkaart this is better and cheap. You can take also on the OV ticket or ovkaart travel by Waterbus to Dordrecht over the rivers there are more directions on the water. Trams are also best. You can travel by lightrail to Den Haag also metroline Rotterdam to Den Haag.
--- So the GVB unlimited pass won’t work in Utrecht/Den Haag? Ugh. Is there one that works for all 4 cities? This is complex!— (Dennis adds:) “Yes, it can be very simple with the OV-chipkaart that will take you everywhere in the country, good for intercity train, bus, tram and all local transportation within cities. The GVB ticket is for Amsterdam, with two versions, for city only or also the Region ticket including Haarlem, Keukenhof, Volendam, Bloemendaal aan Zee or Zandvoort aan Zee.”
--- Sounds like I need one! I’ll be living in Den Haag but traveling to Utrecht and Amsterdam frequently. I’ll end up using GVB, HTM and NS quite frequently. I want to be smart about it and not build up a huge monthly bill.
--- Dutch public transport (train, tram and bus) is outstanding—arguably as good as the Swiss. The OV-chipkaart is in marked contrast to the chaotic and confusing ticketing systems I have to use living in Britain.
--- Also The Hague has one metro-line. Line E to Rotterdam Slinge
--- You can easily travel to other cities and smaller towns by train for day trips. The country being so small it only takes an hour or less on average, unless you want to cross the whole country (which still only takes about 3.5 hours :). Enjoy your stay!
--- He takes trains, which is very easy and convenient. We use 1 system for all public transport, called the OV Chip Card, which you can buy in lots of places and top up with credit to use on all buses, trams and trains. Parking is very costly, and you really don’t need a car, especially in the main cities a car is just a major headache. Hope this helps! I strongly agree with your high praise for the Dutch railway system. I would suggest that visitors to the Netherlands base themselves in Utrecht, and travel from there to places like Amsterdam, Leiden and Delft. But one warning about the OV-chipkaart. You must remember to CHECK OUT at the end of each journey!
--- We love to complain about our railway system here, but after hearing about and seeing focus on the U.S public transport, I will never complain again.....I find trains here a little too expensive, but all in all they’re a great, fast way to get around. Especially in the major cities parking is an expensive nightmare and a car just a pointless hassle. I would also advice tourists to use trains and other public transport. Do tap out when exiting a train, tram or bus though! Not doing so will lead to a 4 Euro fine every time you forget.
--- Make sure not to go by train on rush hours during the week. Unlike you like standling like a sardine in a tin can. Also avoid going in autumn and the winter, the trains can’t handle falling leaves and snow so well so trains often get cancelled and you have to go by bus. Refreshing: a video about the Netherlands which isn’t just about Amsterdam!
--- The Dutch are spoiled, compared to many other countries the trains are perfect.
--- The train is so expensive in the Netherlands (Dennis adds:) “Not really. It only costs US $24 to ride from Amsterdam all the way south to Maastricht for example, or $12 from Amsterdam to The Hague or Rotterdam. “
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OTHER DESTINATIONS
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[Note from Dennis:]
Viewers of the videos have offered many suggestions about other places to visit in the Netherlands, and to summarize here, I list all 43 cities they mentioned. In addition there were various comments and reasons to go, some of which are included below. It shows how much more there is to see in this small, wonderful, country. As I mentioned at the beginning, this book does not attempt to cover the entire country, but instead focuses on nine fascinating cities and covers them in depth. To provide similar detail about these other places would take another 20,000 pages and 4,000 pictures.
While I do plan to write another book or two about many of these destinations, that will take a while, and in the meantime you have the internet and other sources to learn about them if you want to get going. You could squeeze a few more of these cities into a 21-day visit, but I enjoyed the relaxed pace of spending 2 or 3 nights in each of the 9 places. There are many more places to see, so save something for repeat visits. This is not the end of the story, but the beginning of continued discovery of this great country.
Here are 43 other Dutch cities beloved by the video viewers:
Amersfoort; Apeldoorn; Arnhem; Bergen op zoom; Blokzijl; Breda ; Dalfsen; Den Bosch; Deventer; Dokkum; Dordrecht ; Edam; Eindhoven; Enkhuizen; Giethoorn; Groningen; Harlingen; Hattem; ‘S Hertogenbosch; Heusden; Hindeloopen; Hoorn; Houten; Kampen; Kinderdijk; Leeuwarden; Marken; Middelburg; Muiderslot; Nijmegen; Ootmarsum; Schiedam; Sneek; Swollen; Thorn; Veere; Veldhoven; Volendam; Zaandam; Zaanse Schans; Zierikzee; Zutphen; Zwolle;
.................
--- if you will visit again, try visiting the provinces Friesland and Zealand, and the Hanseatic League cities of old in the east like Deventer, Zutphen and Doesburg Absolutely stunning medieval city center with a lot of charm, few tourists and a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere.; Kampen, Dalfsen, Swollen etc.
--- I am really suggesting (urging, almost!) you to visit Groningen some day, the pearl of the northern part of the Netherlands. Loved Groningen, so green and fresh!
--- Kijkduin is better
--- I suggest you to visit valkenburg in the zuid of Nederland is a beautiful touristic place. By the way nice video
--- When will you visit Schiedam? It is small town between Delft and Rotterdam. Highly recommended.
--- Schiedam is just part of Rotterdam now
--- Good Cities to visit in North Brabant Province
--- Love your videos, I’m Dutch myself to be honest prefer not to be in Amsterdam or Utrecht finding it much to busy. I recommend going to Friesland, that’s very interesting to visit because it can be a whole different experience then you had in Utrecht or Amsterdam
--- Be aware that the provinces Friesland and Limburg the main language isn’t Dutch which it makes harder for you to integrate. Frisian has the same roots as English while Limburgan has a pitch accent (tone) which is rare in Europe.
--- Deventer..one of the 5 oldest city
--- Deventer is nice :-) But of course there are a lot of cities that could have made the cut. It’s just hard to only pick 9 places that are worth visiting in a whole country. And that’s not even counting lake districts, polders, deltawerken, de Veluwe, the beach, the flower fields etc. Makes me wonder how much other countries I sometimes visit have to offer....It must be similar :-)
--- visit Arnhem! It’s only 30 minutes from Utrecht by train. Known by the book a bridge too far.
--- No Eindhoven—spent three weeks their on business and did see Amsterdam on weekends also trip to Bastogne, Belgium
--- I agree visit Leeuwarden! Highly underrated
--- Breda also great city. Breda almost became the Dutch Capital if William of Orange could have stayed in Breda …...
--- You should visite Giethoorn, the Holland water village. It is paradise
--- There’s more to the country than just the cities. You should visit the countryside next. See the polders, windmills and dams.
--- Middelburg is so underrated
--- The Northern Islands are great to visit, Terschelling is my favorite.
--- You should visit Dordrecht too: that’s where The Netherlands as a nation came to be. It’s a very nice 800 years old city just 25 kilometers from Rotterdam, best visited by boat, with hundreds of monuments, art stores, fine restaurants, canals, etc. etc.
--- I do think that Den Bosch has a beautiful historic center (with relatively many historic defenses). There is just a “lack” of age-old buildings in the middle of the center (next to St John). I think the best thing about den Bosch is the boundary; from the bastions on the southern city wall you immediately look into the green. In the Netherlands, you can only find something like this in historic cities that are no longer cities.
--- Breda and Eindhoven actually have historic city centers with medieval dating, but little is left of them in addition to the road plan. Thus no beautiful historic city centers, with which I agree with you. Tilburg has not known a city center until modern times (the rise of the (textile) industry).
--- If someone’s reading this and thinking of doing a similar trip, I recommend visiting even more places if you’re also going 3 weeks. Most of these cities aren’t all that large and you can see pretty much all of it within a day or less usually. Because of this I’d recommend visiting some other towns and cities, since you’ll be able to see most of them in a couple hours. I personally think it would be most interesting to visit some more cities in the east, like the historical cities of Nijmegen and Groningen.
--- nijmegen: never been there, but it is the oldest city with city rights, so I guess it’s a keeper for historical purposes.arnhem: legendary from world war 2, another historical landmark, played a gig there with my band like 15 years ago, friendly folk, nice city to stroll through with little shops everywhere (at the time)deventer: has a big old square with a church on it, and a big old kettle from back in the middle ages where they used to boil witches in, pretty grim shit, got a lot of modern shit mixed in too, pretty good night life, nice town to have a beer. anyway, the southeastern parts of the country are the most influenced by catholicism and have their construction style, big old squares, with big old cathedralsgroningen: very lively city with tons of students keeping it going. leeuwarden and middelburg may be nice. There’s actually a night train going all the way from vlissingen by the hour (with middelburg just a stop before) that goes through amsterdam, so you could pick those up along the way whilst catching some sleep I would suggest texel too, the biggest island we have, you could cover some den helder (the city from where the boat to the island goes, has the navy headquarters too) and a bit of the “waddenzee” maybe while you’re at it, we even have seals over there, when you look north from texel, you can almost see the end of the world from there lol. nothing but sea.kinderdijk with the little mills and the high up polders is kind of bread and butter Dutch shit, kinda like lisse and the keukenhof :Dpersonally not all that blown away by dordrecht.breda is nice, tilburg isn’t half bad either, but a maze to navigate by bike, eindhoven is cool too.they’re all in the vicinity.
--- My favorites out of these cities are: Arnhem, Nijmegen, Den Bosch, Zutphen, Deventer and Zwolle. Zutphen, Deventer and Zwolle are the more well known Dutch Hanseatic cities with a great history. Especially Zutphen is underappreciated and has a beautiful historic city center. Arnhem is where I live and played a big role in the ending of WWII. A big part of the city was destroyed and rebuild over the years and it’s fascinating to see the old and the new next to each other. Nijmegen has a history that goes as far back as the Roman Empire. Nijmegen was on the border of the roman empire. Nijmegen also has beautiful parks. Den Bosch is also a great city with beautiful historic buildings and canals (although the canals are more hidden than in cities like Amsterdam and Utrecht). The city centre feels to me very “gezellig” as we Dutch people say.
--- You missed one of the most beautiful city… DEVENTER!
--- Visit Leeuwarden. Underrated area its the North. culture capital 2018.
--- Very nice video, if someday you get the opportunity to explore even more Dutch cities beyond Amsterdam I recommend that you should visit cities in the north like Groningen and Leeuwarden, the east like Arnhem and Nijmegen and some more in the south like Middelburg, Breda and Eindhoven.
--- The only extra places I can think of are Giethoorn, which is known as the Venice of the Netherlands because the town has canals except of roadways and Valkenburg which is in the south and is known because it has the highest point in the Netherlands and old coal mines(it’s interesting as it’s the Dutch place with the highest elevation but it’s not very different from Belgian towns some kilometres further). Personally I would also recommend Wijk bij Duurstede (where I live), because it has a rich history of being a Viking settlement known as Dorestad about a 1000 years ago as it’s situated at the crossing of two rivers. It also boasts the only drive-through windmill.
--- Eindhoven—There are some really cool high rise projects going on in the city center, like: District E ( 3 towers ), Dutch Mountains, Lighthouse, Bunkertoren, Eurobuilding, Victoriatower and more in the planning. They are not going to be like the huge 250 or 300 meter towers like in the USA, but they vary between 90 to 200 meters. Search on Youtube/Google for Internationale Knoop XL Eindhoven, this is going to be huge also.
--- You mainly visit the west of my country, like most tourist, the east and the south are much older the history in roman civilization and dark ages, the west that is really Holland, was most of our history a inner sea, please in a next visit go to the south and the east.
--- Up north there are also the very beautiful, but a bit smaller cities of Groningen, Leeuwarden and Zwolle, but also Amersfoort, Nijmegen and Zutphen in the east are worth a day trip if you look for less touristy but authentic Dutch cities. And also the 5 islands all the way up in the North are gorgeous!
--- Unfortunately some slightly more eccentric situated cities but also very pretty cities worthwhile to visit: Breda, Den Bosch, Middelburg, Amersfoort, Nijmegen, Zwolle, Groningen, Leeuwarden. Then there are very much smaller places with are interesting to visit; Enkhuizen, Hoorn, Volendam, Edam, Marken, Zaanse Schans, Kinderdijk, Zierikzee, Veere, Dokkum, Sneek, Thorn, Apeldoorn...
--- Ah, someone who recognizes the pearl that is Thorn
--- if I may give you a traveling tip, based on this video, you are visting “older/historic”citys and towns. which are all very beautiful. if you ever come back to this country, I would love to suggest to go to deventer or zutphen, whom are very beautiful too. other than that I want to thank you for showing a lovely clip about the Netherlands.
--- You really missed out on one place with Netherland’s most beautiful and historical best preserved city center...Amersfoort
--- nice to see my favorite cities as Maastricht and Utrecht, im from Alkmaar and that’s a very nice city too :)— We have more old smaller towns in the nord and east. Bike yes it Dutch. I live in Rotterdam I was born there.
--- don’t forget to visit the city of Den-Bosch with its fantastic gothic cathedral! and the city of Breda is also worth a day-trip/
--- please do an episode on my town of Breda in the south of the Netherlands. It is the 8th city of holland and I would be very interested to see and hear your views on it. Enjoying your videos, greetings.
--- My advice would be to slow down, do not try to do too much. Take your time. Try not to speed through a checklist of countries you have been to. Too many fly into Amsterdam spend 1 day and race of to Belgium spend 1 day, race of to Paris spend one day. To me that sounds more like a waste of time. My advise pick a country, maybe at most 2 or 3 at best and spend a little more time in them. Anywhere really, try to experience them.
--- We visited 18 cities. I just want to say the Netherlands are beautiful with its sights, amazing architecture, kindly people, delicious food. I have no words to describe my feelings after visiting this beautiful Country.
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THE VIDEOS
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--- as a dutchman, I’m already impressed within the first 2 minutes, very thorough coverage, and +1 for attempting to pronounce the names the Dutch way. Your guttural G is pretty decent.
--- So much better and genuine than 99% other tourist info videos about the Netherlands. well done!
--- Fantastic, I like the down to the earth approach. Always find it a pity that most other videos just scratch the touristy top layer, yours is a breath of fresh air.
--- Love the use of maps and street names in these wonderful informative videos! Certainly make me want to return and see more. —your videos have Great production values and quality in editing!! Well Done!! Very informative too.
--- this video is very useful for me. I feel as if I were there.
--- I’m actually stunned by this beautiful video! Really.....So pretty well done!
--- we love your videos! We are college professors who have traveled multiple times to England, but never to Europe. You have inspired us to take a 3-week trip to Germany and the Netherlands in Fall 2020. We are actually going to skip Amsterdam and travel to Strasbourg, then Heidelberg, then Rotterdam and Leiden. We will take day trips to Haarlem, Delft and The Hague. Thanks for sharing your experience online!
--- This is extremely beautiful. Thanks sir for sharing it
--- love your every video about Netherlands.....i get very excited whenever I see you uploaded a video...thanks for that and keep exploring Netherlands for us so we can explore it in the future
--- Wonderful, informative video, as if I’m there.
--- Another brilliant, informative and entertaining video. Hats off to you and yours!
--- Another great video tour. Can’t wait to get my kids to the Netherlands. I’m not sure I would have included Leiden, so thanks for putting it on our radar
--- Every time it is a pleasure to learn about my own country via your comprehensive video’s. My compliments for your extensive research and report. Thank you, it’s a pleasure to watch!
--- I’m always enjoying your channel. It’s really down to earth and has great cinema and information and voice overs.
--- An extremely interesting video—and like all of your videos, extremely informative.
--- You are one of the best Travel Youtubers! Thank you.
--- Great travel vlog! So interesting to see cities through another’s perspective. —I enjoy all your travel videos. I walk with most of them. Thank you for sharing the world with us!
--- always spectacular cinema tours of places.
--- Excellent and very informative video yet again. Kudos for this.
--- Love the classy way you do the commentary. In an era of vloggers I miss that clear, to the point, speeches and videography. Please do keep em coming
--- This is simply another brilliant video in your current Dutch series. From what I can deduce there is a great amount of effort put into your productions and some solid physical effort !! As a matter of general interest do you write your own remarkable scripts ? So pleased that you are inviting intelligent local sound bites from people who know the area. A great job well done -thank you Dennis.
--- (Dennis adds:) “Thanks, and about my scripts, yes I write them myself—it’s actually the most challenging part of the process, requiring lots of research from various sources including the Tourist Information Office, Wikipedia, old guidebooks, various websites, and then after much reading I usually put it aside and narrative live, spontaneously while watching the scene. The final script is “spoken” rather than written, much of it based on my memories and experiences of being in the place. It is the last of many stages of my production in which I plan the trip, take the actual journey, shoot the video, come home and edit, then narrate. I’m glad you noticed.”
--- Thumbs up as always Dennis for Another great commentary and great video!
--- One of the finest travel videos I have ever watched. Thank you. I love the Netherlands.
--- Can’t thank you enough for this GREAT video, Dennis. THANK YOU. :-))))
--- Love all your videos, very thorough and down-to-earth style introduction.
--- Mr. Callan....so glad you are here! Best videos ever!
--- your latest travel videos are the nicest with the most comprehensive commentaries on YouTube. Please keep sharing.
--- Great video, as a dutchman also very nice to watch.
--- An extremely interesting video! I watched it on 11th May 2019, just a few days after the Dutch Tourist Board in effect said, ‘Please do NOT come to Amsterdam—it is too crowded. Please visit our other beautiful cities and our lovely countryside.’
--- Always a wonderful and astonishing channel of tours around the world and beautiful places, amazing descriptions and wonderful reality.
--- Your work deserves huge appreciation -love from pakistan
--- Excellent tour. I love to watch your Great videos, very informative and learning experience Indeed.
--- Oh this is so great to see as dutchman,,,I love ur channel I subscribed
--- Beautiful reportage like always.
--- denniscallan I respect very much your work, very relaxing. thank you for sharing
--- Thank you for all the explanations & the visual input.
--- if I say I am in love with your videos, I guess it won’t be exaggeration. thank you very much for our great videos.
--- You do a really good job at presenting our country from an outside point of view. Nice footage and good solid information. I hope more people see your videos.
--- I bet viewer metrics will show mostly Dutch people, we love looking at other people’s views of our country lol
--- Great video and it has made me feel so much better!
--- Interesting that I should stumble upon these videos. Recently, I started a YT subscription to Cabview Holland Dutch Railways videos and have seen, by train, many of the cities shown in this well-done and informative video, which actually takes one into the cities to see close up the sights. The train videos do show, however, a different, rural and picturesque countryside, not seen in the city-centered focus. A charming country, one I’ll probably never have a chance to visit. However, your videos come about as close to living it as one could hope for.
--- I really enjoy your videos man. You have a very easy going and relaxed vibe.
--- Your videos are among the best ones available for people wanting to visit a city!
--- Your videos are just mind blowing.. I love watching it.. the way you provide deep information, it’s just amazing.
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