Holland may be a tiny country, but the diversity of its landscapes is unprecedented. Large polders with wide views, small scale hedgerow landscapes, stream valleys and riverscapes, dunes and beaches, and rolling hills in the south. Appreciation of small scale landscapes is high – the Dutch feel at home in the surroundings that they recognize and feel connected to. The landscape marks their identity. Not surprisingly, in recent years, several initiatives have popped up to protect the historic rural and natural landscapes under pressure from ever enlarging agricultural enterprises, pollution, and urbanization.
The Dutch should know they have gold in their hands. Variety is what makes the world interesting. It is what travelers are searching for on their journeys. If you visit the Netherlands, make sure to step outside Amsterdam, and learn to value the landscapes that the locals appreciate so much and identify themselves with.
Do you feel tempted to discover the Netherlands’ diverse landscapes? These travel tips will help to get you started:
- For river valleys and the Dutch idea of a mountain; head to the east
- More ‘mountain’ trips in this guide to Dutch mountaineering
- Admire the black-and-white cows from the water
- All landscapes in miniature on the island of Texel
- Wide views and Dutch folklore in the Green Heart polders
- Find an intimate scenery at the Northern Frisian Woodlands hedgerow landscape