Dutch wine? Yes! and other Netherlands Off The Beaten Path Tips

A vineyard this far north in The Netherlands is rather odd, to say the least.
It's about 10 kms from my hometown Brielle near a rural hamlet called Biert. It's also near Rotterdam. Definitely a road or cycling trip.
So Domain De Vier Ambachten offers you a wide range of wines of which I have yet to taste one. Tasting notes to follow (I'm a bit apprehensive, hahaha!).

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Website: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/2bf0c/71092/

The history of making cheese, commercial activities around it (Cheese market on Fridays in Alkmaar in the months april through september is a famous must-see).

I've seen the cheesemarket twice in my life. That is.....I had a glimpse. Why?
Well, the first time I was about 12. There were so many people gathered around the square that I couldn't really see.
The second time I was on holiday with one of my friends. She and I decided to stay over in a hotel on the square so that we could get there early. But alas, we slept late because I woke up all night because of the church clock chiming. So we got there too late and I had to climb in a tree to catch a glimpse!
The advice is: get there at 8 in the morning!

(Photo: from website)

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Phone: +31 072 - 511 42 84
Website: www.kaasmuseum.nl
Other Contact: Waagplein 2, 1811 JP ALKMAAR

Finally I can be under water and still breathe normally. Although I am a bad swimmer and not particularly fond of water, I do love to watch nature movies about the sea. Here is one live and it's really fascinating!

Click here how to get there (English)

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Website: www.rotterdamzoo.nl

In General Tips you can find a tip about city rights in The Netherlands. Administrative and judicial indepence from the 12th century.
If you would like to know which places are very old, and likely to have remains from even before the Middle Ages, this list might be of help. The dates are of the year when the city rights were given.

Aardenburg 1127
Abbekerk 1414
Alkmaar 1254
Almelo 1394
Ameide 14th century
Amersfoort 1259
Amsterdam 1300
Appingedam 1327
Arnemuiden 1574
Arnhem 1233
Asperen 1313
Assen 1809
Axel 1213
Baarn 1391
Barsingerhorn 1415
Batenburg 1349
Bergen op Zoom 1347
Berlicum 1355
Beverwijk 1298
Biervliet 1183
Blokzijl 1672
Bolsward 1331
Borculo 1375
Breda 1252
Brielle 1306
Broek 1364
Bronkhorst 1482
Brouwershaven 1477
Bunschoten 1383
Buren 1395
Coevorden 1408
Culemborg 1318
Cuyk 1550
Delden 1333
Delft 1246
Deventer 956
Doesburg 1237
Doetinchem 1237
Dokkum 1298
Domburg 1223
Dordrecht 1220
Echt 1343
Edam 1357
Eembrugge 1300
Eemnes-Binnen 1439
Eemnes-Buiten 1345
Eindhoven 1232
Elburg 1233
Enkhuizen 1355
Enschede 1325
Franeker 1374
Geertruidenberg 1213
Geervliet 1381
Gein 1295
Gendt 1233
Genemuiden 1275
Gennep 1371
Goedereede 1312
Goes 1405
Goor 1263
Gorinchem 1322
Gouda 1272
Grafhorst 1333
Gramsbergen 1442
Grave 1233
's-Gravenhage 1811
's-Gravenzande 1246
Groenlo 1277
Groningen 11th century
Groot-Ammers 1322
Haarlem 1245
Haastrecht 1396
Hagestein 1382
Hardenberg 1362
Harderwijk 1231
Harlingen 1317
Hasselt 1252
Hattem 1299
Heenvliet 1469
's-Heerenberg 1379
's-Hertogenbosch 1196
Helmond 1346
Hem 1414
Heukelum 1391
Heusden 1318
Hindeloopen 1372
Hoogwoud 1414
Hoorn 1357
Huissen 1348
Hulst 12e eeuw
IJlst 1315
IJsselstein 1331
IJzendijke 1303
Kampen 1236
Keppel 1404
Klundert 1357
Kortgene 1431
Langedijk 1415
Leerdam 1407
Leeuwarden 1285
Leiden 1266
Lochem 1233

(continued in next tip)

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Maasbommel 1328
Maassluis 1811
Maastricht 1204
Medemblik 1289
Megen 1357
Meppel 1809
Middelburg 1217
Monnikendam 1355
Montfoort 1329
Montfort 1271 (?)
Muiden 1296
Naarden 1355
Niedorp 1415
Nieuwpoort 1283
Nieuwstadt 1271 (?)
Nijkerk 1413
Nijmegen 1230
Noordwijk 1398
Oisterwijk 1230
Oldenzaal 1249
Ommen 1248
Oostburg 1237
Oosterhout 1809
Ootmarsum 1325
Oss 1399
Oudewater 1265
Philippine 1506
Purmerend 1410
Ravenstein 1380
Reimerswaal 1374
Rhenen 1364
Rijssen 1243
Roermond 1231
Rotterdam 1340
Schagen 1415
Schellinkhout 1402
Schiedam 1275
Schoonhoven 1280
Sint Anna ter Muiden 1242
Sint Maartensdijk 1491
Sint Oedenrode 1232
Sittard 1243
Sloten 1426
Sluis 1290
Sneek 13th century
Spanbroek 1414
Staverden 1298
Stavoren 11th century
Steenbergen 1331
Steenwijk 1327
Susteren 1276
Terborg 1419
Terneuzen 1584
Texel 1415
Tholen 1366
Tiel 13e eeuw
Tilburg 1809
Utrecht 1122
Valkenburg 1452
Veere 1355
Venlo 1343
Vianen 1336
Vlaardingen 1273
Vlissingen 1315
Vollenhove 1354
Vreeland 1260
Waalwijk 1303
Wageningen 1263
Weert 1414
Weesp 1355
Wessem 1329
Westkapelle 1223
Westwoud 1414
Wieringen 1432
Wijk bij Duurstede 1300
Willemstad 1583-1586
Wilsum 1331
Winkel 1415
Winschoten 1825
Woerden 1371
Wognum 1414
Workum 1374
Woudrichem 1284
Zaandam 1811
Zaltbommel 1315
Zevenaar 1487
Zevenbergen 1427
Zierikzee 1248
Zutphen 1190
Zwolle 1230

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Anton Pieck is a 20th century master of Dutch landscape and daily life.

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First Sunday of August: the inner city of Deventer teems with people as they visit the largest bookmarket in Europe. Secondhands, antique old books, comic strips, collectable books....
The stalls are along streets with a total length of 6 km. Some 125.000 people visited in 2002.
The route:
Deventer, IJsselkade en historische binnenstad: Brink, Zandpoort, Polstraat, Melksterstraat, Grote Kerkhof, Nieuwe Markt, Vispoort, Welle, Onder de Linden, Kapjeswelle, Twickelostraat

For information contact the tourist office.
They have a paid tel. number so best idea is to e-mail.
Direct link to information (in Dutch):
www.deventer.nl/Txt/Cultuur-Evenementen-Boekenmarkt.html

The photo (with permission) is from
http://home.wxs.nl/~lee00356/boeken.html

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Phone: vvvdeventer@anwb.nl
Website: www.deventer.nl
Other Contact: Tourist Office, Keizerstraat 22,

Meppel is, through the centuries, a commercial centre where mainly peat was shipped. Lively commerce existed because it is located by many waterways.
Aroun 1700, printer Jan Lensink came from Amsterdam to live in Meppel and establish himself as Meppel's first printer. Many other printers followed and of the 60 printers in the province Drenthe, 17 are located in Meppel.

From the first forms of communication th emuseum shows the development of writing throughout history until the 50s of the last century. The museum also boast a library of some 1000 rare books and magazines in all fields of the graphic profession.

Address: Kleine Oever 11, 7941 BK Meppel.
Open Tuesday to Saturday 13-17 hrs.

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Phone: +31 522 242565
Website: www.drukkerijmuseum-meppel.nl

Veluwe National Park, in the province Gelderland offers free white bicycles. You can use them to tour around the park where you can easily cycle a whole day or more.
That way you can take a picknick and cycle leisurely through the park, enjoy nature, visit Kröller Müller museum or hunting lodge St. Hubertus, built by the famous Dutch architect Berlage.
There are also special wildlife tours to see deer or fox.

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Website: http://www.hogeveluwe.nl

When you're sightseeing or shopping in old Dutch towns, look out for gablestones. They often have the date of when the house was built (plenty in the 16th/17th century or newer) and the image often tells you a little about what the building was used as. Sometimes the local tourist office will offer a gablestone walk (gevelstenen wandeling) which gives you more information.

It's a nice theme for a walk around any town of some age and history!

There are some gablestone pictures on my Brielle and Maastricht page.

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