Travel Tips

This travelogue needed an update! For now, you'll see too many pictures of oranges. But I try to constantly update this travelogue to hold current issues in The Netherlands.
Be they politics, sports, culture or history.
So if you need a conversation topic while you are travelling in The Netherlands, look here!

Dutch news in English Since September 2008, one of our country's foremost newspapers offers news in English. NRC translates for international readers here

Did you know that the world famous violinist André Rieu is from The Netherlands? He is now doing is World Stadium Tour and will set up his amazing real-size Schonbrunn castle podium in The Netherlands on 27 and 28 June 2008. In December he will tour 7 major Australian cities.

Click here for André Rieu's website.

Dutch museum open their doors for free entry or reduced prices in this weekend.
The theme this year is 'The Art of Truth'.

http://www.museumweekend.nl/

See Sports Travel tip on this page or go directly to:
www.fortismarathonrotterdam.nl/

for if you want to look or participate.
Or look up what VT-ers write about the Rotterdam Marathon here

(picture from website)

There are two major exhibitions to celebrate Vincen van Gogh's 150th birthday on March 30th 2003.

At the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and at the Kröller Müller museum in Otterlo.

See www.kmm.nl/exhibitions.htm
and www.vangoghmuseum.nl

www.keytours.nl does special day trips for both exhibitions.

And there is a shuttle service:
www.kmm.nl/pendeldienst_en.htm

The Eurovision festival has always been a popular event in The Netherlands. The pre-contest nationally was televised on March 1st 2003.

The songfestival has only occassionally been a success for The Netherlands. Often the result is mediocre to downright tragical!
But it makes great entertainment.

For Dutch visitors:
http://www.eurosong.nl/

anf the winner is... Esther Hart from Rotterdam!

(photo from website)

Fifty years since the "Watersnoodramp" of the night of 31st January-1st February 1953.
In this night most of the province Zeeland was flooded. As well as parts of province Noord-Brabant and the South-Holland islands.
A north-west storm was the culprit.

Over 1800 people drowned. To illustrate the scale of this disaster, the death casualty was about 10% of many of the villages in the affect area. The population of the area was 600.000.
Most of the cattle drowned and the houses were severely damaged.

Since then, The Netherlands has fought the sea through it's world renowned Deltaworks.

Read more about this on this excellent website:
www.delta2003.nl/index.php?lng=en
(English version)

The Dutch version, produced by Joop van der Ende, will be launched in the Luxor Theatre in Rotterdam from March 2003.

http://www.musicals.nl/3musketiers/

(picture from website)

Utrecht is cultural capital of The Netherlands for 2003. The 250.000 euro that this city is now entitled to, will be spent on an international art and music exposition NEO as well as a mobile architecture project.
Utrecht aspires to be European Cultural Capital in 2013.

Last year, on May 15th, National elections were held in The Netherlands to choose the members of Parliament. Then a new government was formed but it fell in October 2002 because the various parties within the government could not work together. As is the case, we'll be voting again on January 22nd 2003.

There are three layers of government in the Netherlands: a national, a provincial and a local layer of government. In the general elections we elect our members of parliament. At a national level these are the members of the Second Chamber, at a provincial level the members of the provincial councils and at a local level the members of the local councils. Besides the Second Chamber, the First Chamber also forms part of the Dutch parliament. Members of the First Chamber however are elected indirectly. Indirectly, because they are elected by members of the provincial councils.

The NRC, foremost newspaper in the Netherlands) has an online English section with current news and affairs.

The link is

http://www.nrc.nl/inenglish/

A camping weekend in May 2003 in The Netherlands for travelers to share experiences and information.

Ask VT member Schielen for details or visit this site:
http://home.wanadoo.nl/~gtw/index.htm

Picture taken from website.

www.deparade.nl

This is a mobile festival that moves itself to Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Amsterdam during June, July and August. Theatre shows, musical shows for families and children take place. It's a great way to see what's going on in the art world and it may help you decide which theatre shows to visit in winter.
The shows cost anything between € 2 and € 20. Every pavillion does a little show in front of it and if you like it you buy a ticket to go inside to see the rest.
After June 30th there will be photo's of the Parade on my Rotterdam page.

Weekend of 9-11 July 2004 in The Hague is the setting of the most well known jazz festival in The Netherlands.

See www.northseajazz.nl/index.en.html (English version) for online tickets, hotel advice and of course, the programme!

June 2004: future Queen of the Netherlands, princess Amalia was baptised.

www.zeehondencreche.nl/english/index.htm

The seals kindergarten (Zeehondencrèche Pieterburen) was started in 1971 by Lenie 't Hart who took care of sick seals in the period that they were severly hit by a virus.
It is now grown into a full blown seal hospital, and (environmental) research center.