I came to the Netherlands in the last days of April in the cool, fresh spring weather, occasionally, the cold winds blowing with the sea air reminding people that this is a coastal country. I visited the city of Den Haag (or La Haye in French), the capital Amsterdam, the tulip festival at Keukenhof park, Zaanse Schans village and Giethoorn village, places considered "specialties" of the Netherlands.
Unforgettable memories in Den Haag
The first day I arrived in Den Haag coincided with King's Day (April 27), the birthday of King Willem - Alexander of the Netherlands, so all the people had a day off and went out to celebrate this important day. The streets of the Netherlands were bustling and filled with orange. Orange represents the pride of the Dutch royal family (the House of Orange - Nassau) and the Dutch wore this brightly colored outfit to show their boundless love for their country.
After a while of walking through the streets, soaking up the festive atmosphere, I stopped by a small roadside bakery and pointed to a cream cake decorated with orange sauce and a small Dutch flag on top. The bakery seller gave me a thumbs up and introduced: “You made the right choice! This is a tompouce, a traditional Dutch cake, and King's Day wouldn't be complete without this.”
Another particularly meaningful memory in The Hague for an international law student like me was visiting the headquarters of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a picturesque ancient castle where cases between countries are heard and legal advice on international law issues is given. I have seen the image of the ICJ on the covers of law textbooks many times, but seeing the main judicial organ of the United Nations still brings an indescribable feeling.
It is hard to imagine that inside that ancient building, so many decisions and conclusions were made to resolve legal disputes between UN member states regarding important issues that have been controversial for many years regarding borders, territorial sovereignty, diplomatic relations, asylum rights, nationality and economic rights... In his speech at the first session of the Court, on April 18, 1946, the first President of the UN General Assembly Paul - Henri Spaak once said: "I do not venture to affirm that the ICJ is the most important organ of the United Nations, but I can say that there is no organ more important than it". Den Haag left me with such memorable memories!
Vibrant and vibrant
In contrast to Den Haag, the capital Amsterdam is much more vibrant, modern and bustling. Stepping out of the crowded train station, I saw a stream of cyclists on their own bike paths.
The Netherlands, which is vulnerable to global warming, is one of the pioneers in environmental protection efforts. With 22.5 million bicycles for a population of only 17.5 million, the Netherlands is considered the country with the highest bicycle per capita in the world. According to the Dutch Cyclists Association, the country accounts for 2.3% of the world's 1 billion bicycles, with an average of 1.3 bicycles per person. Cycling has become a part of Dutch culture from a daily habit.
Meanwhile, Amsterdam has a massive canal system, if the water surface of all the canals and rivers is added together, it will take up about a quarter of the city's surface area. Amsterdam's canals have three main canals: the Prince's Canal, the Emperor's Canal and the Gentlemen's Canal. In 2011, UNESCO officially recognized the ring canal system including three main canals built in the 17th century in Amsterdam as a World Heritage Site along with more than 1,000 canalside monuments.
Therefore, it is not difficult to see people leisurely cycling along the canals or two or three brightly colored bicycles placed carelessly on the bridge over the canals, making Amsterdam so poetic, especially in the late afternoon. To experience becoming a true Amsterdammer, I rented a bicycle to ride around the city center, visiting some famous places such as the Rijksmuseum, Rembrandtplein Square, De Wallen red light district, Dam Square, Begijnhof garden...
Multi-colored tulip carpet at Keukenhof park. (
Photo: NVCC)
Leaving the capital Amsterdam, I visited Keukenhof Park - the world's largest flower garden in the town of Lisse in the Southwest. I was lucky to visit Keukenhof during the festival, when the tulips were in full bloom. Entering the park, I was overwhelmed by thousands of colorful tulips competing to show off their beautiful colors, planted in rows like colorful silk ribbons under the spring sunshine.
Existing for more than a century, Keukenhof Park has a campus of 32 hectares and is planted with more than seven million temperate flowers and is cared for by hundreds of gardeners every day. The park is divided into many areas, each decorated and designed in different styles, creating novelty and stimulating the curiosity of visitors. In addition to the typical tulip, the festival also has many other types of flowers such as daffodils, lilies, orchids, etc.
Feast your eyes on the many colorful flowers, and enjoy many cultural and artistic programs, performances imbued with traditional Dutch identity. It feels so relaxing to walk with your loved ones through the colorful flower carpets, immerse yourself in country music and watch the clear streams flowing gently into the large lake, where beautiful swans leisurely swim on the water.
Beautiful villages
When talking about the Netherlands, it would be a mistake not to mention Giethoorn, a small village with a long history in the province of Overijssel. With a complex system of canals and hundreds of wooden bridges, Giethoorn is also known as the “Venice of the Netherlands”. Coming here, visitors can choose to kayak, canoe, motorboat or stroll along the winding canals to admire the thatched-roof houses surrounded by the green of trees and flowers with wooden bridges leading to them.
Different from the bustling, bustling life out there, without the sound of car horns and dust from traffic, the scenery of Giethoorn village is extremely peaceful and ancient. Quietly riding on a motorboat to feel the rare beauty here, I wondered if I was lost in a fairy tale world in real life?
Giethoorn Village. (Photo: NVCC)
Last but not least is the windmill village of Zaanse Schans, just 15km northwest of Amsterdam. The typical scene that tourists imagine of the Netherlands with windmills, wooden clogs, dairy cows and farms.
From afar, the ancient windmills stand out against the blue sky with many colors and their own styles. Zaanse Schans village has a total of 13 windmills, of which six are ancient windmills located along the banks of the Zaan River. The windmills here are over 300 years old. On average, the mills will rotate once every 16 seconds, but when the wind is strong, it only takes 10 seconds. Witnessing the operation of the windmills is an extremely interesting experience.
Not only famous for its giant windmills, Zaanse Schans village is also the place to produce traditional Dutch wooden clogs - one of the symbols of the Netherlands, along with traditional costumes of multi-layered skirts or wide-leg pants.
Visiting the Wooden Clogs Museum in the village, I was able to admire a very unique collection of wooden clogs with all kinds of styles and colors displayed from the door to the inside of the museum. Here, craftsmen will directly make wooden clogs, from a pair of wooden clogs, then paint, draw or carve patterns to increase the aesthetic value. Surely, after seeing it, it is difficult for anyone to resist buying a few small, pretty wooden clogs as souvenirs.
After these wonderful experiences, I can tell you many reasons to love the Netherlands and partly understand why this country is always in the top 10 countries with the highest happiness index in the world. The Netherlands to me probably encapsulates happiness in a peaceful and poetic life.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/du-lich-ha-lan-nhung-trai-nghiem-kho-phai-232035.html
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