Explore Amsterdam the Dutch way, by bike and canal boat, see
traditional items such as clogs, cheese and hand painted pottery
being made and visit some of Amsterdam's most famous museums
before transferring to the pretty, medieval city of Bruges. Here
you will enjoy a canal cruise and chocolate demonstration with
one of the best chocolate chefs in Belgium. Complete your trip
with a visit to Brussels to explore the famous sites of this
beautiful city. Your tour will include
St Bavo's
Cathedral, the
Gravensteen Castle and the ornate market square of
Grand Place.
Finally, drive out to the symbolic Atomium and enjoy stunning
panoramic views of the city.
Overview:
A small country with a big
profile, the
Netherlands offers a beguiling blend of rural, traditional
beauty and vibrant culture. Occupying a delta at the confluence
of three major rivers where they empty into the North Sea, it is
truly a water world: canals, coast and lakes are never far from
view. Flat as a pannenkoek, it also makes an ideal destination
for cycling, an integral mode of transport among the Dutch
themselves, and many visitors plan their trips around the
extensive infrastructure for two-wheeled travel.
Holland (as the country is alternatively referred to) is also a
deeply cosmopolitan place where museums overflow with paintings
from its Golden Age and a cavalcade of festivals showcase
performing artists from within and beyond its borders. Added to
this is an eye-opening nightlife scene in cities like Amsterdam
and Rotterdam.
A tolerant people, ever open to outside influence, the Dutch
place a high value on a quality they call gezelligheid: a sense
of cosiness and conviviality that's immediately apparent to
anyone who's ever stepped into a bruin café, the Dutch version
of a pub. The object of all their scrupulous planning, it seems,
is to share their enjoyment of life.
Compact enough to be covered in a week and spirited enough to
count as one of Europe's most under-rated destinations,
Belgium
does many things well, not least winning over skeptical
visitors. If all that comes to mind is waffles and EU
bureaucracy, then the reality - with its frothing beer, medieval
steeples and simmering cultural mix - will be a pleasant wake-up
call.
True, Brussels has more than its share of faceless political
buildings, but take a closer look and you'll find a dynamic city
big on café living and Art Nouveau, while Antwerp and
(particularly) Bruges are both custom-made for picture
postcards, the pair of them rich with finely crafted Middle Ages
architecture. The country itself is split into two sections -
Flanders (the predominantly Dutch-speaking north) and Wallonia
(the predominantly French-speaking south) - which, when taken
together, add up to a visitor package far greater in scope than
Belgium is generally given credit for.
