Belgium-Netherlands-Luxembourg - the end.
On the seventh day of the trip we left Brussels and now Holland was waiting for us. On the way to our second hotel, we decided to stop by Breda and then Efteling Park.
Breda
Breda, as it turned out, a very pretty town
The entire center is pedestrian. But we found an underground parking not far from the market square. From here you have a beautiful view of the Great Church (Grote Kerk). The tower with 49 bells is 97 meters high.
Efteling
Amusement park EFTELING in Holland is the oldest one still in existence. Its official opening took place in 1952. Today Efteling is open daily all year round, offering visitors a dizzying variety of attractions and entertainment.
Efteling is a real wonderland. The heroes of Anderson, the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault come to life here.
Of the attractions - slides, which are quite a lot in Efteling, we decided only on the Condor.
I'm sorry that the photo is black and white, it just so happened (didn't figure it out in time!), it turned out to be a kind of retro.
Amersfoort
Вторая гостиница:
We were lucky again - this hotel has at least three advantages.
First, the location. The hotel is located in the center of Holland (55 km to Amsterdam) and on the outskirts of the city of Amersfoort, and next to the junction of several high-speed roads.
Secondly, the hotel has FREE parking. Whenever we come, there is always a free seat.
Finally, a very good and stable WiFi for Internet access. For example, we talked and saw relatives and friends via Skype, and inside the room.
Travel map - Holland, west direction
Amsterdam
As in Brussels, in AMSTERDAM, we also ordered an individual tour, but this time we used the service of a private guide - and we did not lose! Natalia Smits (//nataliasmits.tourister.ru, natalja.smits@gmail.com) is a highly professional guide. At the same time, she owns a large number of interesting facts and knows how to present them in a relaxed and interesting way. Natalia gave us more than a 4 hour tour, we managed to get around the old city on foot, visit the diamond factory, and also ride along the canals on a steamboat.
And this is the most famous canal crossing in Amsterdam (retro again!).
Zaanse Schans
Zaanse Schans save them from destruction. Here you can visit a workshop for the manufacture of traditional Dutch shoes, an old cheese factory and mills that have been restored and are still functioning.
We visited one of the mills - De Kat (Cat) - a paint mill. All mechanisms are made mainly of wood.
Volendam
Volendam - is a fishing village in the northern part of the Netherlands, part of the municipality of Edam-Volendam.
Almost on the shore, where the tourist part of the village begins, there is a small shop or kiosk where you can buy herring and other delicious fish that you can try only in Holland. In general, it is believed that if you were in Holland and did not eat herring in Volendam, then why did you come here at all? I confirm that the fish is very tasty: I ate smoked eel, and Rozka - herring with onion and pickled cucumber.
We liked it so much that we even came back here again to "salt" again and get an unforgettable taste experience, and not only.
And this is Rozka with a sailor from Volendam (retro again!).
Leiden
Not far from the city of Leiden is the amazing CORPUS experience museum. The museum building is made in the form of a figure of a seated person 35 m high. With the help of escalators and moving platforms, museum guests move past enlarged human internal organs or even through them, they see what works in the human body. The entrance is located in a huge knee, and the exit is in the head. The tour (audio guide, including in Russian) lasts about an hour.
Delft
DELFTe is the most beautiful in the country. Cafes and shops selling the famous Delft faience create a special atmosphere. And the biggest impression is made by the Town Hall (Stadhuis).
Travel map - Holland, east direction
Giethoorn
Today we will go to the small Dutch village of Giethoorn. In another way, it is often called the Dutch Venice, as it is located on the water channels, with a total length of about 7.5 km. The main means of transport are rowing boats and electric boats, which operate completely silently and do not disturb the peace and tranquility in this picturesque village. Most of the houses are located on islets and are connected by wooden bridges (there are more than 50 of them throughout the village).
A narrow asphalt path runs along one side of the canal, sometimes crossing from one side to the other. This is the only thing you can navigate on foot. In general, they move along the canals on anything - all kinds of boats, they are rented, inflatable boats, small boats. All on electric motors, no diesel fuel.
And finally, look how peaceful this dog feels.
Paleis Het Loo
Paleis Het Loo - summer palace of the royal family in Apeldoorn. This palace is also called the Dutch Versailles.
Museum Kruller-Muller
Музей has a world famous collection of 19th and 10th century painting. The museum exposition is based on a private collection of paintings and other art objects belonging to the Kröller-Müller family. The pearl of the collection is a rather extensive collection of paintings and graphic works by Van Gogh. There are over two hundred of them. Some of them are world famous. This is one of the artist's self-portraits, Evening Cafe and many others. The main difference of the local collection is its amazing variety. Different periods in the work of the master are very clearly visible. The museum also features works by Georges Seurat, Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, Piet Mondrian and others.
Hertogenbosch
Today we are leaving Amersfoort. On the way to our last hotel, we decided to stop by s-Hertogenbosch. More precisely, it is called s'Hertogenbosch, and the Dutch themselves are simply called Bosch (Bosch). Very cozy city, we spent about 3 hours there.
