| | Must Visits | Need to Know | Capital City Amsterdam | | Tipping Not mandatory | | Electricity 220 V | | Weights and Measurements Metric system |
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People & Language
The taxi drivers in Amsterdam will step out and open doors for you, the waiters in restaurants will smilingly tidy up that drink you spilled and flower vendors may even let you have an extra tulip for good luck. All in all, the Dutch are a friendly and polite people who are happy and proud to welcome admiring tourists into their country.
The Dutch are also the most open-minded and liberal amongst Europeans – Amsterdam has the only fully legal and functioning red light district in the world, and the Dutch government is amongst the first to have legalized euthanasia and drugs like marijuana and hashish.
People in the country are as hearty and welcoming, and should not mind if you capture their daily life-scenes with your camera – so long as you do so discreetly.
If you don’t upset their sensibilities, the Dutch certainly won’t mind yours!
Primary language is Dutch, with Frisian spoken only in Friesland.
Since English is the official second language, most people understand and speak English, many with exceptional fluency.
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Religion
Roman Catholics make up about 30%, Protestants 20% and Muslims 4% of the dutch population. There is a small Jewish community and the rest of the people have no particular religion that they follow. While the Roman Catholics are mostly concentrated in the south of the country the small Jewish community are mainly based in the Jewish quarter of Amsterdam. There is no official religion in Holland but the monarchy maintains association with the Reformed Church, and so do most of the people.
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Food
Dutch cuisine varies from the bland traditional to the tastier Indonesian fare. Breakfast is normally juice, a selection of breads, the normal butter, jam and cheese and boiled eggs topped off with a cup of hot beverage. They tend to have a working lunch of a sandwich called broodje, which can be bought from one of the many delicatessens. A rich pea soup, and sausages called "worst" are specialties but mostly served in the winter. Another specialty is "herring", which is often served raw along with pickles and onions. "Indonesian fare" is tangy and is usually rice and served with an accompaniment of varied seafood, meats and vegetables. There are many fast food places where you can grab the normal burger if the above does not suit your palate. Restaurants range from haute cuisine to the local family run eateries, so take your pick.
Lunchtime is usually between 12.30 and dinner is early at around 6. But if you are in a city, then you may find that some restaurants are open late.
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Culture & Crafts
This is the land of Rembrandt, van Gogh and Jan Vermeer. This small country boasts at least 10 major museums as well as numerous smaller ones, which hold a treasure trove of masterpieces. The arts have been actively promoted ever since the 15th century and even today subsidies are provided to artists and performers. Creativity is highly respected and encouraged in this small country where art forms an intrinsic part of the life of its inhabitants. A visit to the Museum Quarter in Amsterdam will certainly provide a feast for the eyes of all art lovers.
Modern Graffiti Art is a new concept in Amsterdam and can be viewed on walls and trams. Contrary to the belief that graffiti is only vulgar words, this art form takes on a whole new meaning expressed through it’s multicoloured hues and shapes.
For those with passion for acquiring antique collections, the antique fairs in Maastricht and Breda showcase the more exquisite of Dutch artistry dating from centuries ago.
The unique blue and white pottery known world over as 'delftware' was developed in the 16th century and even today is produced in the town of Delft, though only two manufacturers still make hand painted pieces. Demonstrations are held at De Porceleyne Fles, Rotterdamsweg196 open April to October, Mon-Sat, 9-5, Sun 9.30-5 and November to March Mon-Sat 9-5.
Cultural life and the Netherlands go hand in hand. Netherland’s intellectually fertile atmosphere has bred artistic genius of the caliber of Rembrandt, van Gogh, Vermeer and Pete Mondrian.
The country is still infused with the legacy of legendary thinkers and philosophers such as Erasmus and Descartes. The spirited folk music of Friesland, and its enchanting hakketoone dance, where pair couples perform with their faces to the sun, is only one of the many traditional charms of Netherland’s provinces that will beckon you to venture deeper into this peaceful landscape.
Theatre is very much a part of the cultural scene in the Netherlands as is opera and ballet. For experimental theatre and colourful Dutch cabarets spend an evening at 'Felix Meritis House'. The Dutch have some of the finest orchestras in the world and a concert at one of Amsterdam’s music chambers is sure to enthrall you. The Dutch national ballet companies perform regularly and guest companies from the world over put up performances during the Holland Festival held in June every year.
Films are very popular and the foreign ones are subtitled.
For an update on cultural events in Amsterdam, the 'VVV tourist office', Tourism and Convention Board of Amsterdam, publishes an English monthly called 'What’s on in Amsterdam'.
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