Rotterdam, where you meet the world

Rotterdam is well-known for its world port, museums, tourist attractions, and picturesque Delfshaven and is also one of the most important commercial areas in Holland.

World Port
To me, it looks like Hong Kong. There are many shopping malls, high-rise building, harbour and china town. I like it very much!!!

During three days, the city is a hive of activity. Prince Carnival officially opens the festivities by firing eleven gunshots at the central square, there are parades, there is a contest for the best brass band and a costume contest for children. The Maastricht people, and lots of others from elsewhere, put on fancy dress and become clowns, cowboys, political figures and a wide range of other personalities.

The origins of carnival are uncertain. As long ago as 1100 BC, the Athenians celebrated a three- day spring festival. The highlight of this Greek celebration was the parade, in which Dionysus, God of wine, enters Athens. The float he rode on was called ‘Carrus Navalis’, hence the word ‘carnival’.
In Maastricht, carnival means a mammoth, never-ending pub-crawl with many people singing and dancing in the streets. It is an explosion of fun; organized anarchy! True, Maastricht is worth a visit any time of the year, but catch it during its pre-Lent festival and you’re in for an added bonus.

Keukenhof, the Spring Garden of Europe

Flowers galore
The many bulbous plants are in perfect harmony with the imposing trees, flowering shrubs, lovely water features and fountains. Various themes, such as color, smell, renaissance, nature and music have been incorporated in the beautiful compositions.

Culture
Follow the sculpture route during a walk through the attractive park and enjoy the millions of flowering bulbs in contemporary designs. It goes without saying that something as typically Dutch as a windmill truly belongs in this setting. The gallery of an old windmill affords magnificent views of the bulb fields.

Do you think you can get to know Holland without visiting at least one windmill? No way!

Ever since the 16th century, hundreds of thousands of Dutch people have been living on the bottom of former lakes. In order to make this possible, many windmills were used to drain the land and keep it dry. Windmills still form an important element of water management in these low lands.

In the 17th century, the invention of the camshaft and the crankshaft made it possible to use wind energy for a wide range of industrial purposes. Hundreds of windmills were used in the timber, paper and coloring industry and created the world’s first industrial zones.

From the original number of windmills Holland boasted just over 150 years ago (well over 10,000), only 1,000 remain today. Fortunately, these living monuments are now protected and many of them are open to the public, at set times.

Madurodam





Madurodam is a very famous tourist hotspot, where you can see the "Small Holland". All the famous and beautiful buildings are presented in small scales.

Making sculptures from ice is an art form which has been practised in the extreme north of China for centuries. Ice lanterns is what the local people call them. Many moons ago, fishermen hollowed out ice blocks to use as lampshades around their candles to protect them from the wind. These ice blocks were the primitive forerunners of today’s works of art.

Ice fun


Have your photo taken in front of a colossal ice building, or coming down an ice-cold slide at full speed. Would you like an ice cream after the exhibition, or a little something to warm you up? The city of ice is a great experience for young and old!

Photos of cities






Sneek                               Arnhem














Lelystad                               Ijlst














Den Haag "garden                         ; Den Haag "park"













Delft                               Groningen














Aierkzee           ; Vlissingen














Vrouwenpoldersurfers           ; Monnickendam and Marken














Noordwijk