Holland

Előszó

Introduction 3 Holland, surprisingly versatile! All around the world the name 'Holland" is much better known than 'The Netherlands'. The Republic of the Netherlands, which has been a kingdom since 1815, was formed in 1648 following the Peace treaty of Munster. The word 'Holland' has a much older sound to it. It is derived from the word Holtland, which means Houtland (Woodland). Forests and marshes covered the land. Until about the year 1000 squirrels could jump from treetop to treetop from Antwerp to Groningen and from Maastricht to Alkmaar without ever touching the ground. But the Hol(t)landers burned the wood for cooking and fireplaces. Or used it to build houses or ships or to make clogs. A ban was enforced against cutting down trees on what measly little was left of the forests. Timber could only be imported. Using wood as a fuel was not affordable. Luckily Holland had a good supply of moor-peat and bog-peat. The peat was used for fuel. Mud-peat had a high calorie value, and was dug from under water and dried on land. Many of the lakes in Holland were created due to the digging for peat. These lakes can be found in the 'old' Holland as well as in the provinces Western-Overijssel and Friesland. From an aeroplane you can clearly see peat areas that have not been reclaimed and lakes. These have been made into natural areas. Some areas, such as 'De Weerribben' in Northwest Overijssel, 'De grote Peel' and 'De Biesbos', became National Parks. Another phenomenon in Holland is the control over water. Much of the polderland lies up to 6 metres under sea-level. The inland waterways are kept level artificially with the aid of dykes, pumping-stations and system of reservoirs for superfluous polderwater. These are mostly computer generated so that during periods of rain or drought the water level remains the same. Holland is not only lowland. During the different ice ages banks of specific soil and sand dunes were created. The Utrechtse Heuvelrug, the Veluwe, Drenthe and Twente are considerably higher than the surrounding areas where the river- and marsh delta's are. Even in Limburg and in parts of North-Brabant they do not have to worry about wet feet. That is, if the rivers do not overflow their banks. The IJssel can be considered as one of the most beautiful rivers with lovely old Hanseatic towns such as Zutphen, Deventer, Zwolle and Kampen. Surrounding the IJsselmeer, which used to be called the 'Zuiderzee' (South Sea) before the Afsluitdijk was built in 1932, you can find magnificent old towns and villages. The outdoor Zuiderzee-museum in Enkhuizen lets you relive the history of fishing and trade. Of course we do not want to avoid the big cities. 's-Gravenhage (Den Haag) is the town where our government is situated, not in our capital. Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. It is no wonder that we dedicate a number of pages to it in this edition. Rotterdam is still the largest trade and trans-shipping harbour in the world. Utrecht, situated in the centre of the country is sometimes called 'Bishops town'. Until the reformation, around 1568 (Statue breaking period), the Bishops of Utrecht reigned over a large part of the northern provinces. In Utrecht you can still find traces rich Roman life. Maastricht, the oldest city in the Netherlands and's Hertogenbosch, capital of the provence North-Brabant, are where 'Burgundians' (the more flamboyant population) live. As in many place south of the main rivers, carnival is celebrated with exuberance. Eindhoven is the largest city in the south. Its size is mainly due to the Philips company The islands in Zeeland are also special with their pretty towns and villages. Vlissingen lies proudly at the mouth of the Schelde. A visit to the Delta Works is recommended as the Dutch knowledge of water control can be observed, such as the closing of the two slides across the Nieuwe Waterweg. We will also look at the northern provinces Friesland and Groningen. Friesland and the adjoining area of lakes in Northwest Overijssel is a paradise for lovers of watersports. A large rental fleet of sailing ships such as Aken, Tjalken and Klippers or even modern yachts and motorboats is at your disposal. The Wadden islands are a very popular holiday destination. Netherlands has the image of 'The Land of windmills, tulips, national costumes and clogs'. Luckily there is much more to be discovered as this book will show. Windmills do often dominate the countryside. For example, at Kinderdijk where nineteen windmills on a row keep the polder dry. A selection of 'industrial' windmills can be found at the Zaanse Schans. These include wood sawing mills, paint- and oil windmills, mustard and peeling mills. The most famous regional costume is worn in Staphorst, just north of Zwolle. The costumes in Marken and Volendam are more for tourists. In Bunschoten, Spakenburg, Urk and Zeeland you can still find people wearing the costume as their daily dress. The younger generation does not consider it fit to wear to a disco though. The bulb-fields are situated in a line behind the dunes from Den Haag till Den Helder. The most well known places are Lisse and Hillegom (home to the Keukenhof), Limmen and Breezand. This is where the 'Tulips from Amsterdam' come from. In the IJsselmeer polders more and more bulb-fields can be seen. A surplus of cows(milk) and pigs made the fanners search for alternative sources of income. Many now run eel and sheath-fish hatchery or have redeveloped regional products that are grown eco- and biologically friendly. The Dutch fanner is used to adapting to the need of the soil. The people of the Netherlands are proud and hospitable. They cherish their countryside and monumental heritage, and are fully supported by the government. You can not lump all Dutch people together. People living in the west are usually pretty open. The people in Friesland and Groningen will only open up after they get to know you. The population in the south really know how to enjoy a party. It is remarkable that English and other languages are spoken by most people in the Netherlands. An ex-minister once said: 'It is because we have so many foreign neighbours'. Vissza