People associate the Netherlands with many things, including its famous cheeses such as edam, the wooden shoes and its many beautiful fields of tulips. Apart from the bustling cities such as Amsterdam or Rotterdam, which have become popular with many tourists due to the liberal policy on drugs and prostitution as well as their lively night life, there are also many interesting cultural aspects to the country. The Dutch Golden Age, during which the country was the economic power house of the world, led to many great painters and writers coming forth from the Dutch lands and their heritage along with a lively contemporary scene means that there is much to see and do, no matter if its music, dance, theatre or visual arts which attract you.

Museums

The Netherlands has the highest museum density in the world, with more than 1,000 museums spread throughout the country. Some of the most well known include the Museum Boijmans-Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, the Mauritshuis in The Hague, Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn and the Rijksmuseum and the Vincent van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Less famous but equally entertaining displays of modern art can be found at the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven and the Bonnefanten Museum in Maastricht.

Architecture

There are over 50,000 listing buildings and monuments throughout Holland, which are protected and maintained by the Dutch government. Of especial beauty are Amsterdam’s 17th and 18th-century canal-side houses and the Amsterdam-South neighbourhood, designed by the architect and town planner Berlage. The post-war buildings which were constructed in Rotterdam and the postmodernist Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, designed by Graves and Soeters are other notable pieces of architecture.