The Four Quaint Towns Of Netherlands

The best part of this trip, it was a mother-daughter excursion to Netherlands. I was on cloud nine and the excitement soared to unimaginable heights. While I was planning the trip, I wanted to keep extending the number of days. I was wondering when such an opportunity will arise again. I am sure the whole world will agree that daughters are the best.

Our preferred airline from Mumbai is Emirates as the halt in Dubai works perfectly when travelling to Europe. This is the first time we flew Lufthansa and I must say we were a tad disappointed with the delays. We missed the connecting flight from Frankfurt to Amsterdam which cost us almost a day in Amsterdam.

We stayed at the XO Couture Hotel in Amsterdam. With the tram stop in front of the main door of the hotel, the location is fabulous as it’s close to all the major attractions. Absolutely exhausted due to this long extended journey from Mumbai, the two of us just crashed at the hotel.

If you are a cheese lover you will love the breakfast at XO Couture. So next morning we were delighted with the breakfast spread that had a lovely variety of cheese and the regular stuff of eggs, bread, porridge, fruits, juices and so on… and we headed off on a day trip to explore the four quaint towns of Netherlands.

Volendam

Volendam, also known as the ‘The Pearls of the Zuiderzee’, is a fishing village. It is located just 20 kms northeast of Amsterdam on lake IJssel. It is known for its wooden houses with pretty architecture and well-preserved streets. The harbour with old fishing boats makes for a lovely setting. A walk on the promenade is very relaxing with cute cafes selling fish and chips and unique souvenirs, and fishermen wearing colourful traditional costumes.

Edam

Edam, a part of Volendam, is known for its 18th century cheese warehouses. The Edam cheese is a popular Dutch export that is transported to every corner of the world. We visited a cheese factory where we witnessed the nuances of producing the best quality of cheese. We sampled a number of variations. The smoked and the pesto flavoured cheese was our favourite. The store also had some of the best dips and sauces I have ever tried. The packaging is very good so if you wish to take it back home for friends and family it is highly recommended.

Zaanse Schans

The town of Zaanse Schans is known for its historic windmills and green wooden houses. We felt transported to old times of what could have been the life in Holland back then. We visited a very interesting artisan workshop that demonstrated the making of wooden clogs. There were other artisan workshops on chocolate making and barrel making.

Some of the windmills of the 17th and 18th century are still functional today. The windmills were used to grind spices, saw wood, produce paint and make oil. We visited the windmills inside and then went for a boat ride on the Zaan waterway. We were told some wonderful stories about life in the Zaan.

The Netherlands is known for its lovely cycling routes and the circuit of Volendam, Edam and Zaanse Schans is a great option for a cycling trip. Definitely on my bucket list on my next trip to Netherlands.

Giethoorn

Giethoorn is a tiny little gem located around two hours from Amsterdam. The drive through the country side is vey picturesque. Before exploring the village we stopped for lunch at a nice cafe which was a part of the package. This car-free village seems like a fairy-tale straight out of a book. It is known as the Venice of Netherlands. We explored the village on a boat navigating hand-dug canals and passing under tiny foot bridges and adorable houses. A walking/cycling route called Binnenpad runs right through this area. Pretty cafes and boutique stores make this tiny hamlet a very enjoyable experience.

The Dikes Of Netherlands

The Dutch are known for the extremely efficient and outstanding water management system. The coastline of Netherlands is almost 450 kms along the North Sea. The country also contains the mouth of three European rivers : Rhine, Schelde and Meuse. Over the years, Netherlands has had massive issues with flooding that has lead to destruction.

This lead to creation of barriers and dams across the sea. This project is known as the North Sea Protection Works. The engineering is so remarkable that it is considered one of the seven wonders of the modern world! Now around 25% of Netherlands is below sea level.

We visited the Afsluitdijk, which is one of the most popular water works in Netherlands. This place is quite a stunner with the Wadden Sea on one side and the IJsselmeer on the other. It is 32 kms long and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.