Travel Reports » Netherlands


The Netherlands is one of four autonomous countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which also includes the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. The country of the Netherlands, which has a population of about 17 million, consists of 12 provinces in Europe and the 3 other municipalities in the Caribbean Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (“Caribbean Netherlands”). The European Netherlands is bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south and Germany to the east. The capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam, the seat of government is The Hague. Outside the country, the Netherlands is often referred to as Holland – but formally the term Holland only covers 2 of 12 provinces, Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland.

View Post

Kinderdijk – The 19 windmills of Kinderdijk in Holland (UNESCO)

Categories: Travel reports, Europe, Netherlands

In the Netherlands, there are 10 UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Sites, such as the canals of Amsterdam, the Schokland, the Wadden Sea in the North Sea or the Wouda Pumping Station. We wanted to visit another World Heritage Site today: the historic windmills of Kinderdijk. Things to know about the windmills of Kinderdijk About 15 km southeast of Rotterdam are the 19 historic windmills of Kinderdijk, which are among the most famous sights in the Netherlands. They were built in the …

» Read the full blog post
View Post

Dordrecht – Sights & our walking tour in the city

Categories: Travel reports, Europe, Netherlands

On our fifth day on our VIVA Cruises on the Rhine, we headed for the port city of Dordrecht which is about 20 km southeast of Rotterdam. The city has about 120,000 inhabitants and is located in a very water-rich area on the rivers Merwede, Noord and Oude Maas. This “three-river corner” in the north of the city is one of the busiest waterways in the Netherlands. Things to know about Dordrecht Dordrecht was first mentioned in 1120 and received …

» Read the full blog post
View Post

Rotterdam – The most beautiful sights & photo spots

Categories: Travel reports, Europe, Netherlands

After we had left our stop in Amsterdam as part of our river cruise with VIVA Cruises, a stop in the modern port city of Rotterdam was on the agenda for the rest of the day. Rotterdam certainly doesn’t win a beauty award, but there are a few interesting corners that we found on our walk across the city. Things to know about Rotterdam The port city of Rotterdam is located at the mouth of the Rhine into the North …

» Read the full blog post
View Post

Sights of Haarlem – A day trip from Amsterdam (Netherlands)

Categories: Travel reports, Europe, Netherlands

If you are in Amsterdam and looking for an interesting day trip, we can recommend a visit to the typically Dutch city of Haarlem, affectionately known as Amsterdam’s little sister. Haarlem is less than 20 kilometers away from the Dutch capital Amsterdam and can be reached very quickly by train in just 18 minutes. We spent a whole day strolling through the idyllic old town and show you the most famous sights. Things to know about Haarlem (Netherlands) Haarlem, a …

» Read the full blog post
View Post

Amsterdam – The most beautiful photo spots & sights

Categories: Travel reports, Europe, Netherlands

On the third day of our river cruise with VIVA Cruises on the Rhine, we visited the Dutch capital Amsterdam, which has the highest density of historical monuments (8,500 listed buildings) in the country. Particularly impressive is the semi-circular canal ring ennobled by UNESCO. Things to know about Amsterdam Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, has around 870,000 inhabitants, making it the most populous city in the country. The port city is located at the mouth of two rivers into …

» Read the full blog post
View Post

A-ROSA SENA – Rhine Experience Amsterdam, Rotterdam & Antwerp

Categories: Travel reports, Europe, Netherlands

We spent a week cruising on the Rhine with A-ROSA SENA and got to know some of the most beautiful places in the Netherlands & Belgium. From Cologne, our route took us via Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Dordrecht to Antwerp. Exciting places with lots to discover! And this river cruise was our first cruise as a family of four. We were therefore very excited about the A-ROSA SENA with its unique family cabin and the great Kids Club. About A-ROSA Flussschiff …

» Read the full blog post
View Post

Nijmegen – Sights of the oldest city in the Netherlands

Categories: Travel reports, Europe, Netherlands

The last stop of our river cruise with VIVA Cruises on the Rhine was the city of Nijmegen. The city on the banks of the Wall is characterized by a 2,000-year-old history and thus describes itself as “the oldest city in the Netherlands”. We find it interesting that the cities of Maastricht and Dordrecht also claim this title for themselves 🙂 Things to know about the city of Nijmegen The former Hanseatic city of Nijmegen is located in the east …

» Read the full blog post
View Post

Hoorn – Things to do in the historic town

Categories: Travel reports, Europe, Netherlands

After we had visited the Hanseatic city of Enkhuizen in the morning as part of our river cruise with VIVA Cruises, a stop in the port city of Hoorn on the Markermeer was on the agenda for the afternoon. The history of the city and the prosperity of the 17. and 18th century you can meet during a stroll through the alleys, because here you can still admire around 300 buildings from the Golden Age. Things to know about Hoorn …

» Read the full blog post
View Post

Enkhuizen – Historic harbor town on the IJsselmeer

Categories: Travel reports, Europe, Netherlands

On our second day on our river cruise with VIVA Cruises on the Rhine, we headed for the small town of Enkhuizen, a charming harbor town directly on the IJsselmeer with many old warehouses and historic merchants’ houses. Things to know about Enkhuizen On the site of today’s Enkhuizen there was already a small settlement in the year 1000. The town charter was not granted until many decades later in 1355. Over the centuries, Enkhuizen developed into an important place …

» Read the full blog post
View Post

Kampen – Things to do in the former Hanseatic City

Categories: Travel reports, Europe, Netherlands

After we had visited the Hanseatic city of Deventer in the morning as part of our river cruise with VIVA Cruises, a second stop in the city of Kampen on the banks of the IJssel was on the agenda for the afternoon. The historic old town with its 3 city gates, several churches and an old town hall from the 14th century can be easily explored on foot and on your own. Things to know about Kampen Kampen is a …

» Read the full blog post
View Post

Deventer – Sights & Photo Spots of the Hanseatic City

Categories: Travel reports, Europe, Netherlands

The Hanseatic city of Deventer was the first stop of our river cruise with VIVA Cruises. The former, centuries-old Hanseatic city on the right bank of the IJssel attracts with a beautiful, historic old town and a lot of interesting alleys. It is one of the most idyllic small towns in the Netherlands. Things to know about the Hanseatic city of Deventer The Hanseatic city of Deventer was founded before the 8th century and is thus considered one of the …

» Read the full blog post
View Post

Our river cruise on the Rhine with VIVA Cruises

Categories: Travel reports, Europe, Netherlands

We already did a rive cruise on the Danube, the Seine and the Main. Now we are going with VIVA Cruises from Düsseldorf along the Rhine to the Netherlands, where we visited some very nice places like Amsterdam, Rotterdam oder Hoorn. Things to know about VIVA Cruises “Enjoy the moment” is the declared motto of VIVA Cruises, which has been represented on the market since 2018 as the in-house organizer of the renowned Swiss shipping company Scylla AG. The fleet …

» Read the full blog post