Netherlands On the Road
8-13 JULY 2014
DAY 1
Zurich - Luxembourg
We leave by car from Zurich early in the morning, with the plan to arrive in Luxembourg, where we will be hosted by friends. The first stop is Strasbourg, a picturesque French town on the border with Germany. The heavy rain does not help, but a walk through the streets of the center lined with nice colorful half-timbered buildings is still pleasant, especially considering that there are no other tourists around. We arrive in Luxembourg in the late afternoon, and waiting for our friends we take an interesting walk in the new area of Kirchberg, where there are the institutional buildings of the European Union.
DAY 2
Lussemburgo - Kinderdijk - Amsterdam
We take a long walk through the historic centre of the city, an elegant urban area full of cafes and chic shops. The city stands on a rocky spur, almost surrounded by the gorges of a river covered with greenery. The view is very impressive, with gardens covering the slopes of this promontory and observation points from which you can see the lower town surrounded by the woods and the upper town that towers over the rock.
In the afternoon we return on the road and head to Holland, stopping in Kinderdijk, one of the places that in The Netherlands preserves the greatest number of working windmills. We arrive in a tiny village, made up of low houses with richly cultivated gardens open on the road.
It is difficult to find the access to the area of the mills, which is separated from the urban area by a large protected lake expanse. One can walk pleasantly between the wooden bridges over the water, the cycle paths that cross the high vegetation and after about 15 minutes one reaches the area where 19 windmills dominate the mangroves and ponds. At sunset it is a magical place, and it is no coincidence that it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
We arrive in Amsterdam in the evening where we are again guests.
DAY 3
Amsterdam
We reach the centre and from the station we rent two bikes to explore the city more easily. It's no secret that the bike is the best way to enjoy the Dutch towns. We reach the Nemo Science Museum, take a look along the canal at the architecture of the modern buildings that flank it and then make a panoramic stop on the roof of the museum, walking barefoot in the refreshing fountains. Not being the first trip to Amsterdam, we wander with our bikes without having a precise destination, and admiring the beautiful brick houses that make each street unique.
We arrive at Museumplein, the scattered square surrounded by the museum district of Amsterdam. It is difficult to choose which museum to visit and even just a walk in this vibrant neighborhood deserves time. The Van Gogh Museum is an excellent compromise if you only have a few hours to visit, but don't want to give up seeing some masterpieces. During the sunset we walk in the red light district, between the shop windows and the multitude that, as always, crowd these folkloric streets of the centre, around the De Oude Kerk.
To enjoy the pleasant evening outdoors, we dine with street food, few spring rolls and giant portions of the famous Flemish fries. The bike rental for 24 hours allows us to use them to return home and have them ready for the new day.
DAY 4
Amsterdam - Maastricht - Zurich
We walk through the flea markets that sporadically rise in the center and of course we make a stop at the flower market, the set of floating boats moored along a canal that exhibits all sorts of flowering plants and bulbs to grow.
After lunch we leave for Zurich stopping in Den Haag for a quick visit to the city centre and the European Parliament. We take some time for a longer walk in Maastricht, where we enjoy the beautiful walk along the river, among particular architectures of bridges and houses, and a fantastic evening in the streets of the centre animated by summer concerts outdoors. We leave in the rain and drive all night to Zurich.
This content is NOT SPONSORED, but based on my genuine personal experience. Spontaneous opinions, positive and negative, shareable or not, that I hope will help to live better travel experiences. My advice is a guide to lead you through world explorations, but the real journey, you build it!
