Netherlands

This country of tulips, windmills and bicycles stretches out over a predominantly flat landscape of reclaimed land. Sophisticated urban centres and sleepy rural towns are contained within the expansive vistas broken here and there by canals, castle walls and dikes. Europe’s most densely populated region is located within an area of the Netherlands called the Randstad. This urban hub is spread in a circle from Amsterdam, and includes The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht and the smaller towns of Haarlem, Leiden and Delft. The metropolitan centres buzz with the activity of seasonal festivals, cultural activities, vibrant art scenes and excellent pubs and restaurants.

Since the collapse of Napoleon's empire in 1814, the Netherlands has taken a neutral stance throughout most of the world’s conflicts, including the First World War in which it took no part. In spite of this independent stance it still suffered severely in World War II during the Nazi invasion of 1940. Its neutral political position, combined with its tradition of liberalism and tolerance has made the Netherlands the logical choice for the establishment of the International Court of Justice, which is situated in The Hague.

Travel guide content sourced from wordtravels.com