G.B. International  ::-  International Tours ::-  Netherland

Netherland

Capital: Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government
Population: 16,407,491 (July 2005)
Location: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany

The Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC (now the EU), and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999.


Major Attractions :
Van Gogh Museum: One of the best Impressionist galleries in the world, the Van Gogh Museum houses about 200 paintings, predominantly by the world's favourite tortured artist, including famous works like The Potato Eaters and The Yellow House in Arles. There are also works by some of his friends and peers, such as Gauguin and Monet. The museum houses the collection of Vincent's art dealer brother Theo. Japanese prints, which influenced the old ear-slicer, are also on display.

Hoge Veluwe: Hoge Veluwe is the country's largest national park and home to the wonderful Kröller-Müller Museum. The park itself covers 5500 hectares (13,500 acres) and is a strange mix of forests and woods, shifting sands and heath moors that provide a sense of isolation (if not actual isolation) found nowhere else on the Dutch mainland. Red deer, wild boar and mouflon (a Mediterranean sheep) roam here. The Kröller-Müller Museum has 278 works by Van Gogh, as well as smaller collections of Picasso and Mondrian. Hoge Veluwe is accessible by bus from Arnhem, which is an hour's train ride east of Amsterdam. White bicycles are available free of charge once you're inside the park.

Maastricht:
One of the Netherland's oldest towns, Maastricht has a lively international feel. Its history stretches back to 50 BC, when the Romans set up camp there. Fortification walls still partly surround the city, and you can explore a labyrinth of tunnels on the city's western outskirts.