Wondering what The Netherlands is famous for? This incredible country is famous for so many iconic things…find out what!
I had the opportunity to visit Amsterdam last month and it was an absolute dream! It’s been somewhere I’ve wanted to go for years, but has always eluded me. I was so grateful to be able to go with some girlfriends for a week and we had the best time after months of careful planning. Check out all the things to do in Amsterdam here.
Sandwiched between Germany to the north and Belgium to the south, the Netherlands shares many cultural traits with its neighbors. If you’ve never been fortunate enough to visit this relatively small country, you might wonder, exactly what is the Netherlands known for?
This is the short answer: a lot! The Netherlands has a long history dating back to the Ice Age. Through the Middle Ages, it was known as Frisia by the Vikings and was part of Middle Francia during Charlemagne’s reign.
Finally, the Kingdom of the Netherlands became its own independent, entirely Dutch country in 1813. While it’s not all been plain sailing, the nation continues to climb from strength to strength as a liberal, beautiful, and unique country. And it’s only a little bigger in size than the US state of Maryland!
Amsterdam, the country’s most famous city, is at the center of the Netherlands’ prestigious artistic history. The country is covered in bike lanes to accommodate cycle-mad citizens, lush farmland and flower fields, and street food carts that serve delicious local treats.
Some of the other things the Netherlands is known for are much more eyebrow-raising, unconventional, and surprising. Learning more about them in this guide will give you a deeper insight into the culture and history of this minuscule yet mighty Western European nation.
35 Cool Cultural Things the Netherlands Is Known For
1. Growing and Exporting Most of the World’s Tulips
One of the most beautiful places in the Netherlands is also one of the most popular tourist attractions, and that’s Keukenhof. It’s the world’s largest flower garden in Lisse and displays one of the Netherlands’ most important industries.
The Netherlands is known for growing around 90% of the world’s tulips and exporting more flowers than any other nation in the world. These multi-colored blooms have been an important fixture in the Dutch countryside since the early 1600s. ‘Tulip mania’ caused the prices of these popular flowers to shoot up (no pun intended) and almost wreck the Dutch economy.
Today, these beautiful Netherlands flowers attract over one million annual visitors every spring. As an icon of Dutch culture, tulips often appear on postcards, Dutch calendars, magnets, and anything you can get your hands on at a tourist market.
2. Over 1,000 Historical Windmills
What is in the Netherlands, the countryside in particular, apart from tulips? Windmills! Centuries ago, there were over 9,000 windmills dotted around the country and they are one of the top things the Netherlands is known for.
In the years since, that number has dramatically decreased to only around 1,200 historic windmills but that’s still more than any other country worldwide. The structures still standing represent the country’s long history with windmills that were needed to pump water away from flooded farmland or grind grain to produce flour.
Kinderdijk, near Rotterdam, is one of the most beautiful parts of the Netherlands and is home to some of the most recognizable windmills. But the most famous windmill in the Netherlands is De Adriaan in Haarlem, only a few km outside Amsterdam.
3. The Capital City of Amsterdam
Speaking of Amsterdam, the Netherlands is famous for its bustling capital city. Around one million people call Amsterdam home but almost 20 million tourists visit this beautiful city every year.
Named after the River Amstel which flows through the city, some of the most popular tourist attractions in the country are in Amsterdam’s city center. There are many museums such as the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Anne Frank House, and Body Worlds.
Not only are there several cultural institutions but it’s an objectively attractive city with beautiful canals lined with tall townhouses with stepped gable roofs. Flower markets, cheese markets, and festivals fill the events calendar of this most famous city every week and it really does offer something for all types of travelers. This won’t be the last time Amsterdam appears on this list!
4. Delicious Dutch Cheese like Gouda and Edam
So, what food is the Netherlands known for? It isn’t one of the top culinary hotspots in Europe like Italy or France, but Dutch cuisine is still unique. One of the most traditional food staples in the Netherlands is Dutch cheese.
Farmland in the Netherlands is very wet and fertile, yet humid. Some crops, like maize, cannot thrive in these conditions but grass can. High-quality grass produces high-quality cheese!
Gouda is the most famous cheese in the Netherlands, closely followed by Edam, Maasdam, Boerenkaas, Leyden, and some other varieties. There are still traditional cheese markets in the town of Gouda where the namesake cheese was invented. These types of cheese tend to be mild and creamy which is why these traditional cheese markets are crowd-pleasing and popular with locals and tourists alike.
5. Dutch People are the Tallest in the World
What are the Dutch known for that might surprise you? Well, Dutch people are apparently the tallest in the world.
The average Dutch person at the age of 19 stands at 6 ft/182.9 cm for men and 5.6 ft/169.3 cm for women. This means, overall, Dutch people stand 5 ft 8 inches/175.62 cm tall.
While there is no conclusive region why a Dutch person is more likely to be taller than people from other nations, there are theories. Scientists think wealth, good diets, and quality health care all play a role in the height of a Dutch person.
People from Montenegro, Denmark, Norway, and Serbia stand almost as tall as a Dutch person as they take the other four spots in the top five. If you’re a shorty, don’t be tempted to wear your heels when visiting the Netherlands. They also favor cobblestone streets and sidewalks!
6. Heineken Is the World’s Second-Largest Beer Company
Germany might be more synonymous with beer thanks to its popular Oktoberfest, but the Netherlands is famous for having one of the most successful beer companies of all time. Heineken was founded in Amsterdam in the late 1800s. Today, they brew in over 70 counties including the Netherlands.
But it’s not just Dutch beer under the Heineken brand. Around 300 craft, international, and regional beers are part of the Heineken family. If you like Dutch beer and want to learn more about the history of Heineken, you can visit the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam.
7. UNESCO World Heritage Site of Amsterdam Canals
There are 12 UNESCO-certified sites in the Netherlands and they cover a range of things the Netherlands is famous for. Some are towns, local agricultural practices, and nature preserves. But arguably the most popular world heritage site is one of the Netherlands’ famous landmarks, the beautiful canals of Amsterdam.
Amsterdam has 165 canals covering 100km of waterways with over 1,500 bridges linking 90 islands. The canal ring that surrounds the city center (made up of five rings of canals) is specifically what became a world heritage site in 2010. This district dates back to the 17th century and was essential in the transportation of goods and people at this time.
Not only is the canal ring of high historical importance, but they are also breathtakingly beautiful canals. The townhouses that surround the canals are some of the priciest properties in the country and the bridges, flowerboxes, and cobblestone streets all add to the charm.
8. Post-Impressionist Painter Vincent Van Gogh
The Netherlands is known for many iconic figures in history like sportspeople, philosophers, and filmmakers but the famous Dutch painters stand head and shoulders above them all. One of the most prominent is Vincent Van Gogh, an artist who was born in the Dutch town of Zundert in 1853. While not famous and recognized during his lifetime, he would become one of the most influential people in art history.
Some of the most famous paintings by Vincent Van Gogh include Starry Night, The Bedroom, Sunflowers, and Van Gogh’s Self Portrait. Starry Night can be found at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, and the Self Portrait is in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.
Luckily, the best institution that displays a prolific number of his works is the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. It has the largest Vincent Van Gogh collection in the world with over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and 750 letters in the permanent collection of the Van Gogh Museum.
9. The Dutch Golden Age from 1588 to 1672
For almost 100 years, the Dutch were pioneers in the worlds of art, trade, and science. Their military was amongst the best in the world and the Netherlands is famous for overtaking Spain and Portugal’s power during the Dutch Golden Age.
One of the reasons why the Dutch were so successful is due to their map-making and sailing skills. Back home, artists like Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Vermeer, and Frans Hals firmly put themselves on the proverbial map of the art world too.
10. Traditional and Colorful Dutch Wooden Clogs
Out of all the things the Netherlands is known for, wooden shoes might be the quirkiest! You cannot enter any souvenir shop in the country without seeing them on a fridge magnet or walk down the street without a comically huge pair outside a storefront. They’re often painted colorfully with other iconic Dutch things like windmills or tulips, but real wooden clogs were much more modest in real life.
This traditional footwear dates back to the 1300s when farmers and peasants wore wooden shoes to protect their feet from the elements. The Netherlands is a very wet country and can become cold in the winter, so wooden clogs were a cheap solution to keep out the rain, snow, mud, and manure.
If you think that wooden clogs look cute and want to buy yourself a pair to wear, you might want to think again. They are moderately comfortable walking on flat ground for a short period (and you can easily slip them on and off!) but most don’t offer arch support. Traditional wooden shoes only had a thin piece of leather as a sole too, so they’re better for display purposes only.
11. Holland Is a Common Misnomer of the Netherlands
What is Holland known for and is it the same as what the Netherlands is known for? Not quite! Noord Holland and Zuid Holland (north and south) are only two regions in the country of the Netherlands, which has 12 regions in total.
Because most tourists only visit these two regions, ‘Holland’ is often used to refer to the entire country. The Netherlands has been its name since the early 1800s, but Emperor Napoleon did briefly make his brother Louis the King of Holland for four years prior to the country’s independence.
Whether or not Dutch people get annoyed by people referring to the entire country as ‘Holland’ will depend on who you ask. As a rule, it’s better to use the Netherlands (or Nederland). So, if you’re reading this guide for interesting Holland facts, you’re probably looking for the Netherlands’ interesting facts.
12. Amsterdam’s Infamous Coffee Shops
Not all things the Netherlands is famous for are family-friendly. There’s a good reason why Amsterdam attracts so many students, young couples, and bachelor/bachelorette parties, and that’s cannabis.
In certain neighborhoods in Amsterdam, there are coffee shops that sell marijuana products to locals and tourists. If you visit the Dutch capital, it’s important to note that ‘coffee shops’ sell cannabis, and ‘cafes’ sell hot drinks, pastries, and everything you would expect to find in a regular cafe back home.
You might be surprised to learn that it’s illegal to possess, produce, or deal soft drugs like cannabis in the Netherlands. Trafficking is also illegal, so coffee shops have to acquire cannabis secretly and illegally too.
However, Dutch authorities have tolerated cannabis for personal use since the 1970s. Coffee shops are able to sell cannabis products for people to consume onsite with no consequences.
13. Rotterdam Is the Unofficial Second City
The six largest cities the Netherlands is known for are Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Eindhoven, Utrecht, and Groningen. That makes Rotterdam in South Holland the country’s second city.
While Amsterdam is known for its art history and centuries-old townhouses, Rotterdam is a 21st-century city with modern architecture and skyrise buildings. Some of the key structures are the Erasmus Bridge, Rotterdam Central Station, and the Euromast Observation Tower which offers panoramic views of this beautiful city.
Rotterdam is also known for its maritime heritage and has a great reputation as a foodie city.
14. One-Third of the Netherlands Is Below Sea Level
One of the things the Netherlands is famous for is the country’s flat, wet farmland. Figuring out why can be determined by answering the question, where is the Netherlands located? Well, it’s mostly situated at or below sea level!
Vaalserberg is the highest point in the whole country and it’s only 1,056 ft/322 m tall. Around one-third of the Netherlands measures lower than the sea line and the other two-thirds aren’t much higher. The country’s sea defenses are so incredible that the Dutch Water Defense Lines are actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Schokland and Surroundings is also a UNESCO site as this area includes land reclaimed from the sea in the 1940s after it was flooded and abandoned. The Netherlands has an ongoing battle against flooding and it does an awesome job of keeping everyone in the country safe and in their homes.
15. Amsterdam’s Infamous Red Light District
Coffee shops aren’t the only infamous thing the Netherlands is known for. Most coffee shops are located in Amsterdam’s De Wallen neighborhood, better known as the Red Light District.
These districts are usually urban areas with a high concentration of sex workers and other similarly themed shops, theaters, and clubs. There’s no math to determine which European city has the most notorious or popular Red Light District, but Amsterdam’s has to be pretty high!
Unlike cannabis which is merely tolerated by local law enforcement, prostitution is legal and regulated in the Netherlands.
Don’t get the wrong idea that Amsterdam is a hotbed of debauchery and family-unfriendly activities! De Wallen is a really small neighborhood in the Centrum district and super easy to avoid. If you’re visiting with kids, you probably won’t be checking out the local nightlife scene anyway.
16. First Country to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
One of the more positive things the Netherlands is famous for is that it was the very first country to legalize same-sex marriage. The Dutch Government paved the way back in 2001. It took two years for another country, Belgium, to follow suit. The United States wouldn’t make gay marriage legal nationwide until 2015, a staggering 14 years later.
The Netherlands has a great track record of being welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community and 90% of the population are in favor of gay marriage. If you identify as part of the community, definitely consider booking a trip to the Netherlands!
We visited what is supposedly the first gay bar in the world, open since 1927, which is in Amsterdam, called Cafe ‘t Mandje. It was also used during WWII as a base camp for the resistance. It is still run by the same family. The tolerant atmosphere and historic interior have been preserved, complete with photograph-pasted walls, neckties hanging from the ceiling, a jukebox with old-time music, and an antique pool table. Even if you aren’t part of the community, it’s still worth stopping in! Everyone was friendly and happy to see us.
17. The Netherlands’ National Color is Orange
Most countries’ national colors correspond to those on the flag. For example, the USA, France, and the UK have red, white, and blue as their national colors because they all have red, white, and blue flags.
The Netherlands’ flag also consists of red, white, and blue but the national color is orange. This color is a source of Dutch national pride and the population in the Netherlands is known for wearing orange on King’s Day or Koningsdag in Dutch. This is the current head of the Dutch Royal Family and Monarch’s birthday.
At the moment, King Willem-Alexander is on the throne and his birthday is April 27th. His daughter, Catharina-Amalia, the Princess of Orange, was born on December 7th and is his heir apparent. If she becomes Queen, that is when Queen’s Day will be celebrated.
18. Are French Fries Actually Dutch?
When visiting any Dutch city, you’ll realize there are a lot of food trucks or carts selling French fries. The Netherlands is famous for its love of this delicious fried potato snack. Locals douse their cones of fries in mayonnaise rather than ketchup.
But are French fries really French? Their origin story is up for debate.
Fries are first mentioned in 1775 in a Parisian book. However, a Belgian journalist stated that potatoes were deep-fried in the Meuse Valley around 1680.
While the Netherlands definitely did not invent the French fry, it’s possible that a Dutch country did! It’s not surprising that people in the Netherlands enjoy eating lots of fries regardless of their origins.
The fries were good, but I couldn’t stomach all the mayonnaise squirted on top! I was done after a few bites.
19. Sweet Treats Stroopwafels and Poffertjes
Aside from Dutch cheese and beer, what are the Netherlands known for in the culinary world? Famous Dutch cuisine tends to be snacks or singular food items rather than entire dishes. The sweet treats that the Netherlands is known for follow this trend!
Stroopwafels (translates to ‘syrup’ waffle) consist of two thin, round cookies with a caramel filling pressed together in a waffle iron. Founded in Gouda around the late 18th century, it wasn’t until 1870 that stroopwafels began to appear in other Dutch cities. Today, they are a popular snack and are sold by street food vendors.
Poffertjes are small, fluffy pancakes usually topped with powdered sugar and served with butter or syrup. Traditionally, they were an Easter or Christmas treat (they’re popular at German Christmas markets) but now you can find them year-round.
20. Dutch Artist Rembrandt’s Night Watch Painting
The Netherlands is famous for producing some exceptional artists like Van Gogh. But possibly even more revered than Vincent Van Gogh in Dutch culture is Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. Born in 1606, he is one of the most famous Dutch painters of all time and is known as one of the Dutch Masters during the Golden Age.
Rembrandt wasn’t just one of the Netherlands’ famous painters but he was also a printer and draughtsman. Some of his most famous paintings include The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, The Jewish Bride, and The Return of the Prodigal Son.
Rembrandt’s most famous painting is undoubtedly The Night Watch. It’s located in one of the best art galleries not only in the Netherlands but in the world, the Rijksmuseum. Night Watch was under restoration while we were there, but it was still cool to see. It’s huge!
There are many works by other Dutch Masters in the Rijksmuseum including Hendrick Avercamp, Frans Hals, Jacob van Ruisdael, and Johannes Vermeer. There are other famous painters from around the world featured in this art museum, but it’s the go-to place to see paintings by Dutch Masters in real life.
21. Best Non-Native English Speakers in the World
Around 28 million people speak Dutch, the national language of the Netherlands, worldwide but few speak it as a second language. That’s not a problem for English speakers wanting to visit the land of windmills and tulips! The Netherlands is known for being the home of the best non-native English speakers in the world.
Around 95% of the Dutch population speaks English to some degree of fluency. In fact, moving to the Netherlands and learning Dutch tends to be difficult for new expats as the Dutch are often so keen to practice their English skills.
22. World’s First Stock Market and Stock Exchange
Believe it or not, one of the things the Netherlands is famous for is building the world’s first stock market. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange was founded in 1602 and is still running today.
Its inception was largely influenced by the incorporation of the Dutch East India Company, which is often referred to as the first multinational company. Different equities began trading and buying shares and people could become shareholders in companies for the first time. Today, the Amsterdam Stock Exchange is called Euronext and the Dutch East India Company was dissolved in 1799.
23. The Netherlands was Neutral in the Second World War
Switzerland is the most notorious country in Europe for remaining neutral during the second world war, but the Netherlands is known for being a neutral country too. One of the main reasons is that, like Switzerland, they simply did not have the military power to join the war.
The Nazis occupied the Netherlands in World War II in 1940 which the Dutch army did attempt to fight but they lost within five days. The Dutch were liberated partly in 1944 and wholly in 1945 by Canadian, British, Polish, Dutch, and American troops.
24. The International Court of Justice is in The Hague
If you’re ever accused of a serious international crime (though I sincerely hope you’re not!), then your case might be tried in the United Nations’ International Criminal Court. The Netherlands is famous for running and organizing this international court, court of justice, and peace palace in one of its biggest cities, the Hague.
Binnenhof, a 16th-century building in The Hague, is where you’ll find the Dutch Government. It might surprise you to learn the government doesn’t sit in the capital, Amsterdam. This official government building stands out amongst the modern architecture and skyrise buildings that surround it in this modern, dynamic city.
25. Popular Tourist Attraction the Anne Frank House
One of the most popular tourist attractions in not just Amsterdam but the entire country is the Anne Frank House. Anne Frank was a young Jewish Dutch girl who hid from the Nazis in a secret annex with her family and other Jewish families in World War II.
So much of her tragic story is known because she kept a diary throughout her two years in hiding. Her father published her journal entries after her death in a concentration camp in 1945. The Anne Frank House is now a museum and many of the rooms still look how they would have during Anne’s time there.
This attraction is easy to find in Amsterdam’s city center by the canals near Westerkerk. If you are visiting Amsterdam and want to check out the house, you must book tickets long in advance as they sell out.
26. The Dom Tower Is the Country’s Tallest Church Tower
Rotterdam’s Zalmhaven Tower is the country’s tallest building at 705 ft/215 m, but it’s the Dom Tower that is one of the things the Netherlands is famous for. This church tower in the city of Utrecht stands 369 ft/112.5 m tall.
The tower is part of St Martin’s Church which was built between 1321 and 1382, so the tower’s height was very impressive for this period. It’s also impressive that no other church built since has surpassed it!
The Dom Tower, like the rest of the church, has an ornate, Gothic design. You can climb up to the top of the tower with a guide and witness beautiful panoramic views of the city.
27. Johannes Vermeer’s Girl With a Pearl Earring Painting
Johannes Vermeer might be one of the most famous painters of the Golden Age, but it’s this famous painting that the Netherlands is known for. He was a Dutch Baroque painter born in Delft and his most revered painting, by far, is Girl With a Pearl Earring.
It’s an iconic work because of the use of light and the positioning of the girl. The fact he painted the figure from his imagination is also unique as most paintings of people at this time were portraits of real people.
Scarlett Johansson starred in a movie of the same title in 2003 which has allowed modern audiences to become reacquainted with this masterful work. It is part of the permanent collection in the Mauritshuis Museum in The Hague which boasts many other works by Dutch Masters.
28. Being the 5th Most Densely Populated Country in Europe
Many countries with dense populations are city-states or micro countries with Macau, Singapore, and Hong Kong being great examples of densely-populated countries. Being the 5th most densely-populated country in Europe behind Monaco, Gibraltar, Malta, and San Marino is one of the things the Netherlands is famous for.
The Netherlands is 16,158 mi² and has around 17.5 million residents. Comparing it to the US state of Maryland’s 12,407 mi² and six million residents, that’s quite a huge difference! One of the best facts about Holland is that South Holland is one of the world’s most densely populated areas.
However, you might not think this was the case if you were to visit the Netherlands. It still has vast areas of woodland, nature reserves, farms, and fields.
29. The Netherlands Boasts More Bicycles Than Residents
The Netherlands is known for its bike-loving citizens and excellent cycling infrastructure across the entire nation. This country adores cycling so much that there are far more bikes within its borders than people.
Around 22.5 million bikes live in the Netherlands compared to 17.5 million people. Even accounting for rental bikes, that’s a lot!
30. Bizarre Stereotypes of Dutch Women
Type ‘Dutch women’ into Google and you’ll find article after article of tips on how to meet, date, marry, or be like women from this country. Apparently, the Netherlands is famous for producing some of the most superior and sought-after women in the world!
News articles and tips will state that women from the Netherlands are tall and blonde with blue eyes. They are supposedly confident, unique, independent, proactive, interesting, and a slew of other positive adjectives.
Of course, women from all nations have diverse external traits and appearances. But the Dutch female population isn’t likely to take much offense at being widely known as confident and interesting.
The question is, why do such stereotypes exist?! Unfortunately, there’s no obvious answer. It may have something to do with how women in the Netherlands were painted way back in the Golden Age as well as the high levels of gender equality in the 21st century.
31. Iconic Delftware Ceramics from the City of Delft
Aside from clogs, other common and quintessential Dutch things made by local craftsmen are Delftware ceramics. The Netherlands is known for this iconic style of art and dinnerware and has been since the 17th century.
This style of glazed ceramics had iconic, handpainted blue-and-white designs. The paintings would be of flowers, windmills, and other typical Dutch scenes.
Sometimes, pottery might look like Delftware without being the real deal. Real pottery from the city of Delft will have ‘handpainted in Holland’ or ‘Delft Blue’ written on the bottom.
32. Amsterdam Dance Event Annual Music Festival
While the Netherlands is known for its historic buildings and museums, the Netherlands is famous for its love of clubs, music festivals, and electronic dance music too. One of the biggest dates in the electronic music calendar is the Amsterdam Dance Event. Hosted every year in October, this is a huge, city-wide event that takes over most of the main music venues in the capital for five days.
It’s been running every year since 1996 and shows no signs of slowing down. If you’re into electronic dance then it’s not to be missed, but if you don’t then avoid traveling to Amsterdam during the festival to avoid high accommodation prices!
33. Fictional Cartoon Rabbit Miffy by Dutch Artist Dick Bruna
Belgium has Tintin, Finland has the Moomins, so what is the Netherlands known for in the European cartoon world? Miffy! Dutch artist Dick Bruna created and published the first Miffy book in 1955 and there have been around 30 others published since.
She also appears in games, coloring books, TV shows, and movies. There are plush toys of the white rabbit with an ‘x’ for a mouth as well as tons of other merchandise, too.
In Dutch, she’s called nijntje which literally translates to ‘little rabbit.’ Many confuse Miffy with the Japanese cartoon rabbit Sanrio’s Cathy who is the best friend of Hello Kitty, but Miffy is the original.
34. Soccer is the National Sport and is Widely Played
Like virtually every other country in Europe, the favorite sport of the Netherlands is soccer (or voetbal/football). The national team’s nickname is Oranje and the players wear bright orange shirts.
For such a small country, the track record is surprisingly high. The team has won the European Championships twice and made it to the final of the World Cup three times.
Some of the most famous Dutch people are soccer players. Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Edwin van der Sar are all Dutch sporting heroes.
But the sport is played and beloved by more than just the professionals. Approximately one in 16 people in the Netherlands play soccer either for fun or professionally.
35. Philosopher and Scientist Rene Descartes
Even though Descartes was born in France and died in Sweden, he spent most of his life living in the Dutch Republic (as it was known at the time). He even served in the Dutch States Army and was a central figure in the intellectual side of the Golden Age. Rene Descartes was perhaps one of the most famous Dutch people to exist who wasn’t an artist.
He is most famous for his ideas on natural philosophy and the role he played in the scientific revolution. His most famous statement was, “I think, therefore I am” and his book Meditations on First Philosophy (1641) is still widely read today. It’s no wonder why the Netherlands would adopt someone of Descartes’ status as their own!
What Is the Netherlands Famous For? All This and More!
It’s surprising just how many world-renowned institutions, creative thinkers, lively cities, and historic events the Netherlands can boast. While it shares a language with parts of Belgium, an appreciation of beer with Germany, and a love of soccer with the rest of Europe, it well and truly holds its own.
So, what is the Netherlands known for? Visit during the tulip season or King’s Day, munch on a stroopwafel, and visit one of the many prestigious art museums to discover for yourself.
