Other sights in The Netherlands
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Maritime & Beachcombers Museum
The Maritime & Beachcombers Museum is a real winner. Its extraordinary variety of junk recovered from sunken ships and the shore is mind-boggling – and both tragic and comic . In the outdoor section there are demonstrations by rope-makers, fish-smokers and blacksmiths, while the indoor displays cover everything from underwater archaeology to windmill technology. Reede van Texel, which the museum translates accurately as Texel Roads, has nothing to do with asphalt but rather is a vast and amazingly detailed model of the shipping lanes and ports as they existed in the 17th century. Two hours will float away here just like a lost bottle at sea.
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Fort Sint Pieter
Much of Maastricht is riddled with defensive tunnels dug into the soft sandstone over the centuries. The best place to see the tunnels is Fort Sint Pieter, which dates to Roman times and has now been restored to its appearance in 1701. It’s 2km south of Helpoort. This is a really beautiful area, pastoral despite the ominous walls – the fort is an arresting sight looming over the charming hillside – and it’s a fine walk from town.
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Ecomare
Initially created as a refuge for sick seals retrieved from the Waddenzee, Ecomare has expanded into a nature centre devoted to the preservation and understanding of Texel’s wildlife. It has displays on Texel’s development since the last ice age, islanders’ interaction with the sea, large aquariums filled with fish from the Waddenzee and the North Sea (including sharks and sea skates), while outside there are marked nature trails.
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Pintohuis (Openbare Bibliotheek)
The street that runs from Nieuwmarkt square towards Waterlooplein is St Antoniesbreestraat, once a busy street that lost its old buildings during the construction of the metro line. One of the original buildings still standing is the Pintohuis, once owned by a wealthy Sephardic Jew, Isaac de Pinto, who had it remodelled with Italianate pilasters in the 1680s. It’s now a bibliotheek (library) – pop inside to admire the beautiful ceiling frescos.
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Corrie Ten Boom House
Also known as ‘the hiding place’, the Corrie Ten Boom House is named for the matriarch of a family that lived in the house during WWII. Using a secret compartment in her bedroom, she hid hundreds of Jews and Dutch resistors until they could be spirited to safety. In 1944 the family was betrayed and sent to concentration camps where three died. Later, Corrie Ten Boom toured the world preaching peace.
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De Hallen
On Grote Markt, the Vleeshal holds contemporary art exhibitions; the Verweyhal next door, in a fancy Renaissance building designed by Lieven de Key, houses the Frans Hals Museum’s collection of modern art, including works by Dutch impressionists and the CoBrA movement. The museums are known collectively as De Hallen.
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Huis Sonneveld
Huis Sonneveld, designed by Brinkman and Van der Vlugt is an outstanding example of the Dutch New Building architectural strain (also known as Dutch functionalism). This 1933 villa has been lovingly restored, with furniture, wallpaper and fixtures present and correct – it is an astonishing experience, almost like virtual reality.
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Eureka Orchideeën & Vogelbush
June is the time to see wild orchids on Texel, a rarity in the country; outside this month, dress lightly and head for the steamy Eureka Orchideeën & Vogelbush. Native orchid species can be viewed in all their tender, quivering glory alongside a menagerie of tropical birds in a large greenhouse.
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Museum Nusantara
The Museum Nusantara shines a light on the Netherlands’ colonial past. There’s a collection of furniture and other lifestyle artefacts from 17th-century Batavia (now Jakarta), as well as a ‘colonial department’ detailing the beginnings of Dutch rule in Indonesia.
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Oorlogs Verzets Museum
A much darker theme is found at the Oorlogs Verzets Museum, where the sounds of German bombers greet you for exhibits that fittingly are sheltered under a bridge. Displays recount life in Rotterdam during WWII; the fear in the faces of people fleeing the bombing in a 1940 photo is raw.
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Jheronimus Bosch Art Center
You can find traces of Bosch in his city today. The Jheronimus Bosch Art Center re-creates all of his works and uses interactive exhibits to explore his work and life. Housed in an old church, it even has a modest thrill ride: an elevator takes you up 40m for a view over the town.
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Museum Volkenkunde
Cultural achievements by civilisations worldwide are on show at the Museum Volkenkunde. More than 200,000 artefacts span China, South America and Africa. There’s a rich Indonesian collection; watch for performances by the museum’s gamelan troupe.
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De Ridammerhoeve
Perhaps the most delightful attraction is De Ridammerhoeve, an organic working goat farm where kids can feed bottles of milk to, well, kids. The cafeteria sells goat’s-milk smoothies and ice cream, as well as cheeses made on the premises.
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Hortus Botanicus
The lush Hortus Botanicus, Europe’s oldest botanical garden (1587), is home to the country’s oldest descendants of the Dutch tulips. It’s a wonderful place to relax, with explosions of tropical colour and a fascinating steamy greenhouse.
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Imagine Ic Cultural Centre
The Imagine IC Cultural Centre dispenses excellent free audio tours of the De Bijlmer area, as well as maps. From here, you can wind your way east, passing all kinds of novel structures, including a miniature version of the NEMO building.
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Munttoren
The Munttoren is another prominent tower. When the French occupied the country in the 1670s, the national mint was transferred here from Dordrecht for safekeeping. The French got the money anyway when they later took Amsterdam.
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Show Cube
The fittingly named Show Cube, is open to the public. Look for the tiny chess museum in the cube complex, with all kinds of chess pieces on display – everything from ancient Hindu examples to likenesses of Jabba the Hut.
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De Burcht
De Burcht, an 11th-century citadel on an artificial hill, lost its protective functions as the city grew around it. Now it’s a park with lovely places to view the steeples and rooftops, and has a wonderful cafe at its base.
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Lighthouse
Texel’s lighthouse opened to visitors in 2009. Battered not just by storms but by war as well, this 45m crimson tower has views across the islands and shallow waters. The climb to the top is 153 steps.
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Haven Museum
The Haven Museum comprises all manner of old and historic ships moored in the basin. You can always wander the quays; when the visitor centre is open you can learn more about what’s tied up.
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St Pancraskerk
The huge pile of bricks is the 15th-century St Pancraskerk, an agglomeration of styles. Follow the huge steeple to Pieterskerk, which is often under restoration.
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RailZ Miniworld
The Dutch love of the world in miniature is celebrated at RailZ Miniworld, a ginormous 500 sq metre model railroad re-creating Rotterdam and the Randstad.
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Latin School
The Latin School, is gabled which – before it became a commercial building – was graced by a pupil named Rembrandt from 1616 to 1620.
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Tuin Schoonoord
Tuin Schoonoord, is a hidden re-creation of an idealised Dutch wilderness that seems to have been taken right from a Renaissance painting.
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Marekerk
The Marekerk dates to 1639 and has a beautiful eight-sided wooden interior. Try to sneak a peak during Sunday services.
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