The Netherlands has almost dispelled the notion of simply being an archaic land of clogs and windmills with its string of exciting conurbations, including the cosmopolitan capital, Amsterdam one of Europe's great cities. Even towns such as Eindhoven, The Hague, Utrecht and Rotterdam are instilled with a genuine buzz. Away from the cities, the idyllic land of windmills and tulips still exists in the bucolic splendour of the countryside, as do a number of stunning medieval towns and beach resorts on its wide swathe of coastline. The Netherlands is renowned for being unremittingly flat, but this does have its advantages, providing excellent terrain for cycling and walking, plus opening up sweeping, vast skies that celebrated painters past and present, of which The Netherlands boasts many, have sought to capture on canvas. Essentially, what The Netherlands offers is high culture in low land. Amsterdam alone enables you to delve through centuries of history aboard a canal boat or explore an exhaustive array of museums and galleries.
The Netherlands - in particular, Amsterdam - is still a haven for many nationalities, sexualities and radically different political and religious persuasions. It also just happens to be incredibly exciting, enchanting and interesting.