Our Weekly Highlight is, let me say a bit of personal advice about cool, exciting, sometimes emotional but always interesting moments and activities to undertake in the Netherlands. Weekly we highlight something to trigger your visit to the Netherlands
Week 12 – Yeahhhh all Italian Ice Cream makers are back in the Netherlands
Do yourself a favor and pop into one of the Italian ice cream parlors this week. In the Netherlands, there are many Italian ice cream parlors where the most delicious types of ice cream are scooped. Do you want a bowl or a cone and how many scoops of ice cream would you like, that is the question. Italian ice cream makers spend the winter in Italy and the ice cream parlors are closed from October to early March. When spring is in the air the ice cream makers return from their winter break. The ice cream season starts in March, how nice is that?
Week 11 – Caprera Light Festival Bloemendaal
Let yourself be enchanted by the giant light artworks at a magical open-air festival in Bloemendaal. This year great artists will exhibit no less than 13 beautiful light artworks. Moreover, a spectacular 3D video will be shown. You can admire the light art during a 1.5 km long walk. This fantastic light show is a yearly returning event happening for the 75th time in 2023.
Caprera Light Festival: Hoge Duin & Daalseweg, Bloemendaal
Week 10 – Soft blue, pink and yellow! Impressive, grotesque, and sometimes terrifying sculptures
MInistry of Fear/Foam is called this exposition of the artist Folkert de Jong. Foam and polyurethane foam, normally used in construction, is what Folkert de Jong used to make his grotesque sculpture group. Power, violence and disaster are expressed in this exhibition. Folkert shows you the bizarre and the vulnerable of our world.
➔ Kunsthal Kade, Eemplein 7, Amersfoort
Week 9 – A good week to visit a zoo, a petting zoo, or to cuddle a newborn lamb
This week the North of the Netherlands has a spring holiday, and last week the south of the Netherlands had this spring holiday. So half of the Netherlands is free and the other half is back to school or back to work. So this week it won’t be so crowded at the zoos and peddling zoos. The weather is nice, a bit cold but, lovely blue skies and it is sunny. Maybe you like to visit a lamb farm and it’s possible to cuddle some lambs.
➔ Cuddle a cute newborn lamb in springtime
➔ Zoos in the Netherlands
➔ Pedding zoos and city farms
Week 8 – Blues and Belgium Beer Festival Delft
Blues, Blues Rock, BoogieWoogie, Delta blues, Chicago Blues, Rock-a-Billy, who doesn’t love this fantastic music? Blues and Belgian Beer, the finest music, and the most delicious beer, the best combination ever! And where can you experience this musical highlight? At the Affligem Blues festival Delft. A lovely musical weekend with top-quality musical blues acts, what a great way to end February. The historic city of Delft is the stage where this 3-day festival is organized. From 24 to 26 February perform international and national blues artists at several cafes. Cutting harmonicas, groaning howling saxophones, screeching guitars, singing swinging basses, you can hear it all at the Blues Festival. What a super cool festival, the place to be if you love the blues!
➔ Blues Festival Delft
Week 7 – Vermeer, a breaking eye-catching exhibition in Rijksmuseum
As it stands now, it seems like everyone loves the painting of Johannes Vermeer. Vermeer’s work is so beautiful, fragile, and subdued, the breaking of the light on his paintings is of indescribable beauty. You must see it. Within a week, more than 200,000 tickets are sold for a phenomenal and very special exhibition of the work of Johannes Vermeer. Never before could so many of his works of art be admired in one exhibition at the same time. No fewer than 28 masterly works by Vermeer are on display in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. A spectacular, 5 stars, article about the Vermeer Exhibition is published in the Guardian. A flattering and inspiring piece of journalism. An absolute must-read for everyone who loves the work of Vermeer and is ready to go to Amsterdam.
➔ The Guardian – Johannes Vermeer and his sublime artwork
➔ Rijksmuseum – Exhibition Johannes Vermeer
Week 6 – Queen Juliana in the Spotlight: a lovely and rebellious monarch
Everyone wants to be a queen, but is it really such a wonderful life? Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t. Judge for yourself at an exposition dedicated to the life of Queen Juliana. In Amsterdam on Dam Square next to the Royal Palace is the New Church (De Nieuwe Kerk) well known for its fantastic exhibitions. Until April 2023 you can visit the exhibition “The Century of Juliana, a modern and rebellious queen.” Juliana was the only daughter of Queen Wilhelmina. Juliana is the mother of Beatrix, and grandmother of the current King of the Netherlands Willem Alexander. This exposition is a tribute to Juliana, Queen of the Netherlands. An absolute must-see. Visit the Nieuwe Kerk and the Royal Palace and be amazed by Juliana’s high-profile life and magical connections.
➔ Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam – The century of Juliana, Queen of the Netherlands.
Week 5 – Ice Sculpture Festival “What A Wonderful World” in Zwolle
This Dutch ice sculpture festival started a while ago but was still on our to-do list, so this week you’ll see us in Zwolle. We are looking forward to seeing all the ice sculptures. What fits more in winter than an ice sculpture festival, how cool is this? The ice carvers have gone completely crazy on the theme “What a Wonderful World and created ice sculptures from various subjects such as architecture, wonders of the world, culture, natural phenomena, people, animals, and fantasy figures. All in all, this year the ice sculpture festival gets great reviews, once again it is really fantastic. Don’t forget your hat and gloves, it’s really cold at the Ice sculpture festival.
➔ Ice Sculpture Festival Zwolle
Week 4 – Weekend – Chinese New Year, the year of the Rabbit has started.
Bang fireworks, a parade with Chinese hudges dancing lions, and dragons, one great spectacle. This is how the Chinese New Year starts in The Hague. January 21st, 2023 is the start of the year of the Rabbit. The Year of the Rabbit represents patience, happiness, and peace. A rabbit is soft and sweet, this year brings harmony and growth.
➔ 2023, Year of the Rabbit, Atrium of the city hall The Hague
➔ Chinese New Year Festival in The Hague
Week 3 – For happiness and relaxation visit a sauna, spa, or wellness resort.
In the Netherlands, there are 140 saunas, spas, and wellness resorts. So when the weather is bad, sad, rainy, grey, and even blue Monday in the week, visit a sauna. You will feel much much better. Happiness and relaxation will comfort your body and soul.
➔ Sauna, spa, and wellness resorts in the Netherlands
WEEK 3 – weekend – Circus festival “This is nog a circus” at theater Bellevue, Amsterdam
In the modern circus in 2023, an acrobat is allowed to fail. Pure enjoyment in theater Bellevue with the great acts in the performances “This is not a circus”.
➔ This is not circus, theater Bellevue Amsterdam
Week 2 – I LIGHT U – Art Light festival Utrecht from 6 till 29 January
In and around the shopping mall Hoog Catharijne, Utrecht Central Station, and the event location Jaarbeurs Utrecht is indoors and outside a great exhibition of light objects made by national and international light artists. Simultaneously with this light exhibition, the Lumen light festival is held in the old city center of Utrecht. The Utrecht Lumen light festival consists of dozens of light artworks illuminating historical buildings and objects in a special ways. You do not want to miss “I Light U” and “Utrecht Lumen”. The exhibition is truly a must-see. Both light artwork shows are totally free to visit.
➔ Utrecht Lumen, a tale of light and I LIGHT U
➔ Utrecht – I LIGHT U – Map 2023
Week 1 – New evolution room and Northern Light Show in Naturalis Leiden
A new room opens in the Museum Naturalis in Leiden. The subject of the room is “Evolution”. You must see The Evolution Hall as it is so remarkable because of the artful and high-tech way in which it is decorated. And of course, the sublime way the museum points out the never-ending story of evolution. As a visitor, so is said, you become enraptured because you don’t immediately understand how the highlight of the Evolution Hall works. In addition, a spectacular Northern Lights show can be seen in Naturalis until the end of January. So now you have two good reasons to visit Museum Naturalis in Leiden this week.
➔ Naturalis museum Leiden
Week 1 – Day 1 2023 – New Years Dive
After a great New Years’ Eve with friends and family, fireworks, loads of champagne, oliebollen, and apple beignets the time has come for the utterly refreshing New Year’s Dive. Traditionally, all over Holland, the new year starts with an irresistible New Year’s Dive. This year you can join almost 200 New Year’s Eve dives all over the Netherlands. Do you also feel like starting the new year with a fresh dive? It’s great fun. So check out here where a new years dive is organized in your surroundings.
➔ Check out all the New Years Dive in the Netherlands
Week 53 – New Year’s Eve Fireworks 🧨 New Year’s parties, and festivals
New Year’s Eve is usually celebrated at home with family and friends. Oliebollen are eaten, there’s a toast with champagne and fireworks are set off at 12 o’clock. But there are also a lot of people, especially the young ones that like to go to New Year’s parties and festivals. And a lot of people love to go to a public fireworks show at midnight. Read all about fireworks, fireworks shows, parties, and festivals on New Year’s Eve:
➔ New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands
Week 52 – Neapolitan Nativity scene
Every year a huge Neapolitan nativity scene is set up in the St. Catharijne Cathedral in Utrecht. The Neapolitan nativity scene is really beautiful and it can be admired for free from December 18 to January 8. Just walk through the gate next to the cathedral and follow the red carpet to the Neapolitan Nativity scene. You don’t have to make a reservation, just walk in.
➔ Neapolitan nativity scene
Week 51 – Gospel exposition and the most beautiful nativity scene in the Netherlands at Catharijne Convent Museum Utrecht
Why should you visit the Catharijne Convent Museum and the adjacent Catharijne Cathedral in Utrecht this week? Well, the fantastic exhibition “Gospel, Musical Journey of Spirit and Hope” can be seen in the Catharijne Convent, a true musical revelation with soul and jazz. Next door to the museum you can visit the largest nativity scene in the Netherlands in the Catharijne Cathedral. This nativity scene has no fewer than 600 nativity figures and truly all these figures are outstanding museum pieces. The nativity scene can be visited for free but you do have to book a ticket for the Gospel Exhibition.
➔ Catharijne Convent Museum
Weekly Highlight week 50 – Gianni Versace Retrospective Groningen Museum
Gianni Versace was one of the world’s greatest pioneering fashion designers. He broke through the male-female image and was a champion of the LGBTQ movement. Versace is the creator of supermodels like Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, and Cindy Crawford. The fashionista worked with world-famous photographers like Helmut Newton, Peter Lindbergh, and Bruce Weber and artists Andy Warhol, Jim Dine, and Julian Schnabel. The fantastic exhibition Gianni Versace Retrospective can be seen in the Groninger Museum until May 2023. An absolute must-see.
➔ Tribute to Gianni Versace – Groningen Museum
Weekly Highlight 49 – Get yourself a Christmas tree, the sale has started
The Christmas tree sale has started. St. Nicholas is going home again, he and his helpers change the climate and leave us to get back to the Mediterranean climate in Spain. When Santa sails back home the sale of Christmas trees starts. All over the country, you can buy Christmas trees at Christmas Markets, on street corners, at garden centers, hardware stores, malls, and at Christmas Fairs. Christmas trees of all sizes and shapes, large, small, narrow, thick, full, and skinny Christmas trees. Christmas trees in pots, Christmas trees with and without roots. In any case, they are all beautiful Christmas trees. My favourite Christmas trees is the Nordmann. It smells so good! Scoring a beautiful Christmas tree and supporting a good cause at the same time fits perfectly into the Christmas spirit. That is why many Christmas tree sales outlets support charities.
Week 48 – Santa, Sinterklaas, Saint Nicolas a traditional celebration 5 December
Sinterklaas gets to the Netherlands each year in November on a steamboat filled with gifts and presents. Sinterklaas also called Santa or Saint Nicolas and his identical helpers – all called “Piet” – are totally loved by Dutch children because they never seem to take a bath. Children put one of their shoes next to the chimney to receive presents and donate e.g. carrots to Santa’s horse. At night, Sinterklaas rides across the rooftops on his white horse Amerigo and places traditional sweets and gifts in the children’s shoes. Traditional sweets are Pepernoten, Marzipan, and Chocolate Letters. Santa has his own shopping mall but you can get these traditional sweets as well at bakeries and supermarkets. On December 5, the birthday of Sinterklaas is celebrated and gifts are exchanged. Sinterklaas and his helpers are supposedly not real. It’s a made-up story, some people say. At the age of 6 or 7 years, children are told the supposedly real story. You better sort it out by yourself. Check it out, as Sinterklaas gets by horse or boat to any Dutch city. For the exact date of his arrival check at your local tourist office.
Weekly Highlight 47 – Christmas and Country Fair at Castle De Haar, Haarzuilens
Late November and time files! Are you feeling Christmas jitters yet? Looking forward to meet-and-greet Santa? Well, believe me, the “Country and Christmas Fair” at Castle de Haar is the place you want to be. Can’t you wait to get the Christmas decorations out of the attic and decorate your house and Christmas tree? Get To Castle de Haar where you will find everything making your wonderful nostalgic Christmas feelings complete. This awesome fair, in a superbly romantic location, is the start of the 2022 Christmas season. Right here the Christmas spirit spreads her wings.
And if you don’t find what you are looking for at this fair, pick another Christmas market in the Netherlands via the link below.
➔ Country and Christmas Fair Castle de Haar
➔ Here you find all the Christmas fairs in the Netherlands
Are you wondering how many days till it is Christmas?
Week 46 – Glow festival Eindhoven: Urban Skin.
GLOW is THE NUMBER 1. The loveliest international light art festival in the world. Visit Glow in the city of Eindhoven in the South of the Netherlands. A light festival in Eindhoven is quite obvious because the city is the hometown of Philips, once a world-famous manufacturer of light bulbs. At the GLOW festival, you’ll find 33 light artworks, installations, and satellite projections along a walking route of 5 km. I myself am more than excited to visit this superb light festival: Glow light festival Eindhoven
Where to stay in Eindhoven in the middle of the GLOW festival? ➔ Book here Hotel Mariënhage
Week 45 – Miffy’s question “Are you coming to play outside?’
Come along with your kids and enjoy the projection of the temporary animation “Miffy are you coming to play outside?” on the outside walls of the Miffy Museum. In the animation, Miffy and her friends experience winter adventures. The animation lasts 13 minutes and can be seen daily from sunset to 11 pm until January 29, 2023, at Agnietenstraat 2 in Utrecht. The Miffy animation is a creation of Projection art Studio “Mr. Beam”.
Nijntje museum, Agnietenstraat 2, Utrecht
Where to stay in Utrecht? ➔ Book here hotel B&B Rooftop View
Week 44 – Melle’s enigmatic visions in a retrospective exposition in Museum van Bommel van Dam in Venlo
The paintings of Melle are enigmatic visions sometimes taking place in eroticized landscapes. His work was groundbreaking. Dive into the fantasy of Melle in this retrospective exhibition. The painter Melle Oldeboerrigter lived in Amsterdam from 1908 till 1976. He paints amazing mind-altering surrealistic adventures. This great exposition of his life’s work lasts till February 2023. Get amazed in the Museum van Bommel van Dam in Venlo
The museum is located in the old post office of Venlo, Keulsepoort 1, 5911 BX Venlo
Where to stay in Venlo? ➔ Book here Hotel Bilderberg Château Holtmühle
Weekly Highlight 44 – Clock change and Halloween | Weekend tip
The last Saturday evening in October is the end of summertime and Halloween. Halloween is not a traditional Dutch feast and it was not always celebrated in the Netherlands. Lately, it becomes more and more an opportunity to have a party and in some areas, children start going around to collect candy. One of the best Halloween experiences is at Walibi Fright Night. Another great Halloween happening is the really scary Halloween Event, a ghost tour over forest paths, bushes, and ditches, along the way there are all kinds of hidden scary acts. And if you like to party at Halloween there are lots of Halloween festivals in the Netherlands, check out the Festival fan Halloween events.
Weekly Highlight 43 – Gustav Klimt in the Vincent van Gogh museum | 24 October till 30 October 2022
In addition to being strong and independent, Gustav Klimt’s women are lovely, erotic, and transparently painted. Look at his artwork and feel the artist’s inspiration. The exhibition Golden Boy Gustav Klimt is a tribute to a painter covering paintings with gold leaf. This retrospective exhibition is filled with Iconic masterpieces. The painting “The Kiss”, Gustav’s most famous work, is not a part of this exhibition. But you do see an impressive compilation of his life’s work.
The book “Golden Boy Gustav Klimt Inspired by Van Gogh, Rodin, Matisse…. ” is a publication of the Vincent van Gogh museum. Purchases in the museum or webshop support the existence of the museum. The exposition last till January 2023.
Gustav Klimt at the Vincent van Gogh Museum
Where to stay in Amsterdam? ➔ Book here Hotel Social Hub Amsterdam
Weekly Highlight 42 – Autumn, walk the woods for mushroom spotting
This week started in the North of the Netherlands with the autumn holidays, and next week the middle and south of the Netherlands get their autumn holidays. This autumn holiday lasts one week. Autumn in the Netherlands is great and very colorful. The Netherlands is a wooded country and how nice it is to take a walk or bike ride through a forest. Leaves are changing color, the air is humid, it is getting dark earlier, the air is humid and mushrooms are sprouting from the ground. In autumn I think of the song by Ilse de Lange, a famous Dutch singer. The association Natuurmonumenten has set out several mushroom routes, check the website to see if there is a nice walking route nearby. Natuurmonumenten – mushroom routes
Week 41 – Weekend – Autumn Craft Beer Festival | 14, 15, 16 October 2022
AUTUMN CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL | HERFST BOKBIER FESTIVAL
Celebrated Craft Beer, do you feel like a specialty beer from the tap? This beer is strong, 6 to 9%. Every year in Autumn there are many many craft beer festivals to celebrate “Craft Beer” In Dutch we say Bokbier or Bockbier. It is interesting to know how and with which ingredients this seasonal beer is brewed. For me, it’s about the pleasure of enjoying a nice strong bock beer from the tap with friends at a beer festival. If you like beer, don’t hesitate and go this weekend to a Craft beer festival. Find a craft beer festival in the neighborhood by clicking on the link below.
Autumn Annual Craft Beer Festivals in the Netherlands
Week 41 – BredaPhoto Festival | 8 September I 23 October 2022
The BredaPhoto Festival shows the work of 60 photographers from all over the world. You should see this festival as a “Theater of Dreamscape”. Open your mind and look at the world in a different way. Watch how traditional photography opens new perspectives on communities from all over the world. The BredaPhoto festival is a biennial event showing awesome photography in multiple locations all over Breda. Make sure you don’t miss anything. Book a walking tour through the historical center of Breda or a walking tour through the industrial quarter of Belcrum, or combine these tours in a three-hour trip by bike. BredaPhoto Festival
Week 40 – Ice Skating Rinks open their doors | The Ice Skating season has started | 1 October 2022
All over the Netherlands, you find ice skating rinks, and this week they open their doors. The ice skating season has started. The Dutch are generally passionate skaters. Just like cycling, they learn how to skate at a young age. So even if it is not cold and freezing, and the temperature is still nice, put on your hat and gloves and go to one of the best ice rinks in our country to skate around. Ice skating rinks in the Netherlands
Week 39 – Science and Art | Scale model Telescope James Webb | Gallery LUMC LEIDEN | Exposition ends Wednesday 28 September 2022
This week’s last chance to admire the scale model of the James Webb Telescope. The James Webb telescope looks back in time up to 13.5 billion years, how unbelievable is that? It’s amazing what science can do. A scale model of the James Webb telescope is now on display at the gallery LUMC. In addition, pictures taken through the telescope can be admired. The exhibition is a combination of science and art. In the exhibition is also the work of Vincent Icke exposed, his work is inspired by the photos from the James Webb telescope.ee
LUMC | Gallery LUMC grond floor | Leiden University Medical Centre | Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden
Alien art gallery | more works of Vincent Icke can be admired at the Alien Art Gallery in Leiden.
It is expected that the scale model of the James Webb telescope will be included in the collection of the old Leiden University observatory after the exhibition. Old Observatory University Leiden
Week 38 – Prinsjesdag |Opening Parliamentary year by King Alexander in The Hague | Tuesday 20 September 2022
Every year, on the third Tuesday of September, the king opens the parliamentary year in The Hague. This meeting is traditionally held in the Ridderzaal, but due to the renovation of the Binnenhof, the meeting will take place in 2022 in the Koninklijke Schouwburg in The Hague. The king and Queen go to this event by carriage in ceremonial outfits. They used to go in the Golden Carriage but because of chance attitudes over the past as depicture on the carriage, reminding the Dutch of a shameful past in the colonies, this carriage is no longer used. Instead of the Golden carriage, the royal couple uses the Glass carriages. In 2022 Princess Amalia will be present at the reading of the Speech from the Throne by her father King Willem-Alexander. So if you like to see the parade and the King, Queen, and Crown Princess of The Netherlands, go very earlier to The Hague.
Week 37 – Friday market Maastricht, the biggest and best market of the Netherlands – Musica Sacra art festival | Friday 16 September 2022
In the center of Maastricht, on the big square, where you also find the town hall of Maastricht, is every Friday a gigantic market called the Friday Market of Maastricht. The market has been taking place on this market square for centuries. This market was once declared the best market in the Netherlands and it still is today. In fact, this is a more than very nice market that you definitely should visit. The market has 400 market stalls with all kinds of products, from local products to international products, here you find the well-known Limburgse Vlaai next to great Moroccan olives but you also will find the latest of the latest fashion product, shoes, clothes, cheese, vegetables, fruit, tools, toys, and many more products. You name it and you will probably find it on this market. The market is very nicely organized, the market is divided into market streets where there they sell the same kind of products. There are market streets for the fish market, a flower and plant market, and a fabric and haberdashery market. It’s a great market, you don’t want to miss it.
Friday market is every Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
MUSICA SACRA ART FESTIVAL
Musica Sacra is a partly free partly paid art festival filled with music, dance, theater, performance, film, and fine art. This festival plays in the historic places of the city center of Maastricht, near old churches, streets, and buildings. The festival heart of Musica Sacra is on the Vrijthof. Musica Sacra is an ongoing program, exhibitions, and other activities.
Musica Sacre Art festival Maastricht
Week 36 – Closure of the Maeslant barrier on Saturday 10 September 2022
25 years of Maeslant barrier. The Maeslant barrier/Maeslantkering was opened on the 10 of May in 1997, so this year this huge maritime construction exists for 25 years and this fact will be celebrated. The Maeslantkering is a unique mobile movable storm surge barrier. The closure of the Maeslant and Hartel barriers will take place on Saturday 10 September. The highlight of the day is of course the closing of the Maeslantkering, this moment is scheduled for 2.50 pm. In addition to closing the Maeslandkering, there is an interesting program. During this day, attention is paid to climate change, and rising sea levels, and take a tour of this impressive complex led by one of the professional guides. By closing the Maeslantkering the Netherlands will be officially ready for the storm season that starts on 1 October. Maeslantkering closure
Mustseeholland.com/rotterdam-beach-and-the-maeslantkering
