Jun 29, 2026
|
The Hague’s Hidden Treasures
Discover where Dutch politics, world-class art, and North Sea beaches converge in one captivating destination.
|
|
Love Netherlands
|
|
Dear Netherlands,
There’s a version of the Netherlands that tourists rarely find. It’s in Jordaan on a Saturday morning, where the Noordermarkt smells of fresh bread and old cheese. It’s in Utrecht, where canal-level wharfs have become the most beautiful cafés in Europe. It’s in Delft, where Vermeer’s light still falls across the same brick walls.
|
|
Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe free and never miss an edition →
|
|
If the daily newsletter brings you closer to the Netherlands, our Sunday Premium Edition takes you deeper into it. Every Sunday you’ll receive travel deep dives, curated itineraries, regional stories, and hidden gems you won’t find anywhere else.
Upgrade for less than the price of a pint and see the Netherlands in a completely new way.
|
Photo: Binnenhof, The Hague 1899 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
|
In today’s email:
- The Hague and Scheveningen: Where Power Meets the Sea
- At The Café — Café De Sluyswacht — The Leaning House Bar by the Lock
- Around The Web — Kinderdijk Windmills: The Complete Visitor Guide, Dutch Surnames of Flevoland: Origins and Meanings, Best Beaches in the Netherlands: A Complete Guide for Visitors + more
- From Love Netherlands — Dutch Surnames of South Holland: Origins and Meanings
- Dutch Food You Will Love — Erwtensoep — The Dutch Winter Soup That Made the Country
|
The Hague and Scheveningen: Where Power Meets the Sea
👉 Read the full story
The Hague and Scheveningen: Where Power Meets the Sea The seat of Dutch democracy, home to Vermeer’s most beloved painting, and gateway to a sweeping North Sea shore — The Hague rewards every kind of curious traveller. An introduction to The Hague and Scheveningen There is a particular confidence to The Hague. It does not trumpet itself the way Amsterdam does, nor does it carry Rotterdam’s muscular post-war swagger. Instead, this handsome city of wide boulevards and canal-fronted mansions simply gets on with being rather important. It is the seat of the Dutch parliament, the home of the International Court of Justice, and the city where almost every foreign embassy in the Netherlands keeps its address. Diplomats cross the Lange Voorhout on their morning commute; schoolchildren queue outside the Mauritshuis to meet a girl they know only by her earring. Known officially in Dutch as…
👉 Read the full story
Have you been there? Do you have a memory of this corner of the Netherlands? Hit reply and tell us — we’d love to hear your story.
|
|
“Want deep dives into the Netherlands every Sunday? Our Premium readers already have their next edition waiting.”
|
At The Café
Café De Sluyswacht — The Leaning House Bar by the Lock
De Sluyswacht is a tiny lock-keeper’s house from 1695 that visibly tilts to one side, sitting at the edge of the Oudeschans canal. Inside the floors slope, the beams creak, and there’s a small terrace right at the water with one of the most photographed views in Amsterdam — straight down the canal towards the Montelbaanstoren. It’s been a café since the 1990s, but the building itself is one of the oldest wooden houses in the city. Order a Belgian beer, get one of the four outdoor tables, and watch boats negotiate the lock below.
👉 Visit the café
|
Around The Web
|
From Love Netherlands
South Holland is the most populous province in the Netherlands. It holds Rotterdam, The Hague, Leiden, Delft, Gouda, and Dordrecht. For centuries, this province sat at the centre of Dutch power and trade. The family names that grew here tell that story. This guide explores the most common Dutch surnames from South Holland , where each name came from, and how far they travelled. The Province That Shaped Dutch History South Holland became the…
👉 Read the full story
|
Photo via Love Netherlands
|
Dutch Food You Will Love
Erwtensoep — The Dutch Winter Soup That Made the Country
Erwtensoep is a thick, green, nearly-a-stew soup made from split peas, smoked sausage, pork, celery, leek, and patience. The Dutch have a test for whether it’s ready — if your spoon can stand up in the pot, it’s done. It was the food of the canal skaters in winter, the men repairing dikes, the families waiting out a long January. It’s still served in every good café on cold days, with thick rye bread and butter. Order it once on a rainy afternoon and you’ll understand why the Dutch love their winters more than most countries love their summers.
👉 Read the full story
|
|
Know Someone Who Loves the Netherlands?
If you’re enjoying this letter, the best thing you could do is forward it to one friend who’d love the Netherlands too. This newsletter grows by word of mouth alone — every single subscriber came from someone sending it to someone else. Thank you for being one of the first.
|
|
Our daily newsletter is free and always will be. But for less than the price of a pint, you can upgrade to our Sunday Premium Edition, which gives you access to our travel deep dives, curated itineraries, and regional stories. Consider buying us a stroopwafel — it’s the Dutch way to say thank you.
|
Also From Our Family
Love Ireland too? Over 64,000 readers wake up each morning to the Love Ireland newsletter — loveireland.substack.com
Or Scotland? Join 43,000 Scotland lovers — lovescotland.substack.com
|
|
You’re reading Love Netherlands — a free letter about canal towns, hidden villages, and Dutch stories, delivered Monday to Friday.
inlovewithnetherlands.com ·
Unsubscribe
© 2026 Love Netherlands · Part of the Love To Visit LLC family
|