Tag: Dutch history
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The Dutch City That Inspired Vermeer — and Still Looks the Same
Delft gave the world Vermeer, Delft Blue pottery, and streets that look identical to his 17th-century paintings — plus get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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Why This Remote Dutch Village Was Built in the Shape of a Perfect Star
Discover Bourtange, the remote Groningen fortress village built as a perfect star to stop Spanish armies — and why it still stands today. Get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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The Dutch Town That Was Almost Destroyed in 1572 — and Still Stands Perfectly Intact
Naarden was nearly wiped out by Spanish soldiers in 1572. Today its star fortress is one of Europe’s best-preserved — and most tourists never find it. Get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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How the Dutch Turned Catastrophe Into the World’s Greatest Sea Defence
In 1953, the North Sea killed 1,836 Dutch people in a single night. What the Netherlands built in response changed engineering forever — plus get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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Why the Dutch Ate Tulip Bulbs One Winter — and Never Forgot It
Discover the story of the Dutch Hunger Winter — when 20,000 people starved in their own cities, and families ate tulip bulbs to survive. Plus get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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How the Dutch Turned Tulips Into Gold — Then Lost Everything
In 1637, the Dutch tulip market collapsed overnight, wiping out thousands. Discover the flower craze that invented the world’s first financial bubble — plus get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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Why This Dutch Town Once Ruled the Seas — and Tourists Never Visit
Enkhuizen helped fund the Dutch East India Company and once had the world’s largest herring fleet. Almost no tourists visit this perfectly preserved Golden Age harbour town — plus get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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What Is Sinterklaas? The Dutch Tradition That Created Santa Claus
Sinterklaas is the Dutch December festival that gave the world Santa Claus — celebrated on 5 December with poems, gifts, and pepernoten — plus get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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The Dutch Countryside That Made Van Gogh — Before He Found His Colour
Discover the Dutch villages and peat fields that shaped Van Gogh before he ever found colour — plus the places you can still visit today. Get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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The Dutch City That Was Here Before Amsterdam — and Still Is
Dordrecht is the oldest city in Holland, founded in 1220 — and almost no tourists visit. Discover the Golden Age painters, medieval churches, and river landscape that most visitors miss — plus get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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The Dutch Fishing Town That Seduced Europe’s Most Famous Painters
The Dutch fishing harbour of Volendam became Europe’s most painted village. Here is why — plus get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.