Page 215 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - The Netherlands

WESTERN NE THERLANDS  213

SOUTH

HOLLAND

For tourists, South Holland is pure delight. Although
densely populated, the province still has plenty of open
space and offers a remarkable range of attractions for
visitors of all kinds. The landscape is typically Dutch, with
large areas of reclaimed land dotted with windmills and grazing cattle.
From Roman times on, South Holland was port of Rotterdam, one of the largest in
principally a low-lying swampy delta as the world, and The Hague, home of the
the various courses of the river Rhine Dutch government, the royal family and
reached the sea. The influence of the the Inter national Court of Justice. Delft is
counts of Holland (9th–13th centuries), famous for its exquisite hand-painted
who took up residence in The Hague, porcelain and china, while Gouda is
attracted trade with Flanders, Germany renowned for its cheese. The North Sea
and England, and settlements became coast has charming resorts, from busy
towns. Leiden’s university, the oldest in the Scheveningen, with its attractive pier, to
country, was founded as long ago as 1565. the smaller seaside towns of Katwijk and
Peat extraction for fuel created lakes, Noordwijk, with long sandy beaches. It is
reclaimed land (see pp26–7) was turned an ideal region for family holidays and for
into productive farmland, and the Dutch children of all ages.
dairy industry flourished. Other products Visitors in spring are in for a treat when
in international demand included beer they tour the north of the province.
and textiles and, in more recent times, Bulb fields erupt in a riot of colour, and
year-round flowers and the famous Dutch the Keukenhof’s flower gardens are
bulbs. Overseeing all this activity is the simply unforgettable.

Servants waiting for the queen next to her Golden Coach on the third Tuesday of September (Prinsjesdag)
Sunrise over the windmills at Kinderdijk

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