Page 122 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Great Places to Stay in Europe

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12 2 T HE NETHERLAND S

THE NETHERLANDS
UTCHHOTELS offer some great cooking. The level of
interesting contra hospitality is high, with some
DAmsterdam you’l hotels prepared to set up the
rows of canalhouses kno Jacuzzi or light a log fire for
through to make one your arrival. If your taste is for
hotel. Decorated with ritty realism, head instead for
great panache, these e bustling port of Rotterdam,
places mix antiques e the ‘left bank’ has been
with contemporary urban lized with bars and cafés,
Away from the big cities, you’ll presided over by the Hotel New York
find smart rusticity: old box beds, or (page 131), a stylish hotel in a
flagged floors and candlelight, and landmark port building.

T The graceful Château St Gerlach, at Valkenburg, page 131
THE NETHERLANDS, attractive towns worth a visit the Netherlands and one
REGION BY REGION include Utrecht, with its pretty in which you can stay, in
canals, alleyways, and special- a ‘cottage’ hotel at Otterlo
HE NETHERLANDS is not a ist shops in the streets around (page 129). In this area of
Tbig country, but it divides the old centre; Leiden, an canals and fertile farmland,
conveniently into west, north, historic university town; and there are many other relax-
east and south. Gouda, famous for its cheese. ing country hotels offering
excellent food.
The West The North
This region includes the cities Friesland is an intriguing The South
of Amsterdam, The Hague, area of farms, lakes and The region encompasses
Utrecht and Rotterdam – black-and-white cows, with its Limburg, Noord-Brabant and
known as De Randstad or own language and cultural Zeeland, the delta province.
‘rim towns’. Each offers identity. There’s a grand hotel This is a pleasure-loving area
distinctive townhouse hotels. in Leeuwarden, a town of and the food here is said to
Amsterdam’s attractions small canals and shopping be the best in the Nether-
include its canals and three streets. In the otherwise rural lands. Limburg’s Geul Valley
big museums (namely the province of Groningen you is really special, overlooked
Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh can stay in an old guardhouse by a beautiful hotel at
and the Stedelijk). The palace on the former toll bridge in Valkenburg (see above).
city of The Hague is the seat the university city capital (also
of government. called Groningen). HIGHLIGHTS
Smaller cities with equally
attractive places to stay The East OTELS ILLUSTRATED on these
include Maastricht, home to a The provinces of Flevoland, H introductory pages are
flamboyant carnival in Gelderland and Overijssel only a few of our favourites.
February and a gourmet food were created from reclaimed Others include the Jachtslot
festival in August; and Delft, land. This is the site of the de Mookerheide castle hotel
known as the Prinsenstad Hoge Veluwe National Park, in Molenhoek, with its Art
(city of princes). Three other the principal national park of Nouveau interior (page 129);