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Christmas Markets in the Netherlands – With 2021 Agenda

Christmas markets in the Netherlands

With many festive events, Christmas trees all around and that cosy feeling, December is my favourite month of a year. And a big reason for it is Christmas markets. Since I love visiting them, I did a bit of research and looked for the Christmas markets organised in the Netherlands. I’ve first compiled this list four years ago, and have updated it each year since. So if you would like to visit some of them, here is your complete guide through the Dutch Christmas markets.

Visiting Amsterdam with kids? Get The ABCs of Amsterdam book!

Paola Bucciol The ABCs of Amsterdam book cover

Are you visiting Amsterdam with the kids? Then get The ABCs of Amsterdam book! Amsterdam is a wonderful town filled with history, beautiful architecture and some of the most famous artworks in the world. It’s also proclaimed to be one of the most child-friendly cities years after year. Combining that, it’s one of the best family-friendly destinations in Europe. To help you prepare for your trip and enjoy it even more while visiting Amsterdam with kids, writer Paola Bucciol just released a beautiful book called The ABCs of Amsterdam, in which the little travellers could learn all the most exciting things about the Dutch capital.

Weekend trips in the Netherlands

Are you looking for some nice weekend trips within the Netherlands? There are so many great places to visit there, from the national parks to some charming Dutch towns. With so many choices, it could be hard to pick a place to visit in the Netherlands. To help you out, in this blog post, I’m going to share with you some of my favourite places. 

Dutch Golden Age Heritage Sites in the Netherlands

Canal in Amsterdam

Dutch Golden Age heritage sites are something you can not miss while in the Netherlands. The 17th century was the most glorious time for that country. Dutch ships were sailing worldwide and were bringing exotic and expensive goods back to the Netherlands. Society of wealthy middle-class free people started to develop, which led to establishing the only republic in Europe at that time. A good economy led to the flourishing of art and architecture. Which left the Netherlands today with numerous beautiful Dutch Golden Age heritage sites.

10 things you didn’t know about the Rijksmuseum

Where to see Rembrandt paintings in Amsterdam

Have you watched the ‘Night at the Museum’ movie? Well, if you’ll spend a night in the Rijksmuseum, you’ll also be accompanied by some fascinating characters. Dutch navy admirals, 17th-century children drinking, smoking a pipe and eating stroopwafels, a lady reading a love letter that obviously isn’t from her husband or a mother looking for lice in her daughter’s hair. Opened back in 1885, Rijksmuseum, the Dutch Royal Museum, was filled with controversies from the very beginning. Here are just some of them – 10 things you didn’t know about the Rijksmuseum.

Meet the artist: Alina Tang

Alina Tang art

When I first saw some of Alina Tang’s work, I was so amazed by the colours and the energy it has. It instantly makes you feel great and like there are so many colours in this world you haven’t noticed before. Since she just opened a studio in Amsterdam where you can see and buy some of her work, or join some of Alina’s workshops, I thought it would be a great occasion to introduce her work to my readers.

Rachelle Meyer’s Faces on the Amsterdam Ferry

One of Rachelle's illustrations with people on a real ferry in a background

Before the new Amsterdam South-North metro line was opened in mid-2018, a ferry was the only way for cyclists and pedestrians to travel to and from Amsterdam Noord neighbourhood. One of those daily commuters was an artist Rachelle Meyer. During a short 15-minutes ride she made numerous sketches of her fellow Amsterdammers. Drawings from her sketchbook became large prints and a lovely ode to Amsterdam life. Amsterdam Noord Amsterdam Noord (North) was an industrial area of the city during the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Many old factory buildings and the vast areas, that are so unusual for…