What the Netherlands is celebrated For
Tulips - this is one of the things that come into mind when we think about the Netherlands. From the end of March till the end of May the Keukenhof flower organery (located near the town of Lisse) gathers visitors for the most phenomenal flower show in the world. Flower plantations stretch all over the coast. In spring the whole district is covered with a multicoloured carpet more than 17500 hectares big. Almost half of it is tulips.
What the Netherlands is celebrated For
What the Netherlands is celebrated For
What the Netherlands is celebrated For
What the Netherlands is celebrated For
First tulip bulbs were brought here from Turkey and Central Asia. Netherlands, with its sandy coastal soil, proved to be ideal for tulip planting, and pretty soon these flowers got very popular - one bulb could cost as much as some mansion by the Amsterdam canal. Later the flower store fell into decay, but in the 18th century it was in bloom again. Nowadays the Netherlands is the world's largest flower exporter. There are more than 7,5 billion tulip bulbs gathered in the country every year, and a great amount of them is sold abroad.
The Netherlands is also notable for its perfect cheese; it's the largest cheese exporter in the world. The most notable cheese sorts are Edam and Gouda, both produced of cow's milk. One of the most notable local cheese markets is found in Alkmaar, opened every Friday morning from April till October. The store still follows the rules of 1672, and the trade is carried out agreeing to the old traditions: first the buyer chooses sort of the cheese he wants to buy and then the distributor and the client clap each others hands (one after another) until they agree upon the price. After the bargaining is over, cheese is brought to the weighing house (Waag).
Clogs. Initially clogs (wooden shoes) were original Dutch footwear worn by the coarse people. Only the richest citizens could afford more expensive and convenient shoes. Still, the Netherlands furnish more than 3,7 million clogs a year. Citizens don't wear them any more, but citizen working in the country sometimes do - they are warmer and drier than simple rubber boots. Former clogs were also a part of original clothes by which citizen could define where a person comes from. Most beautiful clogs are produced in Hindeloopen, Friesland.
Windmills. While the Roman times the Dutch coast was covered with sand drifts and vast swamps. Long time has passed since this place was turned into the phenomenal "water country". For years and years citizen were struggling to drain the territory and much contribution was made by the windmills. Now many of them are found in Dutch villages and cities.
Windmills were invented in the middle of the 16th century to help pump the water up to the higher level. This was a true break-though which helped manage with the disaster. From this point citizen could causeway the territory colse to the lake, pump water from it and start cultivating the soil. Sometimes the mills were built in a row, forming a staircase.
The worse the situation with the territory was, the more windmills were built. Many of them were erected south-east of Rotterdam since the district, Albrandswaard, is edged with the Rhine inflows. When these measures were not enough, citizen started creating reservoirs. One of the most notable Dutch reservoirs is found in Kinderdike. The reservoir is actually huge and surrounded with 19 windmills, which makes it a spectacular view.
What the Netherlands is celebrated For
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