Dutch food

You will enjoy Dutch food in locally-owned small restaurants. The guide and the local owners will give you a detailed explanation of what you are eating and the origin of each meal. This foodtour exists of six stops and all the food and drinks that are offered are included.

Jordaan area and De Pijp

If you really want to connect with the local food, the history and the locals, then these are the areas where you will have to go to. The foodtour in de Jordaan contains the traditional Dutch food, like cheese, stamppot and poffertjes.
De Pijp is more multicultural so in this neighbourhood, the Dutch food is more influenced by the Dutch maritime history of the 17th century. So in this foodtour, besides the herring, you will taste food from the Surinam cuisine, Indonesian and North African.

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Amsterdam walk

In the morning we make a 2,5 hr private walk in the old city centre of Amsterdam. Among the highlights are the National monument, the Royal Palace on Dam square and the oldest streets of the city. In the mornings there is not too much activity in the red light district yet. That is why the morning is the perfect time to visit that area.

Countryside of Holland

After our walk, we drive to the north. Away from the big tourbus groups, we can have lunch in one of the most authentic fishing villages in the northern part of Holland. In this area many people still live in wooden houses from the 18^th century. Here you can actually see the true authentic Holland, that you only know from old postcards. Wooden houses painted in green, black and white. Sometimes even with thatched roofs. I will tell you all about it.

‘God created the world, but the Dutch made the Netherlands’. You will agree on that, after you have seen the Beemster Polder, an exceptional example of reclaimed land. They drained this huge lake already in 1609, just by windmills.

The nearby Schermerlake, was drained in 1632 and here we can visit one of the original windmills. You can climb to the top of the windmill, and see how the miller rotates the cap. After I helped you to pronounce ‘Schermer’, you will understand why the Dutch resistance always used passwords with ‘sch’ in it during the war.

Video of the countryside

Click here to watch a video of the Dutch countryside that we shot in April.

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Windmills and reclaimed land

The morning we will spend in the northern part of the province Holland. ‘God created the world, but the Dutch made the Netherlands’. You will agree on that, after you have seen the Beemster Polder, an exceptional example of reclaimed land. They drained this huge lake already in 1609, just by windmills.

The nearby Schermerlake, was drained in 1632 and here we can visit one of the original windmills. See the windmill in a video here. You can climb to the top of the windmill, and see how the miller rotates the cap. After I helped you to pronounce ‘Schermer’, you will understand why the Dutch resistance always used passwords with ‘sch’ in it during the war. 

Coastal area Holland

Next destination is the coastal area, the Kennemerdunes. We can have lunch in Bloemendaal at the beach and If you want we can make quick walk at the beach or through the National Park Kennemerduinen. The Nazis used this area during the war as a location to execute members of the resistance. We can visit the war cemetery, beautifully located in the dunes, with the graves of 347 Dutch resistance fighters. All men, just one lady; Hannie Schaft, the girl with the red hair.

Haarlem visit

A short drive brings us to the city of Haarlem where we can make a walk through the oldest part of the city centre.

If you want we can visit the Bavo church where Mozart played the organ. Or maybe you prefer to sit down in a local pub and taste one of the local beers Haarlem is famous for? You will agree with me that Haarlem is as beautiful as Amsterdam is, but without all the traffic, the tourists and the million cyclists.

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Private walking tour Amsterdam

We will show you the highlights the city centre has to offer. Of course you will see Dam square, where Amsterdam started. People were already living on dikes along the Amstel river, but around 1250 these two dikes were connected by a dam. We will show you these two dikes and tell you all about the Dam cities in Holland.
The medieval church at Dam square has no tower. We will tell you why. Also I will explain why the street in between the church and the Palace had a different name during WW2. You will see the borders of the city, from 1350, 1375 and 1450. We will show you why most spout gables can be found at the Prinsencanal and the biggest canal houses on the eastern side on the UNESCO canal district. After this walk you can tell everybody at home why for centuries, visitors called Amsterdam the beautiful virgin with the stinking breath

Red light district Amsterdam

The red light district is the old harbour of Amsterdam. The sailors needed bars, churches and prostitutes. The sailors are gone, but the rest is still there. Let us know if you want to see the area or not. The morning is the best time of day to see the area because there is not much activity yet, but you will get a good idea of what is going on here. The area is normally just a small part of the tour and we mainly focus on the beautiful gables of the canalhouses, the architecture and the two oldest canals in Amsterdam.

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Active tour

At just 13 miles from Amsterdam, is one of the most beautiful National Parks of the Netherlands. Just behind the sanddunes protecting us against the Northsea, you can enjoy the landscape of the National Park South Kennemerland: 3800 acres of dunes with rare flora and fauna. We can cycle or walk through ancient forests and hope to see large herbivores such as Scottish Highland cattle and Konik horses.

During WWII this area was forbidden to enter. The Nazis used the sanddunes for their Atlantik-defense wall, and to execute members of the resistance. Today we can still see Nazi bunkers, monuments at execution places and an impressive Honory Cemetary with the grave of The Girl with the Red Hair, Hannie Schaft. You can learn more about the Resistance if you visit the Museum of the Resistance, as in my tour World War 2 in Amsterdam.

Walking or a cycling tour

We can go through the area by bike or we can go walking if you prefer. We can do distances of just 2 miles, up to 25 miles. We can use normal bikes, or electric bikes. We can have coffee breaks in between. . . . It’s not a race, it must be fun for everybody. The area is hilly but the highest mountain in the Netherlands is 1000 feet and the Dutch call that a mountain so please do not be afraid. The cycling will be done on paved bike paths. The walks are done on both paved and unpaved footpaths.

Video of the tour

Click here to watch a video that gives a good impression of this tour.

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Haarlem walking tour

The trains from Amsterdam station arrive at Haarlem station, at just a 10-minute walk from the market square. We can start the tour at the train station in Haarlem, or the train station in Amsterdam or even at your hotel in Amsterdam. This tour includes a walk through the old city centre and a visit to the Corrie the Boom house or the Frans Hals museum. During the walk we will visit some inner courtyards with almshouses, the Bavo church and other spots in the old city centre related to Frans Hals, the famous Dutch master who spent almost his entire life in Haarlem.

Corrie ten Boom house

The Corrie ten Boom House is an original Hiding place during WW2. Many visitors ask me what the reaction of the non-Jewish Dutch population was on the Nazis. Most people did not do anything. It was too dangerous. You would risk your own life and that of you family. A few people though, were very brave, and joined the resistance, or helped Jews with a hiding place. Corrie ten Boom hid Jews in her own house, behind a double wall. She was betrayed by a Nazi sympathizer and was sent to the concentration camp Ravensbruck. Come to my city Haarlem to hear her amazing story, her motivation and see the original hiding place.

Frans Hals museum is closed on Monday. The Corrie ten Boom is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Video

Click here to get an impression of our walking tour through Haarlem.

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