The Netherlands

The Netherlands, a country of tulips, wooden shoes and windmills? Of course, we still have all these things, but to be honest only for the tourists. The Netherlands of today is a modern, multicultural country. It has a population of more than 16 million people, with an average of 472 inhabitants per square kilometre. This makes the Netherlands one of the most densely populated countries in the world

It is easy to make contact with the Dutch. They are interested in foreign students. Communication with the Dutch also presents few problems as the vast majority of Dutch people speak a second language, usually English. A good place to meet the Dutch is in the many pubs and a good topic of conversation is the weather.

Travelling within the Netherlands is easy as the distances are relatively short. The longest route is from Groningen in the north to Maastricht in the southernmost province of Limburg, a distance of 310 kilometres (193 miles). The journey time from Zwolle to the famous city of Amsterdam is only one hour, whether by car or by train.

In the Netherlands, there is no end to the things you can do during your free time. For example, you could spend a day on the beach, you could cycle through beautiful nature areas or you could go camping on one of the islands for a weekend. Other highly recommended leisure activities include attending a football match or visiting one of the many famous museums or theatres. In short, the Netherlands has much to offer.