The Netherlands school tour

Our Netherlands school tour gives schools a wonderful choice of contrasting regions and cities from Amsterdam, to Noordwijk, to Valkenburg. Amsterdam offers a cosmopolitan, relaxed, car-free capital city boasting world class canals and Rembrandts.

Noordwijk offers the attractions of a modern seaside resort, but is close to Amsterdam and The Hague. Finally, Valkenburg is perfectly located at the crossroads of Europe, with easy access to The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg. All in a country where 25% of the land is below sea level.

Cross Curriculum Excursions

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is an historic city, renowned for far more than being flat; there is plenty to explore in the way of art, music and history.

Anne Frank’s House has been transformed into a museum, whose whole edifice has a tragic yet oftentimes enchanting story to tell: that of a little girl who, under the constant pressure of fear, found joy in the smallest of things. The collection focuses on the wartime persecution of Jews, contemporary fascism, racism and anti-Semitism. Located in the city centre, this is always a fairly easy and popular excursion.

The Van Moppes Diamond Factory was the first factory to open its doors to the public, and a tour to one of the busiest and oldest diamond factories in Amsterdam will show how master craftsmen have been making exquisite works of art for over 170 years. So well established is the Van Moppes reputation that it was entrusted with the job of polishing the world-famous "Koh-I-Nor," a blue white diamond, which is part of the Queen's crown jewels and one of the biggest whole diamonds in the world.

The Heineken factory is also worth a visit - the Dutch don't think of it so much as a factory than as an 'experience' and so it is often dubbed "The Heineken Experience." Multi-media exhibitions allow guests to see, hear, smell, taste and enjoy all of Heineken's delights. The Experience begins with an introduction to the ingredients and the process in which the beer is manufactured. You will then experience the multimedia Heineken world in 4-D. The tour is finished off with a well deserved beer. The tour lasts for about an hour and a half.

Once you've seen the sights, take a boat trip or walk along the canals and admire the elegant Dutch architecture that lines canals and streets alike.

Heemstede

Fascinating museum explaining how 25% of the Netherlands was reclaimed from the sea.

Maastricht

Maastricht was the first Dutch city to be liberated by the Allies during WWII and it is where the 1992 Maastricht Treaty was signed, leading to the creation of the European Union.

Visit the Caves of St.Pieter to see the result of hundreds and hundreds of years of mining for marl (a crumbly mixture of clays, calcium and magnesium carbonates). There are over 20,000 tunnels which remain; miners left behind their marks in the form of various texts and pictures on the walls. The mining of the caves probably began during the Roman period, but Maastricht was so often under siege, because of its excellent strategic position, that it also served as a refuge for the town's residents. Listen to the stories of survivors and see the facilities that were put in place for those who sought shelter there.

Another underground experience at Maastricht, is a trip into the casemates, or mine galleries. During times of siege, these tunnels were used to approach the enemy as surreptitiously as possible. For seven centuries work was being continuously carried out to improve the defensive systems of the city, which resulted in a warren of underground passageways, which could hold army units with as many men as 5,000.

For an above-ground experience, The White Village of Thorn offers both beauty and intrigue. It dates back to the tenth century and was once a miniature principality with its own currency and jurisprudence, led by an abbess and a convent of twenty noble ladies. In 1794, the French came and interrupted the peace of this quiet village; aristocrats living in the area were forced to flee. The French claimed a tax, which was based on the size of the windows, which the poor populations who were living in the large houses formerly owned by aristocrats could not afford. To escape the tax they often bricked up their windows and then tried to cover up their poverty by painting the houses white.

During your trip to Maastricht, you would be well-advised to go to Het Vrijthof, the great city square. It has attracted people since the medieval period, when pilgrims went to see the grave of Saint Servatius, and it is now adorned with shops, cafes and lovely restaurants. Adjacent to the Vrijthof is the St. Servatius Basilica, a beautiful Romanesque Cathedral with crypts and treasures.

Luxembourg City

As one of Europe’s smallest sovereign states, Luxembourg, is a charming city that is often described as Europe's most dramatically situated. Its spectacular valleys and plateaus mean it is frequently nicknamed "Gibraltar of the North." Visit the High City (Ville Haute) for the medieval town core, Low City (Ville Basse), for what is thought to be the most picturesque area and Kirchberg for the modern city full of European Union buildings.

Valkenburg

Valkenburg has been a major tourist destination for some time now. This is partly due to the magical caves, caverns and mines, which date back to Roman times and feature drawings dating back to the same time. The town is also host to the Netherland's most elevated castle. Its first fortifications were built around 1115 and they consisted of a rectangular keep. In 1937, during restorations, workers discovered underground passages embedded beneath the castle, which were used as escape routes during sieges. From this elevated position, you can enjoy delightful views of the surrounding area. You may also wish to enjoy a ride in the Wilhelmina Tower chairlift and/or on the toboggan run.

Duinrell Leisure Park

Duinrell is Europe’s largest covered water park, and it includes the world’s longest waterslide and bob-sleigh.  www.duinrell.nl

Art Excursions

Amsterdam

The Van Gogh museum, offers you the opportunity to look at more of Vincent Van Gogh's works than anywhere else in the world. You will also have the opportunity to compare and contrast his work with other nineteenth century artists who are also in the collection.

The Rijksmuseum has existed for more than 200 years. The collections are housed in a beautiful building that was designed by Dutch architect, Petrus J.H. Cuypers, which has been the home of the Rijksmuseum since 1885. Go to the Rijksmuseum to see Rembrandt's "Night Watch" and several other masterpieces completed by the likes of Vermeer and others.

The Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art is also worth a visit, but if you want to visit it in its permanent building, then check before you go that it has been fully renovated, otherwise you risk seeing the Collections in their temporary home.

Rembrandt House museum is a modern annexe that has been built adjacent to the painter's former home. This annexe and his home form the Rembrandt museum, which documents his life and work. You will be able to see his living quarters, his workshop and a collection of the possible tools he used.

The Hague

The famous Gemeentemuseum, or City Museum, was built in 1935 by H.P. Berlage and has a number of masterpieces, from Expressionists to Modern work including that of Mondrian. Go to this museum to see Vermeer’s View of Delft.

The Kroller Muller Museum

The Kroller Muller Museum is about six miles from Arnhem and is easily accessible by bus and train from Amsterdam; you won't be disappointed that you made the journey. The Kroller Muller began when a wealthy Dutch husband and wife began to give up their successful business in favour of collecting art. In 1935, she had such an expansive and fascinating collection that she decided to donate it to the state of the Netherlands, which built a museum to house it. The museum has a wonderful collection of Van Gogh work with 93 paintings and 183 drawings. There are also some superb works by Seurat, Monet, Gauguin, Picasso and Mondrian (among many others). A sculpture garden of 21 hectares was added to the collection in 1961, a new wing in 1977 and a sculpture wood and park in 1988. Mrs Kroller-Muller also donated the family's 6,000 hectare estate to the state and it is in now the largest National Park in the Netherlands.

 

 

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