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Giving the country another chance allowed me to discover plenty to be excited about.

I came to the Netherlands in 2015, intending to attend a university there. However, things turned out quite bitter, so I moved to the UK instead. As it sometimes happens in life, the 'plan B' ended better than my 'plan A', and I had plenty of time to let go of my resentment. Eventually, I started being curious about how it would be to revisit the Netherlands, to see it in a different context. The time has come this summer, and I found plenty of things I liked. Here, I'll write about a few categories that caught my attention. Singled out, neither is exclusive to the Netherlands (maybe except for the biking infrastructure), but having them together made for a fine place to be, and I relished my time there!

Transportation Made Easy

Before enjoying a place, one needs to get there first. I am a fan of making the road count, so I was happy that in the Netherlands, mobility was enjoyable regardless of its form: roads were in good shape, and public transportation worked well.

Dutch public transportation is on the pricier end of Europe. Yet, it was still cheaper than renting and using a car here, and in my case, it also proved to be more convenient and comfortable. I'd say that I was not alone in this; I saw people around in posh suits, which is a good indicator that something's going well with the public transit when those for whom the money isn't an issue use it. Furthermore, I got better views as a bonus.

The connections were relatively frequent, mostly on time, and one could use one prepaid card for all trains, trams, and buses. It was like the Oyster card in London; only here did they integrate it country-wide. Changing between connections was often without long layovers, thanks to synced schedules. And if I combined public transit with a bike, I could park almost on the platform.

Bikes are a piece of the Dutch infrastructure puzzle that profoundly aids its convenience. I have already written about how the Dutch cycling system benefits the cities and makes cycling effortless and safe, so that many people who don't care about bikes still cycle. But what if you care? What if you are keen on bikes? That brings me to the second category:

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Cycling Heaven

While I enjoyed commuting on a bicycle elsewhere, it always took extra time and dedication. In the Netherlands, on the other hand, cycling was often the fastest and most suitable way to reach places, and it wasn't hard to score a peaceful path like these within city limits:

In between the cities, I found lovely bike paths through woodlands, offering nice shade in summer.

Then, many little perks made it just more fun. For example, dedicated trash cans. But do you even need that? Well, it isn't just the bike roads that are comfortable; many city bikes are too. Their relaxed geometry makes cycling so easygoing that one can make a sandwich while cycling. Then, a bin might come in handy.

The Dutch city bikes are for moving in comfort, not so much for sport. One can still push the muscles if they want, but other times, it doesn't even need to feel like cycling at all. To me, it felt like riding a couch. Here's me, riding to a beach one evening, lying on the handlebars as if it were a bar. While taking a selfie.

I smiled a lot while I cycled, as all this combined made me surprisingly emotional. And when I encountered others, they smiled back. So good! It was like we shared the happiness of the space and the moment. When I got to my destination, I was joyful and refreshed without spending extra time on the journey. How many places can say that about their commuters?

And I am not done yet, because surprisingly, there were also off-road trails there! It's not proper mountain biking, but that's to be expected; most of the country is flat as a stroopwafel. Perhaps that is why it felt so grand to discover that they cater to MTBers.

The only reminder that I am not in actual heaven came with a flat tire. Physics in the Netherlands still works as they do elsewhere on Earth. Oh well. I still take it.

So, getting places was fun, now let's move to the places themselves:

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Nature

The Netherlands has no mountains, but it has the sea, which is a sweet alternative. Salty, in fact, but you know.

Swimming in the sea always felt special to me, and it was no different here. The Dutch beaches were noticeably more crowded than I was used to in Scotland, but I could find a spot with enough room for myself.

The higher water temperature meant that I could swim for longer, and instead of getting into a jacket afterward, I could have a snack at one of the many cafes the beaches have.

Then, the country has some nice forests:

Which tend to feature plentiful trailside snacks, aka blackberries.

Finally, I saw pretty areas with dunes:

But when it comes to places, one has to celebrate the last category:

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Cities for People

While cities worldwide house people, some make their stay more pleasant than others. Moving over the last decade made me compare how the approaches differ and appreciate the decent ones to the point that they excite me. And the Netherlands scores many points here. Even the big cities didn't feel like concrete jungles; they had a human scale and offset the buildings with frequent public parks.

The parks I saw were clean, trimmed, accessible free of charge, and you could sit or play on the grass. I wish I didn't have to highlight these features as noteworthy, but tell those countries with parks that are only to be looked at.

The greenery also expanded to the streets, which, besides being pretty, is convenient. The trees provided welcomed shade while walking around during hot days.

Also, I could spot appealing architecture all over the place.

Besides the usual historical points of interest, I was happy to see many industrial structures that decorate cities and raise awareness about the country's past.

It appeared to be a pattern; they don't let many old buildings decay here. The number of abandoned buildings I saw while traveling through the country could be counted on one's fingers. Impressive.

I also enjoyed the abundant public artworks. They ranged in size and shape, giving chances are that many people could find some they are fond of.

Even if someone dislikes art, they can't deny its positive economic impact. It is these unusual additions in an urban landscape that get people interested. Besides bringing tourists, they make good meeting spots and orientation points.

Finally, I was also amazed by how the cities aided people in reaching places: City centers were composed of mixed developments that allowed for a more compact layout, aiding accessibility to services such as shops, healthcare, and education. Most was within walking distance, and as many streets have restricted car access, being out felt safe, and I didn't need to listen to revving engines and breathe dust while there. Moreover, the slowed traffic helps businesses, too – people are more likely to be attracted by some storefront and stop if they walk than if they'd drive.

It wasn't always this way. Earlier in the 20th century, the Netherlands constructed city streets for cars, like many countries at that time. Look at this main street in Veenendaal, captured in 1935; it looks like it could be a postcard from North America.

As the number of automobiles increased, people in both Europe and America realized that living by a thoroughfare was miserable. The difference is that American cities upheld the car as the ultimate form of transportation and ditched compact cities for sprawling suburbs with enough asphalt to accommodate more cars, but also forced everyone to drive as everything became miles away. On the other hand, the Netherlands prioritized modes of transit I described above, and they thrive. The photo below is how the high street in Veenendaal looks nowadays, captured during the evening, past business hours.

Despite shops already being closed, a decent number of people were still around. There goes the "limiting cars in cities prevents people from going in" argument I heard in the past. If the city is designed well, people want to be there. And I would insist that replacing cars with trees, as Veenendaal did, makes people want to be there more. It is not an isolated case either; I saw it in every Dutch downtown I visited. Even a city of under 10,000 people had lively city centers.

The big cities were a story on their own:

Now, it isn't hard to find cities shifting focus towards people elsewhere. What makes the Netherlands special is that it started some 40 years ago, so it has already addressed early issues, which is evident in every newly built project. When I visited China, I felt like I had a glimpse into the future of technology. In the Netherlands, I felt like I had entered the future of people-focused civil and transport engineering. Now, that seems like a decent bottom line, so let's leave it there for now. I am grateful for being able to witness it.

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If you liked this article, you might enjoy reading about other places I found exciting, such as:

Douarnenez

Athens

Alternatively, browse my Blog Archives for more topics and categories. Thanks for reading!