THE bulbs of tulip, potteryDutch clogs and cheese. And then the Van Gogh museumbicycles, navigable canals. This is Holland, this is Amsterdam, of course. But the iconic capital of the Netherlands isn’t just the tourist city we all know, it’s much more: it is a cosmopolitan city full of excitement, initiatives, ideas and design workshops. Where the watchword is “gezelligheid” which, in Dutch, means “welcoming”.
A canal in Amsterdam, Holland, in summer. (Getty Images)
Together with an insider, a journalist from iO Donna, of Dutch mother, Michaela K. Bellisario. you will also discover the other part of the city, the more typical one. That of street food, raw smoked herring and “pilsje”, as the aperitifs are called in the bruin cafes that are populated outdoors in the first rays of the sun. That of hidden and little known museums. And then also that of the Dutch royals.
Maxima’s Holland
For 123 years, until 2013, Holland was ruled by an all-female lineage before the crown passed to the current king, Willem-Alexander, and his wife, the Argentine Maxima, much loved by her subjects for her spontaneity. After all, women have always been the protagonists of Amsterdam.
A legend tells that, not far from the station, there was the Schreierstoren, the “tower of tears”, where the wives said goodbye to their sailor husbands. They were tears of joy: without husbands, the amsterdammers could enjoy special freedoms. We are waiting for you from 7 to 10 July to discover it together.
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