More Than Amsterdam: Falling in Love With the Netherlands

I first came to the Netherlands, like many people do, through Amsterdam.

But the real story didn’t start there.

It began after my first year travelling through Asia, when I met people from all over the world. On a boat trip to Komodo Island in Indonesia, a floating mix of languages and accents came together — from France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland. A temporary little universe drifting between islands.

Some of us stayed in touch.

Months later, I organized a reunion in Amsterdam. We all arrived from different countries, stayed with friends around the city, and ended up going out together as if no time had passed. It felt like reopening a chapter that had never fully closed.

After that, we met again in Nijmegen, where one of our friends lived.

That moment in 2019 became the beginning of my relationship with the Netherlands — not as a destination, but as a return.

Since then, I’ve come back more times than I can count. Not just for the canals, the windmills, or the coffee shops, but for the people. For the way life feels both structured and wildly alive at the same time.

And let’s be honest: Dutch people might be some of the most interesting humans in Europe. Direct, funny, incredibly social, hardworking, and somehow always ready for both a 6 a.m. bike ride and a 2 a.m. party.

This Post’s Path

Amsterdam: Bridges, bikes and parties

Amsterdam is usually where you land first, and of course, it’s beautiful.

Canals, crooked houses, bikes stacked like living metal rivers, cafés tucked into every corner, and the famous Red Light District.

Amsterdam can sometimes feel like the curated version of the Netherlands. Beautiful, energetic, but also shaped heavily around tourism.

What many people don’t realize is that almost every city in the country carries the same DNA: bikes everywhere, canals or rivers, cozy cafés (funky ones too), and a strong social culture. They all just have it without the same density of tourists.

If you step outside Amsterdam, the Netherlands opens up in a softer, more local way.

It’s still an amazing place to visit, and if you have the money, go for it. I’m not going into details here as there are plenty of blogs and top 10 things to do in Amsterdam out there. That’s not the goal of this post. Quite the opposite.

Let me take you to my favourite area now.

Nijmegen: Festivals, Friendship & Local Dutch Life

Nijmegen is the city I experienced the most because friends lived there and I kept coming back again and again.

It’s one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, sitting close to the German border along the Waal River. It mixes Roman history, student life, festivals, and local traditions in a way that somehow feels both ancient and very alive.

But for me, it’s personal.

I returned because of friendship, but stayed attached because of the atmosphere.

The city hosts the famous Vierdaagse every July, one of the biggest walking events in the world, where thousands of people walk for days while the entire city transforms into a massive celebration. During the Vierdaagsefeesten, streets become open-air festivals full of music, food, terraces, and crowds dressed in every possible shade of orange and glitter. Pink Wednesday especially feels completely surreal.

King’s Day also hits differently in the Netherlands. People overflow the streets, boats fill the canals, and entire cities have collectively decided that sleep is optional.

Nearby villages like Gennep also carry their own traditions and community celebrations, from volleyball tournaments to local summer events that make you feel like you accidentally stepped into someone else’s family gathering.

And then there’s one of my favourite Dutch traditions: white asparagus season.

White asparagus served with potatoes, boiled eggs, ham, and a buttery sauce sounds simple, but somehow tastes like comfort and spring mixed.

Nijmegen feels like a perfect representation of the Netherlands itself — clean, organized, social, welcoming, and somehow always ready to party.

Nijmegen in the summer

Utrecht: Canals, Bikes & Student Energy Beyond the Crowds

Utrecht feels like Amsterdam’s cooler and calmer sibling.

It’s a university city full of energy, creativity, and people biking at terrifying speed with complete confidence.

Its canals are unique because cafés and terraces sit directly at water level, creating one of the most relaxed atmospheres in the country. The Dom Tower dominates the skyline and gives the city its recognizable silhouette.

Compared to Amsterdam, Utrecht feels less performative and more lived-in. You don’t just visit Utrecht — you slowly fall into its rhythm.

Utrecht is also very charming along the river

Maastricht: A Southern Dutch City with Belgian-French Influence

Maastricht almost feels like another country within the Netherlands.

Along the Maas River near Belgium and Germany, the city carries a softer atmosphere with cobblestone streets, cafés, old stone buildings, and a strong international student scene.

It’s artistic, social, and full of bars and terraces that spill into the streets during warmer months. Compared to northern Dutch cities, Maastricht feels slower, warmer, and heavily influenced by both Belgian and French culture.

It’s one of those places where you end up staying outside longer than planned.

Industrial part of Maastricht

Dutch Culture: Bikes, Directness & Everyday Life

The Netherlands is one of the flattest countries in the world, which explains the absolute domination of bicycles.

Bikes rule everything here.

There are red cycling lanes everywhere, and you quickly learn one important rule: never walk on them absentmindedly unless you want to get run over by someone’s grandmother moving at Formula 1 speed.

Children bike to school in all weather conditions. Parents transport entire families and groceries on giant cargo bikes. Teenagers bike side by side while somehow texting, eating, and surviving traffic simultaneously.

The country feels incredibly organized, clean, and efficient, but never cold.

Dutch people are also famously direct. At first, it can surprise visitors, but after a while it becomes refreshing. There’s less pretending, less social performance, and more honesty.

The Netherlands is also known for its tolerant culture surrounding cannabis, hash, and certain psychedelic mushrooms, though the reality is often more regulated and structured than tourists expect.

Another thing people rarely mention is the diversity between regions. Different provinces have different dialects, accents, and identities. Even Amsterdam has its own recognizable accent and personality compared to the south or the north.

Food in the Netherlands: Cheese, Stroopwafels, Vla & Seasonal Traditions

Dutch food deserves more love than it gets. Gouda is everywhere, but local aged cheeses from markets and farms are on another level completely. People often think about Gouda, and that’s it. Of course the Old Amsterdam cheese or any other Gouda is delicious, but there’s so much more than that. So many nutty other cheeses and dips I’ve discovered it!

Fresh stroopwafels from local markets are infinitely better than packaged ones. Vla, a creamy dessert somewhere between pudding and custard, somehow becomes addictive quickly.

And honestly, the white asparagus soup from my Dutch friend’s parents deserves international recognition. When it’s white asparagus season, they also often eat it with ham, boiled potatoes, boiled eggs and a butter sauce. As a vegetarian, just the boiled potatoes and the white asparagus covered in butter were finger-licking good.

The typical hangover food or food truck food at a festival would be fries and frikandel. Kind of Dutch hot dog, I guess. They also eat it with curry ketchup. They really like curry.

Travelling the Netherlands with a Dog

Dogs are everywhere — cafés, terraces, trains, parks, city centers. Dutch people genuinely seem to love dogs, and travelling with one here feels surprisingly easy.

There are plenty of green spaces, walkable cities, beautiful forests, and public areas where dogs are welcome. Compared to many countries in Europe, it feels very relaxed and accessible for pet owners. Trains also welcome them every time!

For international rules, the same as the EU applies. EU requirements here.

Karma was here: YES. So, so many times.

Dog-friendly? The Netherlands is extremely dog-friendly.

Van Life in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is also surprisingly enjoyable for van life and slow travel.

Wild camping is generally not allowed, but the country has many organized camper spots and farm stays where you can spend the night while supporting local businesses.

Apps like Park4Night are very useful here.

Some farms allow overnight parking in exchange for buying local products like cheese, eggs, vegetables, or homemade goods, which honestly feels like one of the best trade deals possible.

The country is small, easy to navigate, and incredibly scenic in its own quiet way — canals, windmills, open fields, boats, tiny villages, and endless bike paths crossing through all of it.

Final Thoughts: Why I Keep Returning to the Netherlands

The Netherlands feels like a country built around movement: bikes, rivers, trains, wind, boats, festivals, people constantly going somewhere.

But what keeps pulling me back isn’t just the scenery, the food, or the parties.

It’s the feeling of home. Gezellig!

The strange balance between structure and chaos. Discipline and celebration. Calm mornings and completely unhinged festivals.

It’s a country where life feels organized without feeling rigid, where people work hard but still know exactly how to celebrate being alive. And sometimes, it’s just what you need. Balance!

Dank je wel my friends.

Writing Vagabond