Carnaval in The Netherlands

As small as this country is, The Netherlands knows three ‘carnaval’ regions:

1.     the Rijnland carnaval is celebrated in eastern part of the province of Noord-Brabant and all over the province of Zuid-Limburg. 

2.     the Bourgondisch carnaval is celebrated in most cities of Noord-Brabant, the province of Gelderland and Zeeuws-Vlaanderen (southwestern corner of the country). 

3.     in, roughly speaking, the rest of the country carnaval is not celebrated. 

This year, carnaval is celebrated from 10 to 12 February.

Rijnland carnaval parade.About the Burgundy and Rijnland carnaval

Practically every city has got it’s own traditions and Prins Carnaval; actually, in the Rijnland carnaval each ‘carnaval society’ has its own prince and there can be multiple societies in one city. The mayor hands over the keys (and thus power) over to the Prince for three days. It’s good to stay in the vicinity of the prince, as he often gives ‘free rounds (of beer)’ to all people in the bar.

Many towns have a carnaval procession with decorated trailers, dressed up people and playing musicians. Often, the procession has a certain theme. 

The main differences between the two carnavals are that the Burgundy carnaval is mostly celebrated indoors, whereas the Rijnland carnaval is celebrated outdoors. In addition, the Rijnland carnaval is derived from the Venetian carnaval which can be recognized by the elaborate costumes that the party people in South Limburg wear. 

Prins Carnaval.The Burgundy carnaval derives from a ‘eat feast’ during which people made fun of each other. Costumes are also much simpler; wearing just a cape made from old  curtains is already sufficient to blend in the crowd.

Good to know..

In the week preceding carnaval, the evenings are called “Old Wives (evening)”. Any man is shooed away, neck ties are cut off and other humiliating practices may be executed… so dress like a woman if you plan to have a drink in a bar. 

For the Rijnland carnaval, really do dress up! You’d fall completely out of place when you don’t. 

Carnaval Highlights 2013

As Maastricht is the capital of Zuid-Limburg, the carnaval feast is the biggest there and I have listed the main highlights (which I've been told by people from the region - I come from the very north of NL and have never celebrated carnaval). 

Carnaval 2012 Maastricht.Sunday 10 February 

At 10h33 carnaval festivities start on the main city square: het Vrijthof, Maastricht. All kinds of traditions take place then and I have honestly no idea what they entail. At 13h33 the large procession starts at Central Station. This should be an impressive happening. 

Monday 11 February  = Familyday

Different acts are performed on 6 stages spread over town. 

Mooswief.Tuesday 12 February

At 14h11 it's time for the Zate Hermeniekes-concours. Judging from photos from past years, it looks like a lot of music and dance in a parade. At 20h33 the parade heads to the Vrijthof where at 23h55 the Mooswief (giant doll) is pulled down… closing the carnaval celebration. Apparently, many people get emotional viewing this scene. 

CARNAVAL OFFER (escape to the country side or experience the party from within)

Stay in any ChateauHotel (luxury castle hotel) for E111 per room, incl. breakfast! Offer valid from 4-11/February. Please call the idividual hotels and mention 'Masquerade Package / Maskerade arrangement' to make use of the offer. Alternatively, contact me at kira [ at] lifeinamsterdam.com

Take a glimpse of Chateau St. Gerlach (feat. a spa) and call T. 043. 608 88 88

Experience the Maastricht carnavel, stay at Kruisherenhotel and call T. +31 (0)43 329 20 20

Enjoy carnaval at Hotel Winselerhof and call T. +31 (0)45 546 43 43

Christmas City of The Netherlands: Valkenburg

The Dutch make themselves ready for the holiday season. On Leidseplein the ice rink has been build, Sinterklaas has arrived and the Valkenburg has transformed itself again to the Christmas City of The Netherlands. 

When a visit to Oberhausen Germany, Europe's "best Christmas market" is too far for you... then not to worry: just drive 2 hours southwards to Valkenburg. The whole city has been beautifully decorated and features the culinary walk ‘Route d’Amuse’. Not only will this walk lead you through the stunningly lit town, it will also treat you to five amuses prepared by renowned local restaurants. Wednesdays and Saturdays there's a Christmas Parade.

Wednesdays and Saturdays there's a Christmas Parade in Valkenburg.However, what have put Valkenburg on Europe’s map of best christmas cities are the Christmas markets in two caves: the Velvet Cave and the Municipal Cave. 

Click the image to get a real good impression of the Christmas market in the Municipal Cave.The oldest and largest subterranean Christmas market in Europe is the Municipal Cave.  The ancient galleries bring an extra stylish dimension to the market. Enjoy the traditional song and music, which are the same Christmas tunes just with Dutch or Limburgian lyrics. The market offers seasonal, festive products - ideal gifts to take home for friends and family. 

The Velvet Cave is the temporary home of Santa. And you are welcome to take a peak inside. Admire the room of presents, visit his bedroom and caress the reindeers that are about to pull his sleigh. A visit to the Christmas Market in the Velvet Cave is more than beautiful decorations alone; on your tour of the cave you can enjoy the impressive mural paintings, sculptures, the unique 18th century chapel, market stalls with Christmas and gift items, ancient trades and a cosy catering establishment. 

Wilhelmina Cave and the sand sculpted nativity scene.Not to miss is the Wilhelmina Cave. These phenomenal caves house Europe's largest sand sculpture Nativity Scene which measures over 30 meters wide and 6 meters high. The amazing sand sculptures illustrate the Christmas spirit and open the visitors eyes to the wonders of the Holiday Season. It is a beautiful underground experience that you do not want to miss. You can also take the chairlift and visit the beautiful Wilhelmina Tower. Here you can get something to eat and drink while enjoying the breathtaking view over the Geuldal.

The Christmass Express in Valkenburg, The Netherlands.Complete your Christmas outing with a romantic trip by the Christmas Express between the nostalgic railway station of Simpelveld and 'Christmas Town Valkenburg'. Do get tickets online. The website is in Dutch, but quite understandable for non-Dutchies: click on the date which mentions the words 'wonderlijke winterritten' (wonderful winter rides).

More information Valkenburg Christmas City.

Christmas Shopping Special at Chateau St. Gerlach - a castle and luxury estate at Valkenburg.

• An overnight stay in a luxury room
• Extensive buffet breakfast with several hot and cold items  
• A three-course dinner in Bistrot de Liège*
• Free use of the roman indoor swimming pool, sauna and turkish steam bath  

• A VIP Ticket to visit the Christmas market at the Gemeentegrot and the Fluweelengrot in Valkenburg

• Free shuttle service (Château St. Gerlach offers a free shuttle service (max. 7 persons) on request to Maastricht or Valkenburg. Available between 9.00 a.m. and 8.00 p.m.)

The price is from € 135 per person. Price based on double occupancy in a Luxury room.
The price of a hotel apartment is from € 160 per person. Price based on double occupancy in a one bedroom apartment. The package is valid from 16 November until 23 December 2012.
*wines and other drinks are not included

Contact Kira (blogger Lifeinamsterdam) for more information/bookings.

weekend trip: de veluwe

Pronounciation: fay - lue (as in glue) - uh

De Veluwe is a preserved nature area (1000 sq km) in the middle of The Netherlands. Large parts stem from the Saale-Ice age, approximately 150.000 years ago. You’ll find age old woods, moor lands, stretches of sand, streams, meadows and lots of fauna.

why visit De Veluwe

To enjoy nature, get acquainted with Dutch culture and to get a breath of fresh air.

Small village in the north of De Veluwe: Hattem.what to do

There are zillions of things to do and places to visit, this is my 'best of' selection:

> Walk or bike around to see the different natural areas (see video impression below), or in the protected National Park De Hoge Veluwe or National Park Veluwezoom. 

> Visit the historical, pittoresque towns of Hattem (with Anton Pieck museum) or Elburg (many country houses, farms, including a wine farm).

Paleis het Loo is a must-visit during your stay in The Netherlands.> Visit the Kröller-Müller Museum, home to a large collection of works by Van Gogh, Seurt, Picasso, Léger and Mondriaan. The sculpture garden is most impressive and one of the largest in Europe. Use the free white bikes to explore the National Park De Hoge Veluwe.

> Visit Het Loo Palace, a former royal palace dating from the 17th century. Visitors get introduced to lives of former Dutch rulers. The baroque gardens, the fashion, the carriages - all is open for public admiration.

Cycling through National park de Hoge Veluwe.

day trip recommendation:

1. visit to National Park De Hoge Veluwe
2. grab a free white bike 
3. bike to Kröller-Müller Museum
4. bike to the Cafe-Restaurant De Koperen Kop in the middle of the park
5. bike to the Jachthuis St. Hubertus where you can also enjoy a tea,
6. then bike back.

how to get there & accommodation

The south western part of De Veluwe is only an hour away by car or train, so you can visit the area just for a day. If you want to stay a night, then there are ample campings, B&Bs, bungalow parks and hotels to choose from. 

For more information, visit this website.

What girls really want

What girls want is quite simple. Just like men getting wasted in bars, we want to escape life... and go on Girls’ Weekends! 

Now, you may picture four single women in Manolo’s, drinking Cosmo’s on Barbados. My friends and I are slightly different though:

Difference 1: we drink wine
Difference 2: instead of trying to find Mr. Right, we’re too caught up in raising Mr. Right’s babies (which happen to be our own, too).
Difference 3: we're 5 girls, all as lively as Carrie, naive-ish a la Charlotte, ambitious like Miranda and, to an undisclosed degree, adventurous like Samantha.

The Girls Weekend started with dragging 4 suitcases, 6 bags, 5 purses, 15 pairs of shoes and a 2-hour train ride down south.  If you sat behind us in the train and did not have ear plugs with you (too bad)... this is what you’ve would have enjoyed (or get annoyed with):

• discussion of fashion, diets and shoes
• discussion about recent victories (in our case related to work, not men)
• a few tears (put women together and there will always be the sharing of life’s difficulties)
• a lot of laughter (I hope you had your ear plugs with you!).

Kira getting out of the stretched Mercedes, wearing vintage jacket, pants by Tommy Hilfiger, blue suede shoes by ASH and Lacoste glasses. The winding down was done while having a stroll in one of the many gardens and, of course, in the SPA. Now I can't recall Carrie appreciating nature, we do share a love for being pampered and an even stronger, deeper, innately undisruptable love for... shoes - all 15 pairs of shoes were worn within 40 hours.

Upon arrival in Maastricht, a complimentary shuttle bus took us to Château St. Gerlach, where our first moment of silence occurred: driving up the entry lane of the estate, we all realized 'now this is how I should be living, not on the 3rd floor, not with mice and certainly not without a walk-in closet.

Madrilena getting acquainted with Dutch herbs. Maria is wearing a jacket and shirt by Tommy Hilfiger, jeans by Massimo Duty and boots by Santoni.

Only three more group silences were to follow during the Girls' weekend:

1. when tasting the fresh salad from the estate’s garden paired with a Sauvignon Blanc - in the bistrot de Liège.

2. while listening to the sommelier during our private wine tasting in the cave-cum-wine-cellar of Château Neercanne

3. while going to sleep after a five-course dinner at the castle of Château Neercanne.

Another key ingredient to a successful girl’s weekend is space. We need space to talk (the train was a perfect way to start the weekend), space to wander around (not every minute of the trip was filled with an ‘ activity’) and space to wind down.  

My four 'bubbly' girlfriends at Château Neercanne, The Netherlands. Black shoes (left) by Prada. So what girls want?

Let me sum it up for you:

• luxury hotel, spa and restaurants, preferably set in castles.  
• 2nd class train ticket to Maastricht (we're easy to please) AND a personal driver
• Prosecco, champagne, cava, Kaapse vonkel, white and red wine
• space
• … and a lot of luggage .... filled with shoes and girlfriend love.

Want to escape real life (in flat shoes) like we did? I can organise a trip for you as of E200pp. Contact Kira for more information:

k.nijenhuis [at] chateauhotels.nl

Weekend trip: Texel island

The Netherlands has 7 islands, all lying in an arch surrounding the northern provinces Friesland and Groningen. The largest island is located most near to our city: Texel (pronounced as Tessel). The islands and Waddenzee are protected by UNESCO.

why visit Texel island

To escape city life and get some fresh air!

what to doDunes of Texel island.

• Walking, biking or horse-back riding through undisrupted nature - there’s 135km of biking lanes over the dikes, through the dunes with views of the Waddenzee. Bars and terraces are located nearby the lanes for a refreshment.
• Visit one of the 8 (small) museums. Particularly recommended are the ‘culture historic museum’, the Ecomare to watch the seals, and the “lost & found on the shore” museums Kaap Skil or Shipwreck & Juttermuseum Flora.

• For the adventurous people: ATB through the woods, (kite) surfing, sailing, parachute jumping, etc.
• Visit the Lighthouse for stunning views.
• Chill on the beach and stroll through the little towns.

Seal on the shore - for guaranteed seal spotting visit Ecomare.

accommodation
The last ferry leaves from the island at 21h. There are campings, B&B’s, hotels and holiday homes, of which some include horse and stable! The only wellness hotel on the island is the 4-star Grand Hotel op Duin (as of E150 per night).

Texel island from the air.how to get there

1. drive to Den Helder, 100 km north of Amsterdam.

2. take the ferry to the island (20 minutes, free wifi, E2.50pp two-way ticket). The ferry leaves once an hour (6h30/7h30/etc till 21h30).

More information about Texel: tourist office Texel