‘T Huys welcomes creative talent and entrepreneurs as residents New creative hub housed in Hotel De L’Europe Amsterdam
New creative hub housed in Hotel De L’Europe Amsterdam The renovated wing of the hotel – ‘t Huys – opened its doors in March…
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Corona-related financial problems? Help is at hand
Whether you are a large or small business owner, a freelancer or on a permanent contract, the corona virus is bound to have an…
A time for social investment
The role of financial advisor is a responsible one at the best of times. People entrust you with their money, their hopes and their…
How to make your home work for you when you retire
Expat homeowners who have chosen to settle permanently in the Netherlands, or who have decided to retire here, are likely to have a considerable…
Rendez-Vous in museum Voorlinden | On display until 25 October 2020
Rendez-Vous centres on encounters: those between Voorlinden and its visitors, between the art and viewers and between the artists and the works themselves. In this…
New cookbook Restaurant De Kas – Plant to Plate
Amsterdam-based restaurant De Kas has one mission: to serve the absolute best plant-based dishes featuring home-grown ingredients. Each of the dishes in its cookbook…
‘So said grandma’: timeless wisdom from African sayings
New book introduces young readers to timeless wisdom from selection of 41 African sayings Dr. Mollynn Mugisha-Otim’s desire is to pass wisdom from African…
Does your brand tell a story?
Maybe it’s because social media has replaced real-life interaction. Maybe it’s because big business is taking over the world, and we’re craving the intimacy…
A cool mind and a warm heart
In preparing for the listening portion of the national Dutch language proficiency exam (Staatsexamens Nt2) I began watching past episodes of various Dutch programs,…
The importance of bees for the world
Bees are an essential animal for both the ecosystem and biodiversity conservation. Sadly, as a result of human activities, the quantity of bees and…
15th edition CAMERA JAPAN FESTIVAL is on!
RECTIFICATION In the last printed edition of the Holland Times we accidentally used the press information from 2019. Here is the correct information for…
The biggest comeback
In the first weekend of August, Dutch professional football and Fox Sports staged what was billed as ‘The Comeback’. The preseason matches marked the…
Mind and body balance in debate: how COVID-19 changed our perspectives of mental health
The pandemic of COVID-19 has created a new awareness in many people regarding the importance of slowing down and maintaining a healthy balance between…
The cure for the Netherlands’ false sense of security is masks
In recent weeks, the coronavirus pandemic has surged in the Netherlands, with hundreds of new infections discovered daily. While the Dutch have embraced working…
Amsterdam is in top-3 startups cities in Europe
Although the Netherlands provides little capital for start-ups, there are many online platforms settling in the area. According to a recent report by Silicon…
After hard negotiations, a new budget for the EU
The European Union has a new budget deal. After four days of intense negotiations and lots of political posturing, European leaders in July agreed…
Racism in the Netherlands
Over the past decades, the Dutch generally considered racism a concept associated with other countries, the United States for example. For a very long…
If you’re going on holiday, make sure you travel smart
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, summer 2020 will be very different to what we’re used to. From 15 June, travel restrictions to some countries…
Holidays in the Netherlands?
Vacation! A wonderful word for most people. But this year the meaning is slightly different due to the corona rules. Many Dutch people will…
Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar offers a stress-free museum
The city museum (Stedelijk Museum) Alkmaar opened its doors to the public again in early June. The museum has taken special measures, according to…
CTG scan for pregnant women in your own environment
Monitoring of the unborn baby at home every day with a CTG scan. It is possible for pregnant women with a medical indication who…
Great summer camps for kids!
The summer holiday has started, and your child has some very long weeks ahead. Hopefully, they will play outside every day and spend as…
The light at the end of the footy tunnel
Covid-19 has ravaged through the sports world with perhaps no game more universally impacted than football, leaving clubs, competitions and federations reeling from the…
Vivian Maier – Works in Color
This summer Foam presents the colorful works of Vivian Maier in the new exhibition Works in Color. Mostly known for her black and white photography,…
Outdoor terraces are open, but is it worth it?
For over a hundred days now, the coronavirus has been governing the lives of Dutch people, keeping them away from friends and family, closing…
Online banks sloppy with privacy
When the Consumers’ Association (Consumentenbond) conducted research on the online privacy of customers of banks in the Netherlands, the findings exposed that many new,…
Improved digital skills and independence
As the Netherlands is slowly emerging from the worst of its lockdown, some teachers, pupils and parents have been taking stock and looked at…
Will social distancing become the new normal?
The first wave of Covid-19 infections is behind us and the Netherlands, as many other countries, is relaxing its corona measures. Now that the…
Fraud at language schools for immigrants
Lina: Can I register for the Dutch language course? Ahmad Abo Rashed: Of course! Lina: But I can’t attend the classes… Ahmad Abo Rashed:…
Fair and equal recovery for the European economy
The global impact of Covid-19 has been, and still is at this point, far-reaching and all-consuming. However, now that the initial wave of health…
A dry summer ahead for NL
After the driest spring ever recorded, not much rain is expected this summer either, according to reports from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI). Warm…
Dutch government makes new agreements for local law enforcement officers to carry weapons
Extraordinary investigation officers (boas) are officers who help the police to supervise local order and safety, such as environmental inspectors, traffic wardens or security…
€500 million extra for students and summer school programs
With the lockdown in the Netherlands, almost every age group and lifestyle in Dutch society has been affected in some way. The elderly in…
Holland Festival online programme 2020
From 11 through 21 June, the Holland Festival will present an online programme that adheres as much as possible to the core and essence…
The race for an efficient vaccine to combat the Coronavirus is underway
Many laboratories around the world have been working round the clock to find an efficient vaccine to prevent the spread of the new Coronavirus….
World premiere ’Gently Quiet’
Eleven short dancefilms recorded in a deserted Amsterdam during lockdown. * Directed by Peter Leung & Altin Kaftira. Today is the launch of Gently Quiet, the…
Picnic in one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe
Kasteel Wijlre estate has one of Europe’s most beautiful gardens. It received the prestigious European Garden Award in 2014. Its three hectares offer many…
Fotomuseum aan het Vrijthof in Maastricht presents ‘Streetlife’ 1 June – 27 September 2020
Fotomuseum aan het Vrijthof in Maastricht presents the exhibition ‘Streetlife‘ from 1 June until 27 September 2020. The museum shows colorful work by the…
Amsterdam Art launches first Gallery Weekend in 2020 & moves Art Weekend to spring 2021
Amsterdam Art is pleased to announce the launch of the very first Amsterdam Art Gallery Weekend from 18-21 November 2020, a weekend of contemporary…
New design route in Amsterdam: GLUE
With ‘GLUE amsterdam connected by design’, the city once again has a three-day design route for Amsterdam-based designers, architects, brands, showrooms, galleries, academies, and…
Language friendly school
Optimist International School has taken its first steps towards becoming a member of Language Friendly Schools. What is a Language Friendly School? A Language…
Your online stop for education!
Pupils, students, teachers and parents are at home en masse because of the strict corona measures. How do you arrange education? This requires enormous…
Fighting COVID-19 with creativity
When a friend approached Fabian de Leede to see if he could help covert snorkel masks into medical masks through 3D printing, he had…
How has Mark Rutte performed during this crisis?
The novel Coronavirus or Covid-19 is by now the worst pandemic the world has faced in over half a century. After the first cases…
Uitmarkt goes digital!
The 43rd edition of the Uitmarkt goes digital. In June, the Uitmarkt launches an online platform where artists, makers and institutions can offer their…
Vulnerable students disappearing from radar during school closures
After schools closed due to the Corona pandemic, many schools have lost contact with some of their students, as revealed by the Association of…
Schools will finally open again – children and the corona virus according to the RIVM
Around the world, governments have temporarily closed educational institutions in a coordinated effort to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to UNESCO…
Looking back at the Netherlands after Covid-19
What will the Netherlands, and the world at large, look like ‘post-corona’? Will it be business as usual, out-of-business or business 2.0? In what…
The Netherlands celebrated its first-ever King’s Day at home
Due to the measures taken amid the corona crisis, on 27 April the Netherlands celebrated king Willem-Alexander’s 53rd birthday at home. The national holiday,…
Hospitality sector struggles to survive the ‘intelligent lockdown’
On 15 March the Dutch government announced a series of regulations intended to slow the spread of Covid-19 in the Netherlands. Many businesses have…
Major Frida Kahlo exhibition rescheduled to autumn 2021
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, the Drents Museum in Assen has decided to reschedule the major exhibition Viva la Frida! – Life and Art of…
Empty hospitals and a ‘new normal’: the effects of corona on Dutch healthcare
As the corona crisis continues, some of its effects on the Dutch healthcare system have been brought to light. Not only have there been…
The fight continues: 50Plus party in turmoil again
By now it’s a familiar sight: members of political party 50Plus fighting between themselves. On 26 April, chairman Geert Dales announced the resignation of…
The consequences of Covid-19 for the events industry
The risks of spreading Coronavirus has forced Dutch authorities to take the necessary safety precautions in ensuring public health. One of the most far-reaching…
Photographer Hans Withoos exhibits at Domain Oogenlust
Gallery Persoon in Eersel and the event decorators of Oogenlust present a retrospective exhibition of Dutch photographic artist Hans Withoos. The gallery shows sixty…
Tell Me Your Story in the Kunsthal KAdE
The exhibition Tell Me Your Story, about 100 years of storytelling in African-American art, has been extended until August 30. Thanks to the generous…
The Netherlands aims to become a nation of food heroes
Empty supermarket shelves in recent weeks make it easy to forget that the Netherlands typically has a food waste problem. Recently released data from…
Mancini: Eccentric and Extravagant
With a lockdown of public life in the Netherlands and most of the world, an art review about an exhibition in a closed museum…
Indoor cycling: keeping fit and staying safe
As this edition of the Holland Times went to press, the prevailing advice for safe cycling in the Corona crisis was moving from outdoors…
Sport 2020: When the lights went out
Not all that long ago, sports fans were faced with difficult choices. In the February issue of the Holland Times, the headline read, “2020:…
Childcare Allowance drama
As reported earlier in the Holland Times, about 8,500 Dutch parents have been wrongfully accused of childcare allowance fraud by the Belastingdienst (Tax and…
Culture in Quarantine
The Netherlands has adopted social distancing en masse since 12 March. The situation has had, and will likely continue to have, a massive economic…
The Dutch take a gamble with corona
As the corona epidemic is sweeping the world, each affected country deals with the onslaught in its own way. Rather than coordinating and taking…
And now for some good news: the positive developments around the coronavirus
“Bad news has been overwhelming us, and it makes sense that we are all starting to feel despondent. Nevertheless, there is also good news…
What are the effects of social isolation and quarantine on people?
The COVID-19 outbreak, and its development as a pandemic throughout the last few months, has forced governments around the world to advice or enforce…
Impact of the Corona virus on the Dutch economy
As hopes for an avoidance of a pandemic scenario across Europe tumbled over the last fortnight, economists have been just as quickly scrambling to…
Without your family: interview with a French expat
As the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic and its enormous fallout, expats experience an added layer of difficulty, living away from their home…
The art of pivoting: how to survive a pandemic
These are unprecedented times. The Coronavirus pandemic appeared seemingly out of nowhere, putting a halt to our easy-going way of life, and the freedom…
Peter Wohlleben, The hidden life of trees. What they feel, how they communicate: Discoveries from a Secret World
You don’t have to be a tree-hugger to wonder about the experience of trees, especially not when you are Peter Wohlleben. In his bestselling…
Amazon launches in the Dutch market
On 10 March 2020, the largest e-tailer in the world, Amazon, was officially launched in the Netherlands. This meant the final step for the…
Weekend Tip: Virtual Tours of ten Great European Museums
Even though you may have had to cancel your travel plans, reorganize your daily routine and stay at home, this doesn’t mean you can…
Dutch National Opera & Ballet launches online platform
‘Keep on Singing and Dancing – Stay Safe’ The government’s temporary decision to ban events and gatherings until 1 June 2020, in order to…
Restaurant Felix opens in cultural centre Felix Meritis
Restaurant Felix is being opened the 31st of January, seeking to not only become the cultural- but also the gastronomical hotspot of Amsterdam. An…
A trip to London – planes vs. trains vs. automobiles
On 4 February the Dutch Railways (NS) made the first test trip with its new direct service from Amsterdam to London. The new direct…
Queen and Slim
The American dream suddenly and frighteningly turns into a nightmare within the first fifteen minutes of this Bonnie and Clyde-style drama. The opening moments…
Shortage of plumbers as house market is on the rise
As more houses are being built and renovated in the Netherlands, the demand for plumbers is also on the rise. House owners with leaks,…
2020: A wallhalla for sports fans
Edition 31 January, by John Mahnen Regardless if you place a single wager, if you’re a sports fan you are set to hit the…
Depoldering of the Hertogin Hedwigepolder in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen
Edition 31 January, by Seringe S.T. Touray The depoldering of the Hertogin Hedwigepolder will begin early this year, reported Omroep Zeeland in December 2019….
The masters of capturing emotions
Edition 31 January, by Benjamin Roberts Today, gazing at Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s Narcissus (ca. 1600) feels a little bit like being a peeping…
Introducing CBD: weed’s cooler and legal younger sister
Edition 31 January, by Phoebe Dodds Amsterdam is infamous for its liberal attitude to marijuana, drawing bachelor parties and groups of interrailing teenagers since…
New Year’s 2020 in the Netherlands
Edition 31 January, by Marla Thomson “Relatively quiet” is what the headlines of the local newspaper’s weekend edition said. And though this would lead…
Mail bombs and threats sent to various businesses across the Netherlands
Edition 31 January, by Raphael Perachi Vieira In the last few weeks, several mail bombs and letters containing threats were sent to organisations in…
Maastricht University pays ransom to hackers
Edition 31 January, by Louis Gore Langton Maastricht University has reportedly been forced to pay a significant sum to a criminal cyber group after…
Immigration numbers ´too high´
Edition 31 January, by Femke van Iperen Dutch ministers want predictable immigration numbers. Others say it’s time to look at the bigger picture. This…
Changes in 2020 by the National Government
Edition 31 January, by Phoebe Potter Work and income In the field of work and income, most of the changes coming in for 2020…
‘Fijne Feestdagen’
Edition 27 December, by Marla Thomson Fijne feestdagen! It’s that time of year again – lights strung outside of homes and on busy…
S.M.A.R.T. goals: the entrepreneurial New Year’s resolutions
Edition 27 December, by Phoebe Dodds New year, new you. Every year as 1 January approaches, we set ambitious resolutions, ready for the following…
Increasingly fewer ATMs in Dutch streets
Edition 27 December, by Juan Ālvarez Umbarila Fewer and fewer ATMs can be found in the streets of the Netherlands these days. The…
Tanzania – Unforgettable
Edition 27 December, by Nanda Jagusiak-Monteiro On behalf of the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), the Embassy of Tanzania invited me to attend the Swahili…
Reduced speed limit to ease housing woes
Edition 27 December, by Geetanjali Gupta The maximum speed limit of 130km/hour is slated to go down to 100km/hour in the Netherlands from mid-March,…
Mass layoff at Tata Steel: 1600 jobs scrapped
Edition 27 December, by Sagar Harinarayan Tata Steel Europe plans to cut 3000 jobs during an organization-wide restructuring. The company is embarking upon a…
Zero tolerance policy against racism in football stadiums
Edition 27 December, By Stephen Swai An initiative against racism in football stadiums in the Netherlands is expected to be rolled out in January…
Prohibition of bonfires in The Hague on New Year’s Eve
Edition 27 December 2019, by Priyanka SharmaThe history The tradition of bonfires at Scheveningen and Duindorp goes as far back as 200 years. In…
Salary gap between men and women still not closed
Edition 27 December, by Phoebe Potter New statistics have confirmed that women in the Netherlands are still earning less than men. In figures that…
The Netherlands has an urgent need for cops, nurses and teachers
Edition 27 December 2019, by Johannes Visser The Netherlands is facing a serious shortage of cops, nurses and teachers and things are only getting…
A small country tries to bring down its high nitrogen levels
Edition 31 October 2019, by Johannes Visser ‘Very serious national measures are needed to counter the high levels of nitrogen emissions within the Netherlands….
Farmers protest against bad press
Edition 31 October, by Stephen Swai Hundreds of farmersdrove to The Hague by tractor to protest against what they called unfair treatment by the…
Murder of Derk Wiersum also ‘an attack on the rule of law’
Edition 31 October 2019, by Seringe S.T. Touray Derk Wiersum, lawyer of crown witness Nabil B. against infamous cocaine-dealing criminal Ridouan Taghi, was murdered…
The government’s plans for 2020 as presented on Prince’s Day
Edition 31 October 2019, by Stephen Swai Relief for middle- and high-income groups The total burden on citizens will be reduced by 4.4 billion…
Three strikes, you’re out for the mayor of The Hague
Edition 31 October 2019, by Johannes Visser The city of The Hague last month lost its mayor and two aldermen in very quick succession….
Leader of the Party for the Animals (PvdD) Marianne Thieme resigns
Edition 31 October 2019. by Femke van Iperen Praising words, a royal award and a lot of speculation This September, Marianne Thieme resigned as…
Ahhh, moving to a new country.
Edition 31 October 2019, by Marla Thomson You’ve got your housing, your job and you’re getting settled in at both. You’re done with your…
Creative entrepreneurs – the unstoppable Dutch tribe
Edition 31 October 2019, by Phoebe Dodds For some reason, art and business are usually – and incorrectly – considered polar opposites. Either you…
Optimist international school scores great evaluation and new location
Edition 31 October 2019 Optimist International School had it’s fi rst offi cial evaluation by the Inspectorate of Education which shows the team is…
Seventh location for Zein International Childcare the Hague
Edition 31 October 2019 Childcare opens ‘The Pines’ their seventh location in The Hague region. Located on the premises of Tennis Park WW in…
Amsterdam Montessori school closure
Edition 31 October, by Femke van Iperen First victim of teacher shortage in the Netherlands? This September it was announced that an Amsterdam Montessori…
School Board spending choices contribute to national teacher shortage
Edition 31 October 2019, By Lorre Luther On 5 July, various Dutch teachers’ unions sent a letter to Arie Slob, Minister for Elementary and…
Bright Day tech festival announces first headliners
Edition 31 October 2019 Bright Day, the main tech festival in the Netherlands, today announced the first names on its programme. Fortnite gamer Royalistiq…
The IamExpat Fair is coming to The Hague
Edition 31 October 2019 The 9th edition of the IamExpat Fair is taking place at the Grote Kerk in The Hague on November 9. …
The United Arab Emirates, a fast growing country with many opportunities
Edition 31 October 2019 Nanda Jagusiak-Monteiro interviews the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, H.E. Mrs. Hissa Abdullah Ahmad Alotaiba Former positions: Ambassador to…
The Extraordinary Italian Taste 18 – 24 November 2019
Edition 31 October 2019, by Andrea Perugini Ambassador of Italy to the Kingdom of The Netherlands Fourth Week of the Italian Gastronomy in the…
Cai Guo-Qiang. Inopportune: Stage two
Edition 31 October 2019 The monumental installation Inopportune: Stage two consists of nine replica tigers pierced by dozens of arrows and a set decoration…
Thierry Mugler: Couture time in the Kunsthal
Edition 31 October 2019 This fall, the Kunsthal Rotterdam is presenting the European premiere of the fashion exhibition “Thierry Mugler: Couturissime”. Initiated and produced…
IDFA Amsterdam
Edition 31 October 2019 The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam offers an independent and inspiring meeting place for audiences and professionals to see a…
Tapis rouge French fi lmfestival
Edition 31 October 2019 The festive opening night of the French fi lm festival Tapis Rouge will take place on Wednesday 30 October in…
The winter games: a look at the winter sports season in the Netherlands
Edition 31 October 2019, by John Mahnen As the days grow shorter and the weather even less predictable, the temptation to put the feet…
Eethuys-Café Graaf Floris V (restaurant)
Edition 31 October 2019, by Paola Westbeek With its historic centre and pretty Dutch houses lining cobbled streets, the quaint town of Muiden has…
Joker (movie)
Edition 31 October 2019, by Cathy Leung Technically Joker is an origins movie, related to the well-established stories from DC Comics, with the Joker…
David Brooks, The Second Mountain(book)
Edition 31 October 2019, by Benjamin B. Roberts The Quest for a Moral Life (New York: Random House, 2019) David Brooks’ latest book, The…
Discover the world of Royal Delft
Blue Paintbrushes carefully touch the white earthenware, whilst elsewhere clay is poured into handmade moulds. It is here, at Royal Delft, that craftsmen have…
A war hero’s tragic fall from grace Marco Kroon
Edition 28 June 2019, by Johannes Visser A heroic troublemaker or decorated yet delusional blowhard? The jury is not out on the Dutch ex-commando…
Scientific expedition to the heart of Amsterdam
Edition 28 June 2019, by Nanda Jagusiak-Monteiro This summer, a group of biodiversity enthusiasts will attempt to discover new species of wildlife right in…
Big Brother is indeed watching you
Edition 28 June 2019, by Lorre Luther A Volkskrant investigation conducted earlier this year revealed that at least 60 Dutch municipalities engage in Wi-…
Care for the elderly must change
Edition 28 June, by Stephen Swai Changes in the air It seems that many Dutch people are unaware of how care for the elderly…
Warning on infrastructure
Written by Marla Thomson Warning bells are ringing again for the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management to address the status of the…
1,600 children disappeared from asylum care
Edition 28 June, by Seringe S.T. Touray While irregular migration continues to be a major topic in Europe and around the world, more than…
Antisemitism on the rise in the Netherlands
Edition 28 June 2019, by Benjamin Roberts While on 6 June 2019, European leaders stood shoulder to shoulder commemorating the 75th anniversary of the…
Positive figures for Dutch DIY and furniture stores in the first quarter
Edition 28 June, by Femke van Iperen Early this June, CBS (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek) reported on improvements in the retail sector in…
Pension agreement has been reached in principle
Edition 28 June 2019, by Femke van Iperen Following nine years of ‘polderen’ between the government and all relevant parties, on 4 June a…
An American expat’s journey
Column by Marla Thomson, edition 28 June 2019 I have been living in the Netherlands for almost three months now and my experience has…
Fifth edition festival Wonderfeel: experience classical music in the outdoors
Wonderfeel is the biggest outdoor festival for classical music in the Netherlands. This year’s festival will take place from July 19th to July 21st,…
GES 2019: “Crushed it!”
Edition 28 June 2019, by John Mahnen The 2019 edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit was held in The Hague at the World Forum….
Women empowerment in the United Arab Emirates
Edition 28 June 2019, by H.E. Dr. Hissa Abdullah Ahmad Alotaiba, United Arab Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands For most nations, the…
Jewels! Glittering at the Russian court
From 14 September 2019 until 15 March 2020, tens of thousands of precious gems will sparkle at the Hermitage Amsterdam. From agate to zirconium,…
Hightlights exhibition programme 2019 Kröller Müller Museum
Need an escape from the bustle of the city; looking to enjoy a perfect blend of art and nature? Visit the Kröller-Müller Museum in…
Cricket in the Netherlands– watch this space!
Edition 28 June 2019, by John Mahnen Playing a sport which is relatively minor means explaining yourself to a lot of people a lot…
Ode to Amsterdam
Edition 28 June 2019, by Benjamin Roberts A Millennium of Amsterdam. Spatial History of a Marvelous City (2019) is not like any other history…
Rembrandt and Leiden’s school of fine painters of the Dutch Golden Age
Edition 28 June 2019, by Benjamin Roberts On 4 October 1669, Holland’s most famous painter, Rembrandt van Rijn, died an impoverished man, and was…
The Professor and the Madman
Edition 28 June 2019, by James Luxford Mel Gibson’s passion project comes to cinemas under a cloud of controversy. Producer/star Gibson, along with director…
De Vuursche Boer
Edition 28 June 2018, by Paola Westbeek Situated in Lage Vuursche, a charming village nestled in the province of Utrecht (and home to Drakensteyn…
A political landslide in the Netherlands
On March 20, the Netherlands witnessed a momentous, record-breaking and greatly influential election. A political earthquake has turned the Dutch Senate into a place…
Holland Festival 2019
Since 1947, the Holland Festival is the leading international performing arts festival in the Netherlands. The festival offers a broad scope of international performing…
The nicest shopping areas in NL
Edition 19 April 2019, by Bárbara Luque Rain, wind or thunder have never stopped life in the Netherlands, and let’s be honest, there is…
One million homes at risk of structural damage due to drought
Edition 19 April 2019, by Megan Janicke Groundwater in the Netherlands has dropped to extremely low levels. Now, reports of sagging and sinking homes…
An American expat’s journey
Column by Marla Thomson, edition 19 April 2019 Bags are packed, bank and credit cards have been notified, place to stay while abroad has…
Is Dutch dying in Amsterdam?
Edition 19 April 2019, by Lorre Luther Every Saturday afternoon, worshipers flock to De Krijtberg, a picturesque Catholic church in the heart of Amsterdam,…
Latest Dutch National Quality Monitor for Childcare
Edition 19 April 2019, by Femke van Iperen ‘Satisfactory to good’ The latest Dutch National Quality Monitor for Childcare report shows a positive picture…
Haga Lyceum Accused of Extremist Sympathies
Edition 19 April 2019, by Seringe S.T. Touray “Things are happening at the school which are not good for democracy and for integration,” said…
Dutch supermarkets have been testing their potential to go plastic-free.
Edition 19 April 2019, by Femke van Iperen A step in the right direction? Opinions vary. As public concern around plastic and its devastating…
Meet the disruptors
Edition 19 April 2019, by Phoebe Dodds The female entrepeneurs making waves in 2019 With the #MeToo movement sweeping Hollywood last year, the rising…
Haarlem: the perfect marriage of old and new
From the moment it received city rights in 1245, Haarlem grew into one of the most important cities in Holland. Today, the city has a…
A shooting leaves a nation in shock
Edition 19 April 2019, by Johannes Visser On Monday 18 March, the Netherlands went through a day of physical and psychological terror. A man…
A new chance for the stint, soon back on the streets
Edition 19 April 2019, by Megan Jancike Made-in-Holland electric freight vehicles, known as ‘stints’, will soon make their way back to the Dutch roads….
A Little Life (Theatre)
Edition 19 April 2019, by Benjamin Roberts Jude’s friends are faced with a dilemma. In excruciating pain, they witness him mutilate his body. They…
Vox Lux (movie)
Edition 19 April 2019, by James Luxford What makes a megastar? That’s the question director Brady Corbet asks in this abrasive drama about two…
De Zeemeeuw (restaurant)
Edition 19 April 2019, by Paola Westbeek When sunny weather has you craving a beachside rendez-vous, head to De Zeemeeuw, a coastline gem situated…
Mission Pink: How to enjoy the Giro d’Italia in Olanda
Edition 19 April 2019, by John Mahnen In case you haven’t noticed or for that matter don’t read newspapers or watch television, the cycling…
10 years of Cineville!
Cineville is 10 years old and celebrates film! On Sunday 24 March, you will see the most talked-about films from the past 10 years…
Never a dull moment with politician Klaas Dijkhoff
Edition 8 March 2019, by Stephen Swai Regardless what you might think of him, there is a never dull moment when it comes to…
Rotterdam study: healthy lifestyle means you live six years longer
Edition 8 March 2019, by Stephen Swai According to the results of a study by the Erasmus MC hospital, published in scientific journal PLos…
Former PVV politician Joram van Klaveren converts to Islam
Edition 8 March, by Lorre Luther Joram van Klaveren, a former member of Geert Wilders’ Partij voor de Vrijheid (PVV) recently announced his conversion…
Online gambling will soon be legal in the Netherlands
Edition 8 March 2019, by Lisette Bosman Source: onlinecasinoground.nl Government budget for 2020 contains tax income from remote gambling Two (online) gambling bills have recently…
Srebrenica: Dutch history still in the writing
Edition 8 March, by by Johannes Visser One name hangs like a dark cloud over Dutch contemporary history, still being written: Srebrenica. It epitomizes…
‘Certainty’ promised to children seeking asylum in the Netherlands
Edition 8 March 2019, byMegan Janicke Hundreds of asylum-seeking children who were previously denied residency in the Netherlands could now be granted the right…
Is this really the best of Amsterdam?
The results are in! Big 7 Travel, the international travel media company, has announced its ultimate ‘best of’ lists for Amsterdam. The lists range…
Can the government still govern after upcoming Senate elections?
Edition 8 March 2019, by Seringe S.T. Touray Every four years, the Provincial Councils of the twelve Dutch provinces elect for the members of…
Yellow vests in action in the Netherlands
Edition 8 March, by Bárbara Luque Fuelled by the December protests in France, originally aimed at rising petrol costs, which involved tens of thousands…
Dutch students skip class for climate change
Edition 8 March 2019, by Juan Alvarez A National Student Protest for a Better Climate took place on Thursday 7 February in The Hague….
Increase of expats at Dutch-speaking schools
Edition 8 March 2019, by Bárbara Luqe Recently, municipalities have struggled to fill the educational needs of expat children in Dutch schools. Public schools,…
Social security vacations, paid for by the State
The Netherlands has a problem. Thousands of migrant workers receive unemployment benefits that they are not entitled to. Most of them are Polish seasonal…
Italy – 160th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations with the Netherlands
Edition 8 March 2019 Nanda Jagusiak-Monteiro interviews the Ambassador of Italy, H.E. Mr. Andrea Perugini Main former positions Deputy Director General for Globalization and…
Erwin Olaf in the Hague
Gemeentemuseum Den Haag and The Hague Museum of Photography are to honour one of the Netherlands’ most famous photographers, Erwin Olaf (b. 1959), with…
The Barraud brothers in Museum MORE
They are probably the best kept secret of Switzerland: the Barraud brothers. Four brothers in art. Four very talented painters within one family. A…
Movies that Matter Festival 2019
Feel free to open your mind at the at the Movies that Matter Festival! The annual international fi lm and debate festival on human…
The IamExpat Fair Amsterdam, 2019
Looking for a new job? Need mortgage advice? Looking for a good school or day-care for your kids? Want to enrol in a quality…
World records, 30,000 bananas and a marriage proposal: anything goes at the Rotterdam marathon
Written by John Mahnen With the skates oiled and tucked back into the closet, it’s time to bring the running shoes back into regular…
The Scary Bikers: A Brexit comedy or tragedy?
Edition 8 March 2019, by Benjamin B. Roberts In early January, the conservative British speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, was called…
The Mule (movie)
Edition 8 March 2019, by By James Luxford Even at 88 years old, Clint Eastwood remains a vital and interesting film maker, occasionally going…
“The Euro” by Joseph Stiglitz (book)
Edition 8 March 2019, by Jeroen Spangenberg Joseph Stiglitz wrote a book which was published in 2017 called “The Euro’’. The Euro describes the…
Carstens (restaurant)
Edition 8 March 2019, Paola Westbeek Carstens takes diners on a delectable culinary journey featuring a fine selection of Holland’s gourmet treasures: from the…
Illegal residents of ADM yard Amsterdam forced to move after more than 20 years
Written by Phoebe Potter Illegal Conceived as a shipyard, the ADM – Amsterdamsche Drydock Company NV – has been through a vibrant history. On…
Amsterdam and Rotterdam take ‘hiss prohibition’ seriously
Written by Bárbara Luque Alanís In an attempt to make streets safer for everyone, the Netherlands is now applying legal pressure to combat street…
International train travel up
Edition 1 February, by Marla Thomson Travel by train in Europe is – not surprisingly – on the rise. Local, regional and now international…
Groningen Airport Eelde facing further problems
Written by Stephen Swai It seems that Groningen Airport Eelde, the Netherlands’ smallest passenger airfi eld, is in trouble following recent bad news. On…
Blacklisting tax havens: something about a pot and kettle
Edition 1 February 2019, by Johannes Visser The Dutch government recently published its expanded blacklist of tax-avoiding countries. Some of the countries on the…
Dutch boy band Breunion Boys wants the UK to stay in the EU
Written by Stephen Swai Whenever there is a crisis, interesting things happen. Take for example the Breunion Boys. This pro-European Union boy band has…
Converted housing. A solution to the housing shortage?
Written by Benjamin Roberts In the last couple of years, the Netherlands has been reminded again of its age-old problem. With a growing population…
Cause of mass deaths of starlings in the Hague identified
Written by Seringe S.T. Touray Autumn was in full swing in The Hague last year, the last residues of summer fading, parks filled with…
Oostvaardersplassen: tensions rise as judge gives green light for more than 1,800 red deer to be shot
Edition 1 February, by Femke van Iperen The continued tensions around the welfare of the large grazing animals inhabiting the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve reached…
Dutch climate agreement has the Greens fired up
Edition 1 February 2019, by Johannes Visser The Netherlands has a new climate agreement. There is just one problem: the green side of the…
The Dutch solar-powered car designed near Eindhoven
Edition 1 February, by Juan Alvarez Less than 20 km away from Eindhoven, in Helmond, an all- Dutch start-up is designing an electric car…
Lifestyle trends for 2019
Edition 1 February 2019, by U.Cathy Leung Let’s have a look at some of the lifestyle trends that have been identified for 2019, globally…
TEFAF Maastricht: one of the most powerful art networks in the world
Edition 1 February 2019 The most important art event annually in the Dutch calendar is TEFAF Maastricht. This Fair is organized by The European…
Shrimp from Bangladesh: a must item in your menu
Edition 1 February, by the Ambassador of Bangladesh, H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Belal If viewed from above, on a moonlit night, Bangladesh is bound to…
How full is your wallet in 2019?
Edition 1 February, by Phoebe Potter As with every new year, many are taking a look at their personal fi nances and wondering what…
Islamic Art Exhibition at The Hague Municipal Museum
Edition 1 February 2019, by Pejman Akbarzadeh The Hague Municipal Museum holds one of the largest collections of Persian ceramics and glasses, which forms…
Your Coffee, Hilversum (Restaurant)
Edition 1 February 2019, by Paola Westbeek Situated on Kerkstraat in Hilversum’s bustling city centre, is Your Coffee, a cosy and laid-back eatery where…
Beautiful Boy (movie)
Edition 1 February 2019, by Benjamin Roberts In 2017, more than 72,000 deaths in the US were caused by a drug overdoses. One of…
Rembrandt and Saskia. Love and Marriage in the Dutch Golden Age (expo)
Edition 1 February, by Benjamin Roberts When it comes to Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) and locations in the Netherlands, we usually think of Leiden,…
World sprint speed skating championships Heerenveen
Edition 1 February 2019, by John Mahnen Life in the fast lane! Heerenveen For the non-Dutch, skating is an acquired taste a bit like…
Missing person
Connor James Murphy (39 years old) living in Amsterdam is missing since January 13th in the early morning (approximately between 1 and 2 o’clock)…
GIVEAWAY FOR A VISIT AT THE FRANS HALS MUSEUM
Complete the form below and win two free tickets for the exhibition Hals meets Manet, Singer Sargent and van Gogh at the Frans Hals…
World’s grandmasters meet again at TATA Steel Chess Tournament
Edition 28 December 2018, by Seringe S.T. Touray Chess enthusiasts see the TATA Steel Chess Tournament, taking place between 11 and 27 January 2019,…
Tabú, Leiden (restaurant)
Edition 28 December 2018, by Paola Westbeek The vibrant culture of Central and South America is refl ected in an exceptional array of ingredients…
The Favourite (movie)
Edition 28 December 2019, by James Luxford Since his startling breakthrough nearly a decade ago with Dogtooth, director Yorgos Lanthimos has built a reputation…
Minnie Mouse as Muse (exhibition)
Edition 28 December 2018, by Benjamin Roberts Robert J. Halls exposition in Amsterdam’s GO Gallery What do Walt Disney’s Minnie Mouse and Marie-Antoinette have…
Stieg Larsson’s Legacy (book)
Edition 28 December 2018, by Jeroen Spangenberg – Prime Minister Olof Palme from Sweden assassinated in 1986 , – Jan Stocklassa researched the archive…
Cool Japan in het Tropenmuseum
Edition 28 December 2018 Cool Japan showcases the world’s fascination with all things Japanese. From Hello Kitty to samurai and from well-known Japanese horror…
The international mix of BRAVA
The Brussels Art Fair (BRAFA), created in 1956, is one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious art fairs, famous for the high-quality fine…
Co Westerik – Everyday Wonder in Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
The artist Co Westerik was born on 2 March 1924 in The Hague, where he studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (KABK)….
“Seven facets of the great steppe”
Edition 28 December 2018, by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev events. Space is the measure of all things, time…
Hema back in Dutch hands, thanks to Marcel Boekhoorn
Edition 28 December 2018, by Jeroen Spangenberg Marcel Boekhoorn, a Dutch billionaire, who became rich by the sale of telecom provider Telfort, announced in…
Johan Derksen: tv loudmouth stretching the boundaries of free speech
Edition 28 December 2019, by JohannesVisser A force of nature is whirling through Dutch media land. Like a proper media storm, whenever it passes…
Extreme drought holding steady into 2019
Edition 28 December, by Megan Janicke Summer days are already fading into distant memory, but the impact of those record-setting hot and dry months…
Expat Ruminations
Rajeev Poduval is an Indian American journalist currently based in Amsterdam. He most recently reported for The Washington Times, The Christian Science Monitor and…
When will 50PLUS finally wise up?
Edition 28 December, by Johannes Visser Wisdom comes with age? Not when it comes to politics, it turns out. The Netherlands has a rich…
Lots of smoke and bang, but still no fireworks ban
Edition 28 December, by Johannes Visser The end of the year is nigh and the holidays are around the corner. For New Year’s Eve…
A year of laughs
Edition 28 December, by James Luxford 2019’s set to be a year of comedy with the many English language comedians coming to The Netherlands….
After negotiating for years, no pension deal is yet in sight
Edition 28 December 2018, by Johannes Visser Talks between employers’ organizations and workers’ unions on a new pension system have crashed, after seven years…
Dutch railways (NS) to compensate Holocaust victims
Edition 28 December, by Benjamin Roberts In late November, the director of the Dutch national railways (NS), Roger van Boxtel, announced that NS would…
Controversy erupts over burka ban
Edition 28 December, by Lorre Luther After more than 13 years of debate, theDutch government approved a limited burka ban last summer. On June…
New Year’s dive, a Dutch welcome to 2019
Edition 28 December, by Bárbara Luque How crazy do you need to be to enjoy a dive into the freezing North Sea waters in…
The Netherlands aims for gold at the European Women’s Handball Championship
Edition 29 November 2018, by Seringe Touquet “We are working hard to get this team to the highest possible level,” said Dutch Handball Federation…
Par Hasard, Almere (Restaurant)
Edition 29 November 2018, by Paola Westbeek Smack in the middle of the country, Almere boasts impressive architecture and a city centre replete with…
Stan & Ollie (movie)
Edition 29 November, by James Luxford While the story of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy’s latter days as a duo are worth exploring, Stan…
Climate Change in the seventeenth century (book)
Edition 29 November 2018, by Benjamin Roberts When climate change is mentioned, we often believe it is a modern phenomenon. However, during the late…
Hals meets Manet, Singer Sargent and van Gogh
The sensational major exhibition Frans Hals and the Moderns in the Frans Hals Museum will be the first time that Frans Hals’ paintings have…
ROMANIA100 – #RO2019EU – from great opportunity to great responsibility
Edition 29 November 2019, by Nanda Jagusiak-Monteiro Nanda Jagusiak-Monteiro interviews the Ambassador of Romania, H.E. Mrs. Brândusa Predescu Former positions of Mrs Predescu include…
The government’s new tax plan for 2019: what does it mean for expats and in general?
Edition 29 November 2019, by Jeroen Spangenberg Expats that fulfill certain criteria are entitled to a 30% reduction in their taxable income, as well…
Dutch Design Week Eindhoven
Edition 29 November 2019, by Phoebe Potter To add to Eindhoven’s already illustrious record as a city close to the centre of the design…
Birds killed by wind turbines: time to act?
Edition 29 November 2018, by Femke van Iperen Dutch researchers are gathering data on the migratory routes of birds in order to help mitigate…
Opening of IT Campus Rotterdam
Edition 29 November 2018, by Marla Thomson On Monday, October 29, 2019, the IT Campus at Rotterdam’s RDM (Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij or Rotterdam Dry…
Will the Netherlands become Europe’s new financial centre after Brexit?
Edition 29 November 2018, by Sagar Harinarayan At the moment, Brexit is the biggest source of uncertainty in the European financial sector. In case…
A Dutch Christmas: 2018 winter events
Edition 29 November, by Bárbara Luque There’s no question the Dutch know how to keep their spirits warm in the cold winter days. In…
Two hospitals declared bankrupt in one week
Written by Stephen Swai It is the end of the road for two hospitals, MC Slotervaart and IJsselmeer Hospitals, after both were declared bankrupt…
Labor shortage is on the rise
Edition 30 September, by Stephen Swai xWith business confidence on its highest level since the end of 2008, companies in the Netherlands are struggling to…
Are ethnic minorities at a disadvantage in the labor market?
Edition 30 September, by Geetanjali Gupta Imagine dreaming of a big future with a great job and financial freedom, only to realize that it will…
Narco state: is the Netherlands the new Colombia?
Edition 30 September, by Bárbara Luque Alanís The title of world champion of drugs is not one that the Netherlands wanted. Is it fair to…
Is this the end of the tax on dividend?
The Dutch dividendbelasting (dividend tax) is about to be abolished and the country is up in arms. Prime Minister Mark Rutte called the measure…
Unvaccinated children might be refused by childcare organizations
Edition 30 September, by Juan Álvarez Umbarila An initiative bill has been proposed in parliament that would allow childcare organizations to refuse unvaccinated children…
Wilders cancels cartoon contest after uproar
Edition 30 September 2018, Johannes Visser He did it again. Eminent agitator Geert Wilders has made a big splash and upset lots of people, while…
Cabinet does not follow up on its promises to students
Edition 30 September 2018, by Marla Thomson Promises made by the government to Dutch students in 2015, when it abolished the student scholarship grant and…
‘Lawless urban jungle’
Edition 30 September 2018, by Femke van Iperen Mayor Halsema ready to tackle overcrowding in Amsterdam nightlife districts The recently-appointed Mayor of Amsterdam Femke…
Trend continues: another mayor threatened in the Netherlands
Edition 30 September 2018, by Jeroen Spangenberg The mayor of the municipality of Laarbeek in Brabant province, Frank van der Meijden, received death threats…
Trendy accommodations
Edition 30 September, by Phoebe Potter With the wealth of interesting and varied locations for events on offer in the Netherlands, wading through these…
Expat Ruminations by Rajeev Poduval
Rajeev Poduval is an Indian American journalist currently based in Amsterdam. He most recently reported for The Washington Times, The Christian Science Monitor and…
Tourists flock to the Netherlands and the dutch economy reaps the benefits
Edition 30 September, by Lorre Luther Tourism is hot in the Netherlands right now, just ask any resident of Amsterdam. From North Holland to Limburg,…
Experience Leeuwarden-Friesland, European Capital of Culture 2018
The North of the Netherlands is vibrant. Together with the province of Friesland, the city of Leeuwarden bears the honourable title of European Capital…
80 important aquisitions for 40 Dutch museums in a single exhibition
On the initiative of the Rembrandt Association, the Kröller-Müller Museum is organizing the exhibi tion For the love of art. Just once, more than…
Bangladesh – The Netherlands flagship undertaking ‘Bangladesh Delta plan 2100’
Edition 30 September 2018, Sheikh Mohammed Belal, Bangladesh Ambassador to the Netherlands It was nothing short of a sputnik moment for Bangladesh, when the…
Den Haag Cook Book
After the success of their first venture into international foodie territory with The Amsterdam Cook Book Meze Publishing brings their latest ode to the…
Generation Wealth (exposition)
Edition 30 September 2018 What are you really like? And what do gold handbags, gleaming sports cars, glittering jewellery, luxury villas and ‘killer bodies’…
Cielo
Edition 30 September, by Jeroen Spangenberg The film Cielo, produced by filmmaker Alison McAlpine, is about the astonishing Chilean sky that is visible from…
Bel Ami (Restaurant)
Edition 30 September 2018, by Paola Westbeek Entering Bel Ami, situated in Bussum and just half an hour away from Amsterdam, always feels like meeting…
A new queen in the making?
Edition 30 September 2018, by John Mahnen In the Netherlands, we have a strange relationship with our sporting heroes. Most sporting legends can sit in a restaurant…
Air France-KLM Group: bad marriage or rough patch?
Edition 30 October 2018. by Benjamin B. Roberts In today’s aviation industry, it’s a doggy-dog world. With the budget airline Ryanair, a one-way ticket…
Royalty and the UN, the two phases of Queen Máxima
Edition 30 October 2018, by Bárbara Luque Alanís Queen Máxima has been working a side job for several years now. Since 2009, apart from…
Mark Rutte’s speech at the UN General Assembly
Edition 30 October 2018, by Juan Álvarez Umbarila Last September, the 73rd General Assembly of the United Nations took place in New York. Like…
Eligibility period for the 30% tax rule decreased from eight to five years
Edition 30 October 2018, by Lorre Luther On Prinsjesdag 2018, the Dutch government announced an important change in the duration of the 30% tax…
Ghandi March marked International Day of Non-Violence in The Hague
Edition 30 October 2018, by Nanda Jagusiak-Monteiro in cooperation with the Indian Embassy Many hundreds of different nationalities and ages including over 20 Ambassadors…
Webshops are poorly accessible for the blind and visually impaired
Edition 30 October 2018, by Phoebe Potter A major new study commissioned by the Dutch Institute for Human Rights has uncovered major flaws in…
Large-scale attack by terrorists foiled
Edition 30 October 2018, by Sagar Harinarayan On Thursday 4 October, seven men were detained by police in Arnhem and Weert on suspicion of…
Ryanair temporarily closes its Eindhoven Airport base
Edition 30 October 2018, by Marla Thomson The Irish budget airline Ryanair announced on October 1 that it would be closing its base at…
The Netherlands is leading the way in artificial intelligence
Edition 30 October 2018, by Anastasiia Myronenko It has become an essential part of our everyday life. It makes everything easier, faster, more efficient….
Refugees in front of the classroom
Edition 30 October 2018, by Lorre Luthe Last month, fifteen highly-educated refugees from Syria, Uzbekistan, Sudan and elsewhere found themselves back in the classroom….
Expat Ruminations by Rajeev Poduval
Edition 30 October 2018 Rajeev Poduval is an Indian American journalist currently based in Amsterdam. He most recently reported for The Washington Times, The…
Higher education in the Netherlands
Edition 30 October 2018, by Femke van Iperen Great possibilities for expats wishing to further their education Known for being the first non-English-speaking country…
Booming economy, more money in your pocket
Edition 30 October 2019, by Johannes Visser The economy is booming, unemployment is down and the Dutch public will get to spend on average…
New Malaysia with many new great opportunities
Edition 30 October 2018, by Nanda Jagusiak-Monteiro Nanda Jagusiak-Monteiro interviews the Ambassador of Malaysia, H.E. Mr. Ahmad Nazri Yusof Former posts: Mission at the…
Amsterdam contemporary art front-runner
Seventh edition of Amsterdam Art Weekend from 22 – 25 November Throughout the Amsterdam Art Weekend, from 22-25 November, Amsterdam is all about contemporary…
Path to the Present (exhibition)
Edition 30 October 2018, by Benjamin Roberts Today in the Netherlands, one of the most secular countries in Europe, there are more than 2…
SpanishJamon company (food)
SpanishJamon.company is the importer for the Netherlands of Spanish products like Oliveoil and the best Alioli. The company has his own stock in Zandvoort,…