Netherlands: Culture and Arts

Think of the Netherlands and art and you will doubtless think of Rembrandt, Vermeer, Frans Hals and Van Gogh. You will have plenty of opportunities to see these Dutch masters on a cultural holiday in the Netherlands, as there are many Dutch museums dedicated just to them. You will find many of their 17th century paintings are displayed in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, but there are also many places throughout the Netherlands where Dutch art can be seen.

However, do not think that great Dutch art is confined to the 17th century, it actually encompasses everything from graffiti to works by the masters; both inside the museums and galleries and out on the streets. It is vibrant and still very much alive, as are all of the arts in the Netherlands. Amsterdam, for example, is a city of less than one million residents but has over 50 theatres and cinemas, two ballet troupes, a symphony orchestra, and numerous museums. The Leidesplein is the theatre district of Amsterdam. Many of the numerous cinemas are themed in that each shows a certain type of film - art house, film noir, or English language. Most films are screened in their original language, with the sub-titles in Dutch.

Many Dutch theatres carry the best and latest in operas, symphonies, dances, and various other concerts. Other Dutch towns and cities too are rich repositories for the arts. Rotterdam has its own orchestra, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, and is also the home of the Rotterdam Academy of Fine Arts. The Hague has spawned many cultural figures and continues to host a wide variety of galleries, museums and performing arts - from Golden Earring to the Residentie Orkest,and Jan Vermeer to Mondriaan. If you want a cultural holiday, then you will not be disappointed in the Netherlands!