The Netherlands is a little over 41 thousand square kilometres (or 16 thousands miles), roughly the size of Vancouver Island.
A few hundred years ago the country was even smaller. It lies at the western edge of Europe, where large rivers flow into the North Sea. Much of the country is very low land and often flooded. In fact, most of the country is below sea level. At its lowest point, The Netherlands - which means ‘Low Lands’ - is an amazing 7 meters (20’) below sea level.
The Elfstedentocht (Eleven cities tour) is a historic long-distance tour skating event, almost 200 kilometres (120 mi) long, which is held both as a speed skating competition and a leisure tour in the province of Friesland in the north of the Netherlands. As a child, I remember that skating tour being legendary, almost mystical. Now, you can also hike that legendary route through a typical Dutch landscape.
There might not be a better herald of Spring than tulips. Once tulips raise their pointy green hats from the still frozen ground, we know there is hope.
Tulips originally came from Turkey and Persia in the late 1500’s to the Netherlands. When we were in Turkey we visited the palace of the very Sultan who gifted the first tulips ever to arrive in the Netherlands. What started with one bulb is now a major export industry. And the most famous garden to see Dutch tulips in all their glory is called The Keukenhof (the kitchen garden).
Spain has its Camino de Santiago. Canada has the Trans-Canada Trail. Peru boasts the Inca Trail. The Netherlands has the Pieterpad.
Many of our trips focus on hiking. Kees is the true long-distance hiker in this family, thriving on long days on a trail and a pack on his back. He walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain twice. In this post we’ll share with you one of his favourite long distance trails: the path of St. Peter, or ‘Pieterspad’ in Dutch.
