How to spend your free time
How to spend your free time when working in The Netherlands
What can you do in your free time in The Netherlands when the weather gets colder? It's time for new experiences: try traditional food and drinks. You can also visit museums or go to the cinema. Here are our recommendations to get the most out of your time in The Netherlands.
Let's start with a hearty meal!
Due to its rich history of travel and international trade, the culinary influences of The Netherlands are old, and most Dutch dishes are inspired in some way by the countries they came into contact with.
The recipes that have gained popularity and become traditional Dutch dishes are usually hot and sturdy dishes, which were eaten hot in the winter. The favorite ingredients were generally those grown on local farms, and the food was smoked, dried, or pickled for storage in the winter.
Here's what we recommend you try.
Stamppot
Stamppot is one of the simplest Dutch dishes. It is very similar to the Belgian dish Stoemp, following the same principle: mashed potatoes mixed with other vegetables and served with smoked sausage and sauce. The vegetables that the Dutch choose to add to the mashed potatoes are carrots and onions, kale, sour sauerkraut, or endive.
Pea / snert soup
It is a thick, thick soup to which sausages and vegetables are added. It is often consumed in the winter. One day after cooking, the soup thickens even more, and more meat is added. This makes it snert.
Hutspot
Mashed potatoes, carrots, and onions are often eaten in winter, usually with meat.
Bitterballen
To translate them, ad litteram would mean "bitter balls." They are not bitter, but meatballs, usually made of minced beef or veal, mixed with spices, wrapped in a crust of breadcrumbs, and fried. It is most often eaten with mayonnaise or mustard.
Brown bean soup
A typical winter soup is prepared slowly, for many hours, with brown beans, vegetables, and various types of meat and spices such as cloves, juniper berries, and thyme.
Pancakes
Dutch pancakes are very large and are usually eaten for dinner rather than breakfast. Pancakes are often served with a variety of fillings, ranging from syrup, powdered sugar, and apples to cheese, spinach, and bacon.
The famous Dutch beer
After so many goodies, a beer is like a blessing!
Eating traditionally in The Netherlands without accompanying the menu with a beer is like riding a bicycle without pedals. The Netherlands has a long tradition of brewing beer and lots of assortments.
Beer has been quite important in Dutch culture since the Middle Ages, being the most popular alcoholic beverage in The Netherlands.
If you order a beer from a coffee shop, it is often served by the pint. The perfect beer is considered to have a two-finger-thick foam layer and is generally served cold.
Popular types of Dutch beer
Some beers are more popular than others in The Netherlands. Pale lager is a favorite and one of the largest export products in the country. The Dutch also prefer white beer and seasonal beers.
Pale lager (pils)
Pale lager, called pils in Dutch, is without a doubt one of the most popular beers among the Dutch. Pale lager is a very pale to golden lager beer, fermented at the base, developed in the middle of the 19th century. Heineken and Grolsch are, in particular, well-known Dutch brands of pale lager.
White beer (witbier)
White beer, called witbier in Dutch, is a beer with superior fermentation, traditionally made with 50% raw wheat. It's called "white beer" because when it's cold, it looks white or cloudy due to wheat protein and suspended yeast. Although white beers are available throughout the year in The Netherlands, they are most popular during the summer.
Seasonal beer
Dutch breweries also produce seasonal beers, which are only offered for a short period. Their aroma often matches the type of weather in their season. The best-known seasonal beers in The Netherlands are her stook (autumn) and lentebok (spring).
Museums
Now that you've eaten and drunk, you have enough energy for a museum tour. Here is a list of some of the most interesting and popular museums in Amsterdam that you should visit.
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
The Rijksmuseum is the largest museum in The Netherlands, with over one million visitors a year. This museum is a true landmark in the cultural and historical landscape of Amsterdam. You will have a vast foray into the history of the Middle Ages until 1945. The most beautiful route is considered to be in the Golden Age, i.e., the seventeenth century.
Location: Stadhouderskade 42, Museum Quarter.
Van Gogh Museum
The museum houses almost 200 paintings and 550 sketches depicting Van Gogh at different times in his life. Also found here are hundreds of letters written by Van Gogh to his brother Theo. The main attraction remains the work of Van Gogh, from the dark landscapes to the Impressionist period and the peak of his career, represented by the visionary Mediterranean atmosphere.
Location: Paulus Potterstraat 7, Museum Quarter.
Houseboat Museum
Have you ever wondered what it's like to live right on the canals of Amsterdam? Here you have the chance to visit a former fishing vessel, which, although no longer used as a dwelling, looks like the owner could return at any moment.
Location: Prinsengracht, opposite 296.
Tulip Museum
A small and friendly museum about the tulip—the flower that represents the symbol of Holland. This museum is located just beyond the bridge that separates Anne Frank's House. Here you can find interesting multimedia presentations about the history of the tulip, its cultivation, and the speculation with tulip bulbs from the 17th century (called the "tulip mania"). You can also buy rare tulip bulbs and many other decorative flowers from the museum store.
Location: Prinsengracht 112
Coffee and Tea Museum
Above the charming old shop selling freshly ground coffee and tea is a small museum dedicated to these two liqueurs. The store, which has been owned by the Geels family for almost 150 years, is located on a busy street on the edge of the Red Lantern District. This collection was organized by coffee and tea lovers. Since the Coffee and Tea Museum is run by volunteers, you can only visit it on Saturday afternoons. It's interesting to visit, especially for coffee fans.
Van Loon Museum
An impressive patrician-style house by the canal, right in the center of Amsterdam. Here you have the unique opportunity to visit a house still owned by the Van Loon aristocratic family, who decided to open the house to visitors. A private museum provides documents on the life of the nobility in Amsterdam.
Location: Keizersgracht 672
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
In Dam Square, close to the Royal Palace, you will recognize the Madame Tussauds by the crowd of visitors in front of it. In the museum, you will have the opportunity to meet Princess Diana, Elvis, Madonna, Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Einstein, Monalisa, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, and even Barack Obama.
Location: Dam Square
The Heineken experience
No visit is complete without taking a quick look inside one of the most famous breweries in the world: Heineken. Here you can find out everything you need to know about the history of beer production and its brewing process, from start to finish.
Location: Stadhouderskade 78
Important! The museum card can be used to visit over 400 museums in The Netherlands and can be redeemed here: https://www.museum.nl/en/museum-helmond
A lot is happening in The Netherlands.
If you want to try something new, keep an eye on the events that are taking place. You can see festivals, shows, fairs, and exhibitions in areas you don't even think about. You can keep up to date with them by visiting this site: https://www.iamexpat.nl/lifestyle/expat-events-festivals
How do you go about living these experiences without taking a vacation?
Simple! You choose to work in The Netherlands through DB Work. The working conditions are good, and the schedule is such that you have time to rest, relax, and explore.
Over 1100 Romanians already work through DB. Work in The Netherlands in the naval, industrial, logistics, and construction fields.
As a DB Work employee, you receive free advice on choosing a job, free accommodation and international transport, as well as local transport (from accommodation to work by car). Check the list of available positions and see what suits you.
At DB Work, you have a multitude of job offers abroad to choose from. You should also know that you can opt for a job abroad, in countries such as The Netherlands, Belgium, or Germany.
The recruitment process is simple and quick, and the interview also includes a counseling stage. For any questions, you can contact DB Work recruiters either by email at job@dbwork.com
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