Moving to the Netherlands from Australia

The Netherlands is a beautiful country with numerous natural sites and attractions, including canals. Over the centuries, the Dutch built a series of canals, dams, dikes and pumping stations to keep the North Sea from washing away the Netherlands, for which the country is now well known for. 

Before these water management systems were built, man power and horsepower were used to drain the land, later replaced by windmills. The Kinderdijk-Elshout windmill network is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and consists of 19 windmills and 3 pumping stations, with bike and walking paths making the network accessible to visitors accessing the museum. 

Transport around the country mainly consists of bicycles, with nearly three times as many bicycles as there are cars. 

The Dutch take a great pride in their cultural heritage and traditions, with the government heavily subsidizing the arts, which can be attributed to the significant arts industry. 

Dutch cuisine includes many individual dishes such as filled pancakes, bankets (an almond paste filled treat), oliebollen (a deep friend pastry dusted with sugar) and a variety of cheeses such as Edam and Gouda.

Tourism is an important part of the economy for the Netherlands, with visitors attracted by Dutch art, architecture and flowers. Tulips are a major industry, with the nation producing billions of bulbs annually, a considerably larger amount than any other country. The historic Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum, Markthal shopping mall, Mauritshuis Royal Picture Gallery and Van Gogh Museum are some drawcards for tourists and visitors to the country.