American Reacts to How the Netherlands is Insanely Well Designed

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[@TTTzzzz]

A few fun facts. In the Netherlands there are no pot holes, recycled sewer water is 100% drinkable, nobody wears bike helmets, you can speak English 90% of the time, their pancakes are great and they're very friendly and welcoming. (except in Amsterdam centre which is a hell hole tourist trap).

[@rasenche4562]

Sounds like you avoid side roads that farmers use alot. But yes outside of those roads road maintainance is pretty Quick at filling those back up

[@TTTzzzz]

@@rasenche4562 The side roads I ride are very wel kept in 'de Achterhoek'. Sand roads do have holes but that is kind of 'natural'.

[@wizardflaps]

@@rasenche4562 Den Haag calling. Roadworks are constant haha

[@GiblixStudio]

agreed. if anyone ever visits the Netherlands... get out of Amsterdam asap and visit other places in the country

[@olli1068]

Can't fully agree, a few people do wear helmets when riding a bike: German tourists (of course) but also some dutch when riding racing bicycles.

[@KiRbYs84]

German here. I am lucky enough to live right on the Dutch border. In this way I benefit from the advantages of both countries. the Dutch come over to shop, fill up with gas and visit restaurants. We, on the other hand, often spend our holidays on the Dutch North Sea. and many cities are well worth seeing. We love the Netherlands!

[@dtch1810]

Bratkartoflen mit schnitzel hmmmm.... Bad Bentheim 25 min from where I lived😂

[@psyched91]

Cheaper fuel and Kaufland ftw :)

[@ardianworld4129]

We love you Germans for the great supermarkets, food and Christmas markets

[@dtch1810]

And the bradwurst!!😊

[@danamehr995]

And we love Germany! I live near the boarder as well (in the Netherlands) and I love to come over and eat some schnitzel 😂

[@leon_vhg]

Living in the Netherlands myself, I never quite understand why foreign tourists always want to come to Amsterdam. There are so many other cities that represent the Netherlands better, such as Utrecht, The Hague or smaller cities like Dordrecht, Gorinchem and Delft.

[@hansd3295]

I agree with you ! There are much nicer, quieter, cheaper cities than Amsterdam in the Netherlands! I live one hour from Amsterdam, but have not been there for 10 years! I can heartily recommend the next cities: Gouda, Nijmegen, Dordrecht, Utrecht, Groningen, Maastricht, Haarlem, Delft, Leeuwarden, Den Bosch, Alkmaar, Middelburg, Vlissingen, Amersfoort

[@kajlovich]

I think Amsterdam has its own merits and is definitely worth a visit, but (as goes for many European capital cities) doesn't really represent what the country is like. To really visit the Netherlands you need to look beyond Amsterdam, but that doesn't mean that Amsterdam isn't an interesting city for visitors.

[@TTTzzzz]

They are told to visit A'dam.

[@resi3794]

or Maastriht the most beautifull 1 in the country

[@strange4you]

true.....

[@marcusfranconium3392]

When katrina hit new orleans , they contacted the dutch to give advice on how to , american army engineers said it was impossible to close of a bussy river, The dutch showed what they have done with the busiest seaport of europe , 2 massive doors that close when severe storms approach , they build what the dutch suggested and on dams levees dykes etc , the americans thought well we dont want to pay for to much so they left over a space and used their own dumb nitwith ways . and look , the parts the dutch gave advice on stayed dry no floods , the parts the americans made a plan got swamped with water. 1 time 50 bilion investment or 14 bilion in damages every year . your choice.

[@vaudevillian7]

They do seem to struggle with long-term thinking

[@autohmae]

@@vaudevillian7 They do seem to struggle with -long-term- thinking ;-) Seriously, if you aren't thinking long term, maybe just haven't done enough thinking.

[@jeanpierreviergever1417]

The Dutch understand the risks and what is at stake and gladly pay tax for that. Americans not so much. They’d ideally privatise such infrastructure works, everyone his own dam….

[@GiblixStudio]

Well for a capitalist nation they sure are wasteful with money due to lack of long term thinking and actually understanding the basic concept of Return of Investment... :D

[@henkheemskerk4437]

The Americans always do@@vaudevillian7

[@JoeriBlomberg]

"If there's any Dutch people watching..." Don't worry. If you put The Netherlands in the title of your video, us Dutchies swarm together like flies!

[@01adhdave]

🤣

[@johnatkins-qn2lk]

Not Dutch myself, but English, and have lived here for 35 years ! The Delta works are indeed amazing. Wait until you see one of those bike parks close up. You'll be amazed !

[@Johnjohnthejohn]

The moment u live 2 days in the Netherlands, u are Dutch my friend. Welcome.

[@pe1pqx321]

@@Johnjohnthejohn Nope, only if you eat 'stroopwafels', 'drop', 'zoute haring' or know where to find 'hunnenbedden'. ;)

[@timcostam2309]

@@pe1pqx321 Yes, that's right, only Dutch people like drop it is really very tasty. And if you go on holiday to the Netherlands, you must also visit the Hunnenbedden in Drenthe, which tourists often forget. And if you are in Drenthe, you will immediately notice that it is a lot quieter and more spacious in the east of the Netherlands than in the west of the Netherlands. That's why I love living in the east of the Netherlands close to the German border

[@pe1pqx321]

@@timcostam2309 I live in Emmen (South-East Drenthe), actually born and raised there. So I live less than 20km from the German border and less than 2 km from a 'Hunebed'. I do not like 'stroopwafels', 'drop' or 'Zoute Haring', but I can find a few 'hunebedden' around Emme. By the way: Drenthe has the most amount of Hunnenbedden of our country.. nearly 60! For those who do not know what a Hunebed is: it is a megalithic era burial site/tomb, also known as 'dolmen'.

[@timcostam2309]

@@pe1pqx321 I have lived all my life in a small village called 'Bergentheim', about half an hour's drive from Emmen and within cycling distance of the German border. By drop I meant that no foreigner likes drop. At least I've never come across one :)

[@jilfenrenar]

You talked about commuting larger distances in the US than in the Netherlands. That's true but although I'm Dutch my commuting distance is also too long, but one does not only travel to work but also going grocery shopping, visiting friends, going to the gym etc. Those are the times I use a bike, not a car. And that's almost impossible in North America (US and Canada). If you want to learn more about that there's a great channel called "Not just bikes" about urban planning.

[@wingedyera]

For the longer distances we can use our public transport (which sadly has gotten more expensive and in my opinion worse) and we go to those bus and trains stations with our bikes!

[@leestevens4250]

Hi Joel, a few years ago I had to attend a couple of academic conferences in the Netherlands and I had a fantastic time staying at nice beach towns like Nordwijk an Zee and on my second trip I stayed at another beach town called Scheveningen next to The Hague, NL. Since I was at a conference, I was invited to a day-long boat ride to the Delta Works which protected the coastal areas from being inundated by the North Sea. I was also invited to a nice dinner trip to Rotterdam where we ate at a "rijsttafel" which is an Indonesian style of cooking which the Dutch inherited from their Colonial past. In English, rijsttafel translates to “rice table.” It is both a meal and style of eating that can feature up to forty Indonesian dishes from across the archipelago served simultaneously to families or small groups. It was fantastic! Also, because public transportation is so good in the Netherlands, I was able to travel all around Amsterdam and I took a couple of river boat cruises which were incredible! The architecture in Amsterdam is just incredible, as is the easy access from coastal areas to the area's famous Canals. I also had business in Paris, so I took a high-speed train there from Amsterdam and had the time of my life. From Paris, I went to Strasbourg, France which is where the seat of the European Parliament is located (and in my case, I needed to visit the HQ of the European Science Foundation, also in Strasbourg. All were very memorable destinations which I highly recommend! -- Lee

[@commandbrawler9348]

noordwijk aan zee* u mean

[@leestevens4250]

@@commandbrawler9348 It's very possible that I made a typo. The important point is that I loved my trips to the Netherlands, I greatly enjoyed the people and I would highly recommend a visit to anyone who wants to go there. The Netherlands is a fantastic place, and one of the (many) big surprises I found were the TV stations that broadcast from the middle of the Channel, which helps to explain why so many Dutch people have incredible fluency in English! It surprised me in a very positive way. :D

[@biankakoettlitz6979]

This delta works you also could have seen in Hamburg or much better on the coast of the North Sea or Islands/Halligen , that's why I stress to go to the northern part of Germany 😀

[@commandbrawler9348]

@@leestevens4250 yeah i see that, but u didnt correct it in ure comment. second, i am from the netherlands!. third: our fluency in english could also be explaind in the fact that dutch is the link between german and english (dutch evolved from the west germanic languages and eventualy shaped the english language!

[@apveening]

@@commandbrawler9348 "noordwijk aan zee* u mean" When you correct someone, please do so correctly, including capitals (Noordwijk aan Zee).

[@urbandiscount]

I was born in Noordoostpolder, where my father, a civil engineer, was involved in the expansion of what was then "Noordoostpolder" and now is Emmeloord, its central town. Do consider visiting and -like you did in Germany - not sticking to Amsterdam, but traveling beyond. NL is so small and you can get everywhere by train from Amsterdam in about 2 hours, usually under 1 hour traveltime.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

Except for Maastricht. Which is a beautiful destination also. The only not flat part of the Netherlands.

[@Julia-lk8jn]

_"God schiep de aarde, maar de Hollanders schiepen Holland..."_ I love that little bit of national pride, because it is so very justified. I guess nothing motivates you quite like knowing that your engineering skills is all that there is between you and your home town rejoining the ocean floor ;) And I love cycling in the Netherlands, the landscape is usually beautiful and the cycling lanes tend to be in top condition, which makes it so pleasant to get some exercise on my way to shopping at Action.

[@normora5857]

I've just spent 10 days in the Netherlands and it was fantastic. I started in Tilburg (I went there for a concert) and ended up in the city of Groningen to meet some friends. I travelled through 8 provinces (Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Flevoland, Gelderland, Noord-Holland, Friesland, Groningen, Drenthe), making a conscious decision to detour Amsterdam. I met some of the kindest and friendliest people I'd ever seen, saw a lot of beautiful places and there were zero communication problems (I had learned some Dutch, but when I got stuck I just switched to English). I already want to go back.

[@dukejohn5608]

Ayreon?

[@normora5857]

Exactly. It was amazing. How do you know?@@dukejohn5608

[@Haroekoe]

Visit Zuid Holland! Rotterdam is my hometown. For some reason Delft was popular for my American relatives when they visited me.

[@rebelwyc]

Glad to hear you enjoyed our country! Like the previous commenter I would definitely recommend you to also come and visit Zuid-Holland (Rotterdam, Delft, Den Haag). Rotterdam is cosmopolitan and the most modern city of The Netherlands with a unique vibe. It has many expats living there, but still kept its Dutch identity. Everyone's friendly and 'nuchter' ('come as you are').😊

[@leonvanpetegem1663]

@@HaroekoeDelft is a good city I am in biking distance for it and it has a beautiful old city and the university Ofcourse

[@klaus2t703]

Watching your reaction ... we can clearly see that once you had your Europe experience - you want to learn more about foreign countries - and how living is there. So go on: you are young and free. And when you visit the Netherlands, you already know that it´s easy to visit the bordering countires within hours.

[@micade2518]

Let's hope he better prepares his next trip!

[@jelledittmar]

Nice video! I live on that reclaimed piece of land called the Noordoostpolder, and to me it always felt like the normallest thing in the world. But when I visted the US last year, and told people I lived around 16 feet under sea level, they were completley in shock. Also a fun thing to notice, is that the Noordoostpolder is not even 80 years old, meaning it has never been occupied by the Germans, French, Spanish, or Romans

[@rascalnz9983]

Joel - think big! Two boys I know decided to visit Europe. They travelled 10,000 km by bike taking 6 months and visiting more than 20 countries. The boys were aged 12 and 14. They did all the planning and organizing, including budgeting. They took their mom and dad with them who supplied the cash. The family lives in Canada. The "little one", as he was known in Portugal and Albania, was responsible for their tour in Copenhagen, on their cycling "rest day". Out of consideration of those who might want to sleep in (mom!) they did not start until 8 am. The schedule ran until 9 PM. There were 4 scheduled meal breaks but otherwise no down time. A five-star day, apparently.

[@Biomirth]

As a former teacher of those ages, this is by far the best way to educate in general with them: Get them to take on all the responsibility they can handle and support them in that, fairly. Logistics of traveling is especially good on all fronts, educationally, from logic to geography to social skills to financial planning, history, record keeping, just everything!

[@ChristiaanHW]

if you want to find out a bit more about the Delta Works system, the video: How the Dutch Created The Netherlands. from the channel Geography Geek. has a great one. it talks about why The Netherlands decided to build it, how it was build and the different parts of it. and the channel Megaprojects has a good one about it to.

[@lisawensink6906]

Hi!, I'm a Dutch myself and I really enjoy watching other people react to videos like these, if you enjoy watching these type of videos about the infrastructure and culture then a channel called "Not Just Bikes" is maybe worth a try!

[@meri2604]

yes, you should really visit the Netherlands. It's really beautiful there. Germany is also very beautiful. both countries are quite different. I live in Cologne and sometimes go to the Netherlands for the weekend.

[@amrastheluckywoof5524]

If you ever want to visit the place with the many old dredge windmills, it's called Kinderdijk, and it's located near Rotterdam. And the Delta Works, especially the big storm surge barriers like the Oosterscheldedam or the two Eiffeltower sized barriers in the Nieuwe Waterweg waterway, are worth visiting. Fun fact, every year there is a national championship "headwind cycling", which is held on the Oosterscheldedam.

[@darkknight8139]

I love your reaction when the video mentions the 12500 bikes in the parking garage :) I live nearby, it is really huge and has an official bike lane right through the parking garage. If you ever visit The Netherlands, please remember that Amsterdam is a great place for tourists, but it is not comparable to the rest of the country. This is said about most capital cities, but the difference between Amsterdam and the rest of the country is more extreme than average, if you ask me. Go visit Utrecht, Haarlem, The Hague and Leiden, and don't forget smaller cities like Maastricht or Groningen if you have time, and the many great nature parks like the Veluwe.

[@flintlock539]

Hi Joel , I enjoyed watching this video. The Dutch border is only 15 km away from my house .I often go to Holland. I visited Delta Works (Pierre)

[@johnl7710]

I am from uk but I used to travel to the Netherlands regularly for work ( before stupid Brexit) and pleasure. I will tell you the Netherlands and the Dutch people are both fantastic and I would move there tomorrow if I could.

[@rebelwyc]

We are sad about Brexit, but you are very welcome! 😊

[@leonvanpetegem1663]

As a Dutchy I notice we are more greedy and selfish than others so I an curious how you got that view on it

[@biancawichard4057]

you should check out not just bikes where an canadian expat compares and explains traffic and life situation with usa and canada. if you come to the netherlands don't stay in amsterdam. go to haarlem get a hotel there and take a train (15 -20 minutes travel time) to amsterdam. haarlem is a small version of amsterdam, without all the tourists and very much cheaper. and if you want to visit anne franck house and van gogh museum make sure you make a reservation long in advance or cancell them from your itinerary. you can hire bikes for a very low price. btw if you come to the netherlands you might think of it not sharing the trip with germany so you can explore more of the country and yes amsterdam should be included but for a very short time there are so many great places in the country (include the magnificent systems from the floodprotection)| and with the good transportation system you can cruise around the entire country easily. highways dont have biking infrastructure cause they are forbidden for bikes. if you think there are no bikes stolen in the netherlands think again. in amsterdam alone around 15.000 bikes are stolen each year. love your videos and your interest in other places than the us alone

[@honolulualex]

Yeah, he should definetly watch NotJustBikes!

[@apveening]

Please use capitals (where appropriate).

[@rebelwyc]

​@@apveeningIn Dutch we would say: "azijnpisser". 😊

[@apveening]

@@rebelwyc Moet je nu echt na al die tijd nog die slak met zout martelen? De Nederlandse uitdrukking daarvoor is mierenneuker.

[@markvanderknoop131]

For 30 mile trip we use a bike to get to the trainstation and an other bike to get from the trainstatio to the office.

[@dakdf]

Before I see this video I have to say the Netherlands are awesome !! Everytime I been there I'm enjoyed it to the fullest ! 👍👍👍

[@lowlandtech]

You can rent a bike at most major train stations using your card, you will recognize them from their yellow a blue colors like the trains.

[@petrapap]

living in rural Netherlands here. i work 60km from my home. i could drive there, yes, but i choose to bike to the next village with a train station, take a train (30 minutes drive, every 15 minutes!) and then take my other bike in the city i work at and bike 10 minutes to work. The trains are mostly punctual and comfy, there's wifi on them, so instead of driving on the highway, i'm comfortably sitting, reading, working. i takes about 15 minutes more than it would by car, but also Dutch companies compensate their coworker for taking public transport to work and not use fossil fuel. plus i wanted to mention that this country is really flat, so despite the crazy wind and rain, it's still easy to cycle

[@in551125do]

As a Dutchie who used to live in your country (NYC) , I think you would love visiting the Netherlands. Besides Amsterdam there are a lot of wonderful places to explore.......hope you'll make it one day, good luck....!!

[@Man-in-the-green]

Why? Every toerist wants to go to Amsterdam. Why is this so hard to understand.

[@v.legras5663]

I love that you complement every Dutch person, I am Dutch and I had nothing to do with any of this and I don’t know anyone that did😂 but thanks I guess

[@improvesheffield4824]

I fully recommend you visit Keukenhof Tulip Gardens when the Tulips are in full flower but you would need to time your visit carefully. Mid to late May is usually the best time but it all depends on the weather.

[@johnfrancismaglinchey4192]

I’ve traveled extensively and I have to say,,my absolute favourite is AMSTERDAM.

[@biankakoettlitz6979]

Maybe it's time to evaluate your goals in live and try to move to the county that fits you most.I have done it and it was one of the best choices I've made😃

[@jurgenolivieira1878]

8:56 He missed about half of the Delta Works which are in the north of the country. They started in the 60's and it was officially completed in 2010 believe.

[@micade2518]

To prepare your future trip to Amsterdam and The Netherlands, you might find this interesting (on YT): "Amsterdam" - Rick Steves' Europe "The Netherlands: Beyond Amsterdam" - Rick Steves' Europe

[@yannhollister9091]

i'm french but i'm in love with Germany and The Netherlands. They're just ahead of everyone else for me

[@cartmann227]

Look at Paris, it will be soon the most modern city in Europe!

[@RealConstructor]

Germany is digitally backwards in more than a few areas. Mostly you can apply for something (student loans f.e.) digitally, but at the other end it is printed and filed in a filing folder. So a lot of data is paper and no bits. Paying with cash money is mainstream, paying contactless is not accepted everywhere. All those things are digital in The Netherlands, but here it is difficult for foreigner to pay with credit cards, which aren’t accepted everywhere. We pay with debit cards and mainly use credit cards abroad. While I think our railway system is better than in Germany, trains in our country don’t have line numbers. So we can’t say we take train RE40 to this or that city. And our trains are very expensive because the national railway company doesn’t get subsidies, it has to pay €80 million to the government for using the rail infrastructure. But we have the OV chipcard, a national public transport card, valid in the whole country, for train, metro, tram, bus, waterbus, watertaxi and ferries. Our highway system is the best of Europe, but you can’t drive any faster than 100 kmph, unless it is after 19:00 and before 06:00, then it is possible to drive 120 or 130 kmph. So confusing.

[@anoukvanderheiden248]

Every province has its own charme. You will see that the West, which is most known, is the most modern and crowded, and is a technological hotspot. The north had the most space, is well know for sailing and the people speak their own language (Fries, which they are very protected of). In the east you'll find a lot of farms and old Hanze cities from back in the days. The South has Hills, is very amicable and green. The middle is a sustainable hotspot, most religious and has crazy infrastructure. Just to give some examples. (And yes, offcourse there are other regions too that have these things) I definately would recomment to visit every provice if you visit the Netherlands. I liked this video, a whole lot beter then most, where only stereotypical (Amsterdam) comments are made. I live in the east by the way. I hope, some day, I will find a video of a review of specifically the east. I am very curious about what that does to the stereotypical Dutch vision.

[@MotherGoose264]

Good idea to check out our bigger ,more sensible, brother in the north 😂. It's a rabithole similar to the one on the UK you dove into with great results. They have a Great history and lovely people, ... but dont tell them that 😂, they're already so full of themselves 😂 No worries 😂, i'm belgian and The friendly rivalry and jokes go back and forth, but when it matters we'll always have eachothers back. 😂. Very much like between the Scandinavians, we are "allowed" make fun of eachother, but if an outsider ( for example an American 😅) does it we will close ranks immediately. The lowlands have got to stick together, separating us was a big historical mistake in my book. 🤘❤️🇧🇪🇳🇱

[@ruudvermeij9377]

Haha! I love you Frans 😂

[@leonvanpetegem1663]

❤❤

[@Blackdeath-sj8hq]

living in the east of the netherlands near the german border I can say that if you love nature you should visit the east of the netherlands it's very different from the busy west less population more trees lovely to just bike around and enjoy the scenery

[@leonvanpetegem1663]

Truee especially Veluwe

[@harrickvharrick3957]

The Delta Works were not about (re)claiming land from the water, they solemnly were about a hugely improved standard for protection from excessive floods that under certain extreme conditions (when there is a severe north-western storm combined with high tide this could raise the seawater level up to ten meters higher than a normal flood would sport it as seawater would be forced in from pretty much all of the North Sea by those strong winds). The Delta Works were brought on after such a heavy storm caused the southernmost province to be flooded in 1953 with loss of thousands of lives and all livestock and crops. It involved raising dikes to a considerable height (which of course also required making them wider at the base) and gradually brought on the other waterworks that do get mentioned in the video. The (re)claiming of land from the inland waters and the sea, the largest newly formed landmasses being formed in a former inland sea that also was dammed off in its entirety and turned into a lake, is more historical. It became possible when ways were found to pump water using windmills, and was done by building dikes IN the water outlining the desired surface, consequently pumping out the water, and as far as possible filling it is with as much soil as could be hauled that way. As that last step was the hardest to perform (cause, where to find that much excess soil?) it contributed to the amount of land that sits considerably lower than the average sea(water) level (which is what gets referred to when measurements are done) - many areas being situated up to nearly 7 meters lower. This of course requires continuously pumping up and out excess water to keep these areas dry.

[@KTLam]

Nice vids and reactions! Very nice to see such open and exploration minded Americans. I recommend a video about the Delta Works. Especially the sea barrier Maeslantkering with 2 arms of 210 m long each is impressive. Keep up the good work.

[@mikekelly702]

I lived and worked n Amsterdam for 18 months..and I was amazed that theres more bike traffic there than vehicle traffic here. The problem in the USA tho is NOBODY really cares about this issue and Americans are too comfortable with their cars to try to change things.

[@tlee4218]

If you ever come here, the only reason to drive is to drive over the Delta works. It gives me goose bumps.kippenvel..every time even after living here since 1999. First time was at sunset, driving along the North Sea heading south to Zeeland, taking the scenic route and suddenly in the semi dark you hear the whoosh sound of windmills and suddenly there they are. The Giants. wow wow And you are on Delta…it excites me bc the strength of what is going on is effen fantastic. Do it. It is one of the 7 engineering wonders of the world, rightly so

[@maxnum1sgameclub263]

I can agree with the bike paths as a dutch, and im a “special” case. Due to a bike accident i cant ride a two wheeler anymore. I have a 3 wheeled bike now and even for such a fairly bulky bike (think of it as a microcar size) i cant get everywhere. About public transport here… lets say i can rant about that for hours. But our bike ways are really really good and often wide enough for two of my bikes next to each other ^^.

[@rasenche4562]

We can all rant for ages about our public transport, but in the end if you go on vacation your reminded that comparatifly we got it pretty good here.

[@maxnum1sgameclub263]

@@rasenche4562 hate to admit it but true all the major and minor cities are easy to reach. For work i needed to go to very small villages once per month. For even relative small distances it often took another hour. Lets say i truly hate hourly bus connections…

[@rasenche4562]

@@maxnum1sgameclub263 yeah I hate them to luckily im healthy enough to just walk then. But its deffinitly something where I prefer just lending my familie member car if I know I have to go through it.

[@Kjartan1975]

I really envy the Dutch for their superb cycling paths. Here in Germany it is really annoying sometimes. I really need to do a cycling trip through the Netherlands. I might even cry tears of joy while cycling.🤣

[@ronverhoef]

I'm from rural Netherlands. I teach in a small city but student also come from villages that can be located miles from school. It's not unusual for my students to bike 15 miles to school and later back home. So a lot of cycling. I used to be a racing cyclist (not professionally) so I did ride a lot of bike as well (at my peak about 10.000 miles a year). But hey, you've got Sepp Kuss, right! But I can remember what Andrew Hampsten once said about his hometown, Colombus, Ohio. He remarked that when people saw him training on his bike, they looked at him like they'd seen a grizzly bear. Hampsten by the way is the only American cyclist ever to win the Giro. Kuss won the Vuelta this year, only the second American to do so.

[@leonvanpetegem1663]

We also have a study based on water and how we deal with it it’s called Watermanagement, I am currently doing it and it’s so interesting. You notice a lot of the infrastructure and how well it is actually designed next to other countries

[@berendt87]

4:00 I love your reaction about the bicycle parking of Utrecht Central Station

[@icedogxd7900]

i live in the north of the netherlands and i can get a direct train to schiphol airport. and that train station is literally under the entrance hall of the airport. its great for travel, there is no need to get a car i have to park the whole time i am on vacation somewhere.

[@rasenche4562]

As a dutch person. (Who cycles 25km to Amsterdam for office work when healthy) Yeah size wise you can compare it pretty well to New York. I mean just check the light polution map of the world. Id say we are about just as bad as NYC is. Main reason i know is because i wanted to try sky photography 😢.

[@mavadelo]

Don't know who showed you the picture but it was wrong. The Netherlands is small but still 53 times larger than NYC. In fact it is about the size of the province of Utrecht. (not to be confused with the city of Utrecht) which is still a size that blows my mind. First rule for tourists: Red is Dead. Stay off the bikelanes if you don't cycle. Utrecht is my hometown, if you come to the Netherlands, Amsterdam should definitely be a stop but go to Utrecht, Gronigen, Maastricht and cities like that as well. They are cheaper, more friendly to tourists and absolutely beautiful. And they are distances from AMsterdam that are laughable for an American. "Two words": Not exactly, I would say many words. The Delta Works, the "Afsluitdijk", the coastal dunes system, many many pumping stations. It is not just the Delta Works and Afsluitdijk (although impressive feats) that protect us. You know the slogan "if you build it they will come"? It is the same on KZbin... if you put "the Netherlands" in your title, your audience will be consisting of many many Dutch or as wel like to say COLONISED If you are heading to the Netherlands, always feel free to contact me bia my about and I give you a tour of Utrecht. No fees, no strings

[@rasenche4562]

Yeah if you come here I definitly recommend to not just stay in Amsterdam. As its alot different from the rest of the country. ~een Heemskerker.

[@marktegrotenhuis]

Your second and third sentence don't make sense. How is The Netherlands 53 larger than NYC and NYC about the size of the province of Utrecht?

[@mavadelo]

@@marktegrotenhuis Check the site mapfight, it is a size comparison site for countries and cities. Choose NYC and Netherlands, they overlay NYC on the netherlands. They give 53 times bigger for the Netherlands, if you see the overlay, you will see visually it is about the size of Utrecht. There are other map comparison sites if you don't somehow trust mapfight. I would most likely have responded the same as you had I seen my comment without the visual. I fully agree it sounds bonkers and I admit the Utrecht comment is purely made on that visual cue.

[@neilfleming2787]

lol, I'm just under 6 feet tall and I always felt about average when I worked in Holland. I loved flying into and out of Schipol airport, so easy to get to/from transport. I was working up in the N-E of the country outside Assen and I could fly over from the UK and get a train almost to my home in Assen and the trains are so frequent and comfortable

[@leonvanpetegem1663]

Fun fact we want Schiphol to decrease in size bc it causes a lot of noice pollution and most flights are just a stop to another destination we are just a hub

[@carlabruin4677]

I'm a Dutch person and Yes definitely come to the Nederlands. Every province you go to has something completely different. Amsterdam for the rich history(and the red light district😅, just to have a look😉). Rotterdam(my hometown😊)is always changing. Go to Den Haag You can see where the laws are debated and voting on and justice is served in the most highest causes. Leiden the city for students and where cars are not allowed in the center of the city Those are just a few options in case you come and visit. Peace✌🏾and Stay Healthy😁

[@Man-in-the-green]

Je doet net alsof alleen Rotterdam veranderd en moderniseert. 😂 In Amsterdam wordt 3x zoveel gebouwd. Hele wijken worden uit de grond gestampt. Overhoeks, NDSM, Buikslotermeer, Oostenburg, Sluisbuurt, Hamerkwartier, Bijlmer bajes, Amstelbuurt, Houthavens, Cruquius, Holland Park, Zuidas etc. etc. Maar vooruit het wordt je vergeven als je in Rotterdam woont. 😂

[@leonvanpetegem1663]

I would say Delft is also a good substitute next to Leiden

[@dikkiedik53]

The Zaanse Schans windmills (a few minutes train ride to the North from the centre of Amsterdam) are not for pumping water. It are industrial windmills, pressing oil from seeds, sawing wood, grinding spices and pigments, making hemp stems to lose the fibres and to make canvas for sails. But also producing paper. I recently discovered a business partner (Van der Ley) of an ancestor of mine (Van Someren/Pel) was the owner of the three windmills that produced the paper for the first printed version of the USA Declaration of independence. There is one paper producing windmill left from the era of producing the paper for the printed Declaration of Independence just on the other side of the railroad to Zaanse Schans. Called in Dutch "Papiermolen De Schoolmeester" ( Papermill the Schoolmaster) Dutch and English are sibling languages ;-). It's possible to visit the papermill too. The Zaan region was the first industrial zone in Europe of this scale, with some 800 of those windmills working at the same time. When you visit the Netherlands I'm sure it will be lots of fun.

[@walterheijboer9244]

And there a many trains where you can take your bicycle into the coach. Of course not in the intercity, express trains. You could manage to travle arround The Nertherlads and visit basically the whole country, if you have the available time. Been there many times.

[@robbitter9524]

Hey Joel - you would be more than welcome to visit us for a couple days and we'll show you around in Zeeland (Delta works / coastal defences) before or after you tour the country. Great thing is that you can get anywhere by train and bus in just a few hours travel so we live in the city of Goes in the South West part with all the peninsulas. Just say the word... 🙂

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Suggestion: Michael Downie’s visit to an F1 Stadium in the Netherlands. Relevant in terms of types of transportation available.

[@renevw5812]

The roundabouts in The Netherlands are really amazing, but you have to know the situation to anticipate. Look at the roundabout in Arnhem, that is one of the most difficult roundabouts for starters, haha

[@PokhrajRoy.]

I’m already excited for the Netherlands Vlog. Maybe do a cycling challenge with Dutch viewers.

[@apveening]

ROFLMAO! Next you will enter him into the championship Tegenwindfietsen ;) (Biking against the wind, only held when the wind is at least six on the Beaufort scale).

[@leonvanpetegem1663]

We will instantly win I can zigzag and do every turn with no hands and can catch up to scooters going 45 km ph 30 mph

[@richardmeijer1529]

This video already starts with a huge mistake. The landmass of the Netherlands is 41,850 km², not 41,5 m². This makes the Netherlands the 22nd smallest country, not the 5th smallest.😅

[@DalaiDrama-hp6oj]

Not as bad those mistakes as your's. Here's why: -> they said "square" and wrote 41,5 km² (not m²!) -> that number is without overseas territories, which makes total sense here, showing the mainland and talking about Europe... -> they wrote, that it is ranked 5th in EU in population DENSITY (not size!)

[@richardmeijer1529]

41,5 m² was type mistake. I meant km². 41,850 km² is just The Netherlands in Europe. The overseas territories are a few tiny islands, what would barely make any difference. In the video they said the 5th smallest coutry. Meaning size.

[@richardmeijer1529]

@@DalaiDrama-hp6oj The overseas territories from the Netherlands are not even 41.5 km². Just check the facts on internet, everywhere you can see the landmass of the Netherlands is NOT 41.5 km². They missed a K, as in 41.5K km². Don't try to be smart on the fact I mistakenly wrote m² instead km². The 5th they meant size. With 41.5 km² that could be right. But for a change take a look on the map. South from the Netherlans you will already see 2 smaller countries. Belgium and Luxembourg. They are not in this top 5 smallest countries. 🫠

[@DalaiDrama-hp6oj]

@@richardmeijer1529 It still stays the same, your mistakes do barely change with your long posts. Yes you are right, a "K" was missing, also in the vid. But: 41,543 km² is the size from The EUROPEAN Netherlands only according to Dutch, German AND English sources including the "CIA" 41,850 km² is with the territories Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. So NL overseas territories alone are almost 307 km² 42,508 km² is with Aruba, Curaçao und Sint Maarteen. This is the "Kingdom of The Netherlands" but not "The Netherlands" You see, those Islands DO make a difference after all...

[@DalaiDrama-hp6oj]

@@richardmeijer1529 But worse: Why are you still not able to read the screen at 1:57, even after I literally told you what is written there? It clearly says: EU Countries By POPULATION DENSITY per km²: 1. Monaco 18,960 [...] 5. Netherlands 521

[@alansmithee8831]

Hello Joel. One company I worked for had HQ in Netherlands and I flew from UK to the airport shown and took a double decker train to site. The next company I worked for had offices in Yorkshire and Hastings. The only practical way to get from one to the other was by car. My home city of Bradford is so unlike the flat countryside of Netherlands, you would have to be really athletic to take on the hills on a pedal bicycle, as it is a bowl shaped valley, all uphill from the centre, with a mountain at the far end. When I first went to Lincolnshire, which has its own part called Holland, I felt disoriented, with no points of reference on the horizon.

[@kaelon9170]

5:37 living in Amsterdam myself, I can confidently tell you that Amsterdam is actually the city with the most bike thefts in the world, both in sheer number and per capita. It's pretty much the standard here that everyone locks the bike with a frame lock that stops the rear wheel from spinning, and secures the bike to a fixed object with a cable lock so the bike cannot be carried away. Forget to bring a cable lock or forget to actually use it, and your bike could be gone in minutes. This is not a rare thing either, it happened to me twice where I did use the frame lock, but not the cable lock, popped into a shop for not even two minutes and the bike was gone. I know a lot of freinds that had their bikes stolen multiple times as well.

[@CitizenMio]

Also good to note is that I grew up in the north of the country and rode my bike to school every day (16km in the morning and afternoon) and never had one stolen from me. We didn't have giant bike garages either. Mostly just a bike rack out in the open if there was one at all and using the basic rear wheel lock. Sometimes farmers shared the bike road with us on their tractors, which was a little scary if they were pulling huge machinery. When I moved near Amsterdam I was shocked to learn that my friends didn't even want to leave their locked bikes in their own front gardens far away from the city centre unattended. xD

[@itsleandertv]

I'm Dutch, and I have been watching your videos for a long time now :D

[@marynoonan6111]

Just come back from Amsterdam. Wow, what a fabulous city. It runs like a well oiled machine

[@michelspronk9449]

Visit Maastricht. Yes all Dutch people have at least one bike. I myself have even have 4. Greetings The Netherlands 😊

[@LA-450]

I’m from the Netherlands myself and it’s so funny to see how people are so impressed by our country. For me, as a 15 year old girl, it’s just the country I grew up and it doesn’t feel very special to me anymore. I just wanted to give you guys some nice places if you’re planning to come to the Netherlands: 1. Madurodam in Den Haag: in this open air “museum” you can experience a miniature version of the Netherlands. And after that you can visit Den Haag, which is a beautiful city nearby Rotterdam, the beach of Scheveningen and Amsterdam. 2. This is Holland in Amsterdam: you can experience a spectacular 5D flying experience, soaring over the Dutch must‐see locations. Fly like a bird and marvel at the diversity, beauty and richness of the Netherlands. This is Holland contains 4 shows, including the 9-minute Ultimate 5D Flight Experience. The pre-shows are Dutch spoken with English subtitles. 3. Nationaal Militair Museum in Soesterberg: in this very futuristic museum you can discover our Netherlands military history. I live nearby Soesterberg, and I been to that Museum many times, because it is so impressive, well-designed and informative. Soesterberg is nearby Utrecht in the middle of the Netherlands. Greets from the Netherlands 🇳🇱

[@deneefvanklaas897]

watching this video makes me a proud cheesehead! I'm working as a tour guide and I really see quite a few of the items in this video almost weekly. So if you want to learn more, contact me. And I'm one of those people taking the bike to the station and then the train to Amsterdam.

[@MyKoekebakker]

remember Haywire entering that elders home in prisonbreak.. Thats where you have an stereotypical example of Holland.. The netherlands. That windmill burned in to your soul :)

[@AmelieVeenstra]

Your face expression was priceless when you watched those for me very normal daily life routine. Well Ok, i must admit, it took a while before I find my way in Utrechts huge underground bike parking 😅. Anyhow I live in Rotterdam as well as in Friesland (Northern province), living without car. Next time you visit be welcome to stay and I will show you around!

[@FunkyPunker]

I’m Dutch, I have 3 bike’s 😜 Bike one I use every time. Bike two is broken, but fixable (back up bike). Bike three is not fixable anymore, but it has bike pieces 😜

[@lysanne6214]

I grew up in the part called Noordoostpolder and live al little below that right now. Still below sea level for about 2 meters. But no one really cares or worries about that. The soil is verry good and usefull and all of the things that keep the water from comming in will probably not break. I say probably because you just never know. If they do, we have special warning sounds etc. So we all can get to higher grounds (most houses have at least 1 floor above the main floor. You will be good there :) At least, if you have an emergency package with food etc

[@leonvanpetegem1663]

The chance is 1/10000 years so very low fortunately

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

To put it in context, the Netherlands has a population similar to that of the state of New York, but in area is only about a third the size, or somewhere between the size of Maryland and that of West Virginia.

[@rmyikzelf5604]

So what is that context?

[@ingridwatsup9671]

Yes, Dutchie watching and very proud of our way of water management

[@dkrewinkel]

If you visit the Netherlands in the future you can have my bike to enjoy the area (Zaandam, windmill area, 20 minutes from downtown Amsterdam)! Feel Welcome! (do so in spring or summer to avoid the horrible winter and rain season though ;-)

[@gerbentvandeveen]

I live in Spakenburg, the Netherlands. An old fishing village on the old Zuiderzee. Which was cut off from the North Sea in the 1920s. Through the Afsluitdijk. Between West and East Friesland. And the IJsselmeer was created. Later they built the newest province of Flevoland. right in front of our fishing port. I am with my own sailboat within 4 minutes. And if I want I can walk there through the water with a 60 yard of swimming.

[@peterheerens3093]

Yes, but that is only one of the bike parking facilities. There is another one on the other side of central station which can hold 5000 bikes. Besides that, Utrecht also has the busiest bus network in the Netherlands, and therefore also in Europe.

[@malcolmkirkwood-vn9sg]

There's a raisable dam/ lock south of the river thames incase of extreme storms in the north sea,they raise to stop a tidal flooding of London

[@dunk92]

5.18 15km cycling to work is normal here. Even some people cycle 20km's. but most people take the bus or train with that distance. Most school children still cycle 10km to school but now I see them most of the time with an electric bike.

[@antiqueinsider]

Joel, did you see what the statistics say about Dutch export earnings? We (I'm 35 years expatriated here from the UK) are happy and healthy and do pretty well financially. (though we grumble a bit, like everyone) Our water management (Delta works), horticultural science (Uni Wageningen) and hi-tech sector (Philips/ASML chip production) are the top of the list!

[@leonvanpetegem1663]

Yea true I live in Rotterdam and do watermanagement there it’s amazing

[@andyhorvath6630]

If you’d like to learn a bit more about our storm defenses, the video “on the shoulders of giants” I think is a very good and informative one

[@user-ck3yw6fi3t]

fun fact, in the netherlands your bike probebly will get sholen when you park it at a station so we have other bikes to lik ride to our work and an other bike its called a station bike so its a worn of bike. btw i am dutch

[@leonvanpetegem1663]

Not everywhere though in big cities maybe but in villages good connected barely

[@jurgenolivieira1878]

It always funny to me when the The Netherlands is so density populated. But that's just a statistic and only goes for certain areas. It's like saying statistically a cow can drown in river that is on average 50 cm deep. Actually 13% of the land is developed (cities, roads, etc.), 3% recreation, 54% is agricultural, 12% is forest/nature and 19% is water (coastal and landlocked). And the density is mostly in Randstad (commercial/industrial area) which is only a small part of the country.

[@jan4004]

You're welcome and enjoy your stay here in the Netherlands!

[@emrod11]

Great place. Very down to earth and awesome food.

[@Fantaman900]

Utrecht is next to my home town so nature I know the train station very well. Been there a lot back in the day. It's to most central train station hub. So yeah back in the day all the bikes where outside to be seen all around the train station and adjacent shopping mall. These days they have build massive parking garages for bikes underground. No more stunned tourist looks at all the bikes. Well there is still plenty of people riding them but you don't see the endless rows of parked bikes anymore.

[@olli1068]

Fun fact: Because Schiphol airport is four meters below sea level and the altimeters of most aircrafts are not designed to display negative numbers, pilots landing there have to do the touchdown without knowing the altitude. No problem for any trained pilot, but I imagine it's at least a strange feeling when the Instruments tell you, you have reached level zero, but you are still descending another four meters.

[@Joey-ct8bm]

Bikes get stolen here often too. The chance they get your bike is a lot smaller with 12500 bikes to choose from at the station.

[@sea.imagineering]

You dont need a bike while traveling to the Netherlands, you can rent them at every station with an ov card. We love the bike garage in Utrecht, we go there to shop and then rent an ov bike. The whole garage is like a cool race park to cycle through. 🤩🏎️ I own 2 bikes myself. One mom bike that has seats for the children and a grocery basket and one roadbike to train with. 🎉

[@squarecircle1473]

Hey! Dutch here :) Love your videos in general. Was great to see you have such a good time in Germany. Definitely come and visit the Netherlands. I think you will have a great time. Especially if you venture out of Amsterdam, which can be a bit touristy and that can take away from what it means to have a locals experience. Thats not to say Amsterdam isnt worth visiting: I frequent Amsterdam for its museums, on occasion. If I'd describe Dutch people in way that could be relatable to you, I'd say we are similar to Germans in that we are direct in our communication style, but Germans like rules a little more than we do. Which is not a slight at Germans btw :) I love them haha theyre kind of like a brothers, you know. A little different, but we're from the same stock.

[@radosawtomaszsum8182]

That bicycle parking lot in Utrecht is really that huge. You have no idea how much time it takes sometime to find your bicycle (especially after a Friday and/or Saturday night) if you leave it somewhere else next to the street, etc. 🤣🤣🤣 There is also a special "rule" (more of a joke, though some people follow it hahaha) here...if your bike gets stolen, you simply take another one from someone else 😅🤣

[@lindagarcia478]

In my city in nl enschede we have bike higways they are wonderful no lights only bikes and you can get from 1 city to another love it

[@DeesWigm]

Dutchie here. Yes!! The delta works are genius 😁😁

[@gloriaramirez462]

I live in the Netherlands, and I am very happy here

[@DenUitvreter]

No one in Rotterdam protested for cycling in the 70's. The video wants to connect the harbour with cycling but I am afraid Rotterdam is still lagging behind in cycling. Cycling is more about culture and less about infrastructure than many videos make it seem. Rotterdam's post WWII city planning has destroyed a lot of cycling culture and it's still recovering. The country is build, rather than just build on like most, and that makes planning infrastructure integrally second nature to Dutch government. But lets not forget if followed people cycling, and Dutch people simply cycle since the invention of the bicycle. A lot of the rural infrastructure was build around the 1920's by a private not for profit organization. The Dutch started cycling and kept cycling, started protesting the new cycling unfriendly infrastructure, kept cycling and cycled more when that improved. But this was not government policy made, government followed, decided to meet demand from cyclists.

[@billpickard7848]

It was the Dutch who helped build the infrastructure that became New York harbor and they brought the concept of an equity exchange they helped to create the New York Stock Exchange the biggest in the world

[@DenUitvreter]

The melting pot and the upward social mobility, later to become the American dream, are Dutch inheretance too.

[@pe1pqx321]

The old name for New York is 'Nieuw Amsterdam', also the name of a village close where I live. (Emmen). Google for "Peter Stuyvesant"

[@robvantriet2138]

I'm Dutch and because you cannot dodge every bullet in 30 years of being in warzones I have to ride in an electric scoot mobile that uses the bike infrastructure. With it I can get everywhere without ever being threatened by cars. Also, my house is 10 feet below sea level and I have the tulip fields starting at the end of my street and the sea at 4 - 5 miles so I can get out every day, enjoy nature, and buy my groceries on the way back without coming across any pothole as even in the dunes the bike roads are in excellent condition.

[@GHOST-in-the-MACHINE]

If you go to NL (Dutch abbreviation of Nederland), I would suggest going to Utrecht, but also definitely de Efteling if you're into theme parks. If you like ships and/or marine life, I suggest you come here to Den Helder, as the harbour we currently use as our entertainment district, Willemsoord (William's Place), was built in 1790 (commissioned) by Napoleon Bonaparte. Since much of it is restaurants and even a cinema, and it's largely still the same as it used to be except modernised, you can just go into any of the former warehouses to see them on the inside. We used to have a replica of the East India Company full-rig Prins Willem, but it burned down in 2009 due to short-circuiting of some electrical wires. They meant to restore it and we'd get it back, but due to expenses, they dismantled it instead, rip.

[@Man-in-the-green]

Zucht. Daar willen toeristen niet heen. Willams place for good’s sake. 😂

[@JordiVanderwaal]

I'm not Dutch but I'm assuming it's like in Barcelona or like in Belgium (I lived there for a few months). Whenever you go on a bike, it's a "public" bike that you take from a parking space and ride it to your destination and park it for someone else to use (or yourself later). In other cases you rent a bike (I think a specific bike) and then you *do* have to secure it, lock it / take care of it. But there's public bikes in the big cities, and you just pay to use them.

[@pe1pqx321]

Even your privately owned bike has to be secured before it gets stolen.

[@dunk92]

4.55 Stealing bikes in the Netherlands is normal. If you have a good looking bike. High chance it will be stolen someday. Even at daytime. It is a big bussines. For example Trucks come from belgium to Groningen city in the North. (also one of the biggest bike cities in the Netherlands) And at daytime they just throw a couple bikes in the truck that where not geared to the railing. At the workplace somewhere in belgium they cut the slots and they sell the bikes. It is very common. Even at daytime people don't look weird if someone is working with a grinder to brake a slot.

[@richardhltrp1791]

Dutch here)) other countries always complain about how big there county is so its not possible but the Netherlands did not do this in one day and all at ones !!! good infra structure is made day by day bit by bit and eventualy it will be everywhere and a normal thing .

[@RoeldeBruin]

I am living in The Netherlands and i only have 4 bikes (i got some parked in different citys and i share keys with friends so we can all use it) a car and a scooter, and i also wanna add that we basicly dont have any hills, i think 99% dont use helmets cause we are freaking good at our bikes since we learn it as a child (I think i learned driving a bike at a age of ? 6 years? (ok i admit i started with sidewheels for learning balancing). Another stupid fact is that if a car hits bike, the car is ALWAYS guilty. Another fact weed isnt legal like every1 thinks, yes you can buy it legally but its a weird story, i dont know the right english word but simply said: its a grey area you should google the dutch word: gedoogd and find out the rules yourself.

[@sjorslindenbergh982]

Definitely check the channel Not Just Bikes, by a Canadian living in the Netherlands. You can kind of feel what it is like to move around over here.

[@Artemisss1]

NotJustBikes had made a ton of video'son this topic. Including the bicycle garages in Utrecht and Amsterdam. You could watch that!

[@enha6008]

At least in Germany there is also lots of bike thievery going on, so when people regularly have to lock their bike at very public places like main train stations, they often purposely get very cheap, rundown bikes that are not worth stealing.