Some cool things about Dutch cities | Loving life in the Netherlands

In this video, I share some things that I like about Dutch cities. Some aesthetic aspects, some aspects of Dutch culture-a bit of everything. I also make some comparisons between American cities and cities in the Netherlands.
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I like to share my experiences of an American expat in the Netherlands. I describe both the unique and everyday aspects of Dutch culture, and life in Holland while enjoying every bit of it!
Blog website: www.dutchamericano.com
Instagram: DutchAmericano
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[@Paul-iq6pw]

I love how you keep being amazed by all these things that I am taking for granted. Your videos are wonderful reminders that we live in a great place and should maybe appreciate it more than we tend to do. Thank you for making me look differently at my own country time and time again.

[@expatfamilylive9041]

We've moved to the Netherlands 1 month ago and we are just fascinated by the architecture and city design. We live in Almere and explore the country. We also love the channel "Not just bikes" ;)

[@luxembourger]

We moved to Maastricht in 2016. The first 2 years we also did city trips around almost every second weekend, always alternating east, north, west, south in a radius up to just 250km. So much to see.

[@tobihalo2]

Welcome to the Netherlands, the best country in the world. Hope you guys enjoy your stay!

[@expatfamilylive9041]

@@tobihalo2 Thank you so much!

[@cvb6089]

🤔 Welcome to the Netherlands and to Almere... 😁

[@jeroenmooij5916]

Welcome to the Netherlands!

[@TheEvertw]

As built, most train stations in Dutch cities were NOT in the center, but adjacent to it. The cities grew around them in the 20th century.

[@obelic71]

correct most stations were build on cheaper grounds outsidebut near the expensive cities in those days. After completion everyone wanted to work/live near the tracks so they were very fast surrounded by buildings. A fun fact is that Amsterdam main station wasn't build in Amsterdam municipality but in an other municipal in that era. Now adays most railway stations are in the middle of near the city center. The next evolution is that they become more then a station. f.e. the once big mining city Heerlen has now an integrated new center station with offices, shops, parking garages and apartments.

[@swollenaor]

Zwolle is a good example of that.

[@ralphb7401]

If you like castles, windmills and old city centers, go visit Wijk bij Duurstede. It’s not that far from Utrecht. They have a nice old city centre with a huge cathedral and ofcourse a windmill in the city centre. The castle is a bit of a ruin, but it still has two functional big towers still standing. The castle over there also doubles as a wedding location (as we did even though we aren’t from that city). My guess is that you will really like that city 😉

[@dv7533]

The palace in Amsterdam was originally the city hall, that is the reason why it's so central, even within the city center. When Amsterdam lost some of its importance in world trade it also lost tax income and it became too expensive to maintain the building. When it was ceased by the French supported king Louis Napoleon to function as palace the city was kind of relieved to not have to pay for the upkeep and repairs.

[@DenUitvreter]

Indeed, it was build a showpiece for the republic of burghers, a middle finger to all the foreign kings with their feudalism that got surpassed in wealth by the Dutch Republic's capitalism.

[@reuireuiop0]

Think you mean it was seized by that Lois Napoleon guy. Coz, the palace didn't cease to be right were it was, dead in the center, but not longer our city hall. Indeed I heard Amsterdam dint regret loosing the building one bit, cuz maintenance was extremely costly, and now emperor Napoleon's brother , would have to pay those bills. Oh that old Dutch frugality!

[@eelsing1]

I'm a recent follower of your amazing channel. Thank you so much for giving this middle-aged geezer a whole new perspective on his own country!

[@damiaanspatrick2050]

Why cities in Europe have city centers, because these cities existed in the Middle Ages, they are just the old parts of the city. (And in my opinion, the most beautiful, cosy) in later generations, one has simply built on, in one's own time frame. A maze of small narrow streets? That is the old town, city centre.

[@TakanashiYuuji]

That's not the full story. Not all European cities have old narrow streets. These cities have been redesigned to be more car centric. City planners now are learning that that is a really bad way to plan your city. In contract, American cities - even ones that used to have pleasant walkable neighborhoods - are now car centric. A trend that is slowly reversing.

[@damiaanspatrick2050]

@@TakanashiYuuji "Not all European cities have old narrow streets". Indeed, because they didn't existed in the Middle Ages.

[@rubenjanssen1672]

@@damiaanspatrick2050 or got bombed during major wars (Rotterdam ww2)

[@damiaanspatrick2050]

@@rubenjanssen1672 That was the choice of the Rotterdam council; they no longer wanted the medieval structure (street plan), but opted for renewal, the US approach, it is an ugly city. But one can argue about taste. Middelburg, like Rotterdam, was razed to the ground in WW2, but there they opted for reconstruction and preserved the old structure of the city. (Dutch) Daar heeft het bestuur van Rotterdam zelf voor gekozen, men wilde niet meer de Middeleeuws structuur ( stratenplan) , maar kozen voor de vernieuwing, de US aanpak, het is een lelijke stad. Maar over smaak kan men discussiëren. Middelburg was net als Rotterdam met de grond gelijk gemaakt in WW2, maar daar hebben ze gekozen voor wederopbouw en de oude structuur van de stad bewaard.

[@InonoYazy]

old town and city centre arent the same things

[@Dutch1961]

Yes, Dutch cities often have windmills within their city limits or train stations in their centres. It's good to realize that's 'now'. When they were built they weren't. Most train stations in cities like Utrecht, Haarlem and Den Haag were built in the mid 19th century and they were actually outside of the city limits in those days. During and as a result of the first World War there was great poverty and famine in the Netherlands who, as a neutral country surrounded by countries at war, were cut off from the world. It triggered a migration from the rural areas to the cities where churches provided famine relief. So basically the cities just grew and swallowed the train stations, windmills and other objects you usually find outside of cities.

[@DanAndHoe]

Many cities did have one or more windmills within the old city limits, to ensure continued production in case of a siege and in general to keep such an important piece of infrastructure safe. Many of these are gone by now, though. The windmill in this video is from 1913, outside the singels but in a quickly urbanising area.

[@Dutch1961]

@@DanAndHoe in Den Haag we have the Laakmolen that's in Molenwijk neighbourhood. It was build in 1699. Back in the day it was in the fields between Den Haag en Rijswijk on the banks of the Trekvliet, a canal that connected the center of Den Haag which actually had a harbour with the Vliet river. So was the station Den Haag HS. This railway station was build in 1843 in the fields between Den Haag en Rijswijk, litteraly in the middle of nowhere.

[@JasperJanssen]

@@DanAndHoe almost all of those windmills are going to be on the walls, though. Very few will have been actually on the inside, mostly because then they’d have to have used ridiculously high bases. They needed cheap land, high up.

[@DanAndHoe]

@@JasperJanssen Oh yeah definitely. Many drawings and paintings that show Dutch cities from a distance show one or more windmills on the walls. Very true.

[@reuireuiop0]

Haarlem is an exception, the only city to have it's station within former city walls. If you walk out the station to the North, cross the through road at the back, the Villa's you're seeing are set right on the former wall (which aren't in stone, but earthen, and have a canal running on the outside) Harlem had been quite optimistic about city growth when building the encircling wall + canal, and the build up area never quite reached the North wall - until 19th C, when the train arrived

[@Nynke_K]

All municipalities in the Netherlands have committees (welstandscommissies) who vet the looks of buildings, but on top of that, many historical areas, including the Utrecht city center, are listed (beschermd stadsgezicht), meaning you can't change what buildings that face the street look like. And then there's a third level of protection for individual buildings which are listed inside and out :). So modern architecture happens in very specific places only! But, fun fact, just to the east of Utrecht city center, near the railway museum, there's a cute little house that was recently painted a stylish dark grey instead of the original white, and even though the welstandscommissie said she had to change it back, there's been so much public outcry that the colour can now stay!

[@kaydesign]

The Provence ‘Gelderland’ has the most castles in the Netherlands. In my little village ‘De Steeg’ with only 900 people we have two(!) castles : )

[@Conclusius68]

If you want to visit a (former) palace in Utrecht, visit the Universiteitsbibliotheek (university library) at Wittevrouwenstraat 7-11. Louis Napoleon, who was king of Holland from 1806-1810 had it built and Napoleon Bonaparte, his brother, also used it for a couple of days when he visited the country. It's one of Utrecht's hidden treasures.

[@JasperJanssen]

Karel V, now a luxury hotel and restaurant, near the Mariaplaats, is another palace, although a little older. Also less accessible, unfortunately. Obviously used as a palace by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. Another one not to be missed is Paushuize - before the twentieth century, almost every single pope ever elected was Italian, as you might expect for the Bishop Of Rome. The one exception was Paus Adrianus - who was from Utrecht. He had Paushuize (the Pope House) built here (at the confluence of the nieuwe gracht and kromme nieuwe gracht) as a local residence. He never got to see it because he died after only a year or so in office. This was... I wanna say sixteenth century? Maybe 17th, somewhere around there anyway.

[@jonathanharris7173]

I went to grad school in Philly and moved to NYC for work, but will be moving to Amsterdam for grad school in the fall. Your videos have informed my expectations of the move, increased my excitement in immersing myself in the culture, and really emphasized the need to learn dutch *before* I move. Thanks so much for these videos.

[@qedqubit]

yule surely raise some eyebrows if you already speak a little dutch when you arrive; that be cool ! if you like redheads, she'll teach you in no time ;-) kzbin.info/www/bejne/epPZaGymp7SAe80

[@wiktorororo_3572]

OMG!!! I'm planning on moving to Utrecht for like a year now and in just few months (like 4-5 max) I'll finally be living my dream. Thanks to you I love this city even more

[@DutchAmericano]

I'm so glad to hear that! Cheers to you living your dream!

[@Robin-fp6sx]

Probably a silly remark, but today you almost radiate joie de vivre! It must be the "spring effect"!

[@TheEvertw]

Love your enthusiasm. Hope that you (and everybody else) can soon enjoy all the goodness the Netherlands has to offer.

[@fransvanberckel3789]

Small addition listing. About exploring, I just looked up. The Dutch cities with canals are: Alkmaar, Amersfoort, Amsterdam, Arnhem, Bolsward, Delft, Den Helder, Den Haag, Doesburg, Dokkum, Dordrecht, Enkhuizen, Franeker, Gouda, Groenlo, Groningen, Haarlem, Hasselt, 's-Hertogenbosch, Hoorn, Kampen, Leeuwarden, Leiden, Leusden, Meppel, Middelburg, Nieuwpoort, Rotterdam, Schiedam, Schoonhoven, Sloten, Sneek, Utrecht, Wageningen, Weesp and last not least Zwolle.

[@MarcvanExel]

I think you make my home country sound fantastic, and it is, but we sometimes forget. Nice video Eva!

[@Dimitry4Life]

0:48 Amersfoort! :) The centre has a very medieval vibe to it, it's really nice It even comes with parts of the old city wall and everything!

[@edwinbuisman3977]

Delft &Leiden also have cellars, canals served several purposes: mainly transport, and "clean"water supply. After the second world war, many cities filled up their canals.( see also utrecht) they have streetnames like " gedempte gracht" canals filled up to serve as roads. The advantage we have is that we decided not to favour cars over other means of transportation. Now you see canals being re-enstated

[@RViscara]

That is only true about cars when it comes to travel within the cities not on the areas between cities. Then cars are the dominator

[@wasneeplus]

Rotterdam used to have these cellars, before, you know....

[@eefneleman9564]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6m8d4icjsqEf7M After which, we have been in a permanent state of deconstruction and reconstruction.

[@edwinbuisman3977]

Rotterdam destroyed a lot of buildings after the war instead of rebuilding, this resulted in an entirely new developed with an entirely new floorplan

[@Nynke_K]

Oh, I didn't know that!

[@Wolfe1966]

They still have them in Leeuwarden

[@sjaakdewinter6258]

@@edwinbuisman3977 Niet waar man, er zijn na de oorlog wel wat gebouwen tegen de vlakte gegaan, maar het hele centrum was al platgebombeerd door de Moffen. je moet het wel goed vertellen heh, nou lijkt het of de Nederlanders zelf alles gesloopt hebben.

[@francinewillemsen7214]

Utrecht has a citycastle on de Oudegracht. Oudaen is a very old castle with a garden behind.

[@petritibishi5559]

And alot of imigrants.....

[@dickbruinsma]

Love the way you talk about Utrecht, where I was born and lived for 40 years :-)

[@GeorgeSaint666]

March 12th and 13th here, when I am watching this. Hard wind. I love it! Beautiful stormy dutch weather.

[@helenehuydecooper3534]

Nice to see Amersfoort City centre as the example of a city centre, and yes it has canals also and very old protected houses that need to be maintaied a certain way.

[@jessedorrestijn]

Thanks for promoting Holland! Little fact: Sitting at the terrasses just next to the canals, is something special about Utrecht. The Dutch movie Amsterdamned is partly recorded in Utrecht instead of Amsterdam, because of this.

[@yamuis]

Nice video, Ava. And yeah, the fox is back!

[@FritsvanderHolst]

For windmills in city, I recommend Schiedam. We have quite a number of high rise windmills, many work. Most are restored but some are rebuild totally new. One has a shop selling produce from the mills. Schiedam has canals too btw 😉

[@kiereluurs1243]

It's all about history. - Centres exist because of the outward growing of small dwellings, sometimes even being fortified. - Mills used to be outside villages or on the very edge, even on city walls. But they became absorbed. - Bricks for pavement are simply what we had as a local material. And they are practical too, as they pass water down.

[@stefangrobbink7760]

The main reason we use bricks instead of cobblestones is because the plain of mud that we call the Netherlands just doesn't have the rocks and stones commonly used. However, the clay used to make bricks is much more common.

[@JonathanV]

Awesome video! Just wanted to point out that some stuff, like train stations and old wind mills were once just outside the city but the city grew around it

[@Badbeat]

Those windmills in a city most likely were on the edge of a city or even outside of it at some point in time. But indeed very cool that a lot of them are still around and often still running. Something that has monumental status is protected. At the cost of the owner at times. But pretty cool. Even tho we do have some old stuff, I feel like we do not preserve that much in the Netherlands. A lot does get torn down eventually when it does not get protected by monumental status.

[@willemdewit6617]

Wow after this video I realised you actually live in my neighbourhood (de vogelenbuurt)! Been watching your videos for a while now and it’s such a mindfuck that I could literally bump into you. I really like your channel, keep up the good work!

[@RedShoesSmith]

Canals, cobble stone streets, cute buildings, something about all these elements creates a natural community.

[@jeffafa3096]

The city canals are actually remnants of the infrastructure of the golden seafaring days. Everything was transported by water back then, and since we have a lot of that here, we also have a huge water infrastructure...

[@erikzurcher5528]

Your enthusiasm is irresistible! :-)

[@Damian-zh8it]

If you love castles, there's an area near Utrecht (an hour by bike) which is full of castles. It is in the area between Odijk en Wijk bij Duurstede along the Langbroekerdijk, nice to cycle this street on a lovely sunny day in spring. Utrecht is the only city in the world which have those kind of cellars, very unique! The Oudegracht and Nieuwe gracht were meant to be the harbour of the city centre.

[@33lex55]

Utrecht is NOT the only city to have these cellars, but I do think they have more of them. Look at Dordrecht; there you'll find some cellars, too.

[@ronnie9187]

When I was young 30 years ago, I lived in Utrecht-Lunetten and always in the weekend jumped on my bike and cycled along the Langbroekerdijk. And when the weather was good, a took a picknick with me, and a good book.

[@qedqubit]

@@33lex55 dordt hep de shittiest grachten of all dutch cities !

[@33lex55]

@@qedqubit Lol, I did not investigate them, but they are there. I think it's up to the city what they will be used for. But they do come close to their original purpose.

[@annayosh]

One more thing about Dutch city centers is that they are largely pedestrianized, with very little car traffic allowed. In the USA, if they had them, they would probably be filled with car parkings everywhere, in the Netherlands your car has to be parked at the edge of the center, or even further away, making the center a much more pleasant place to be than it otherwise would.

[@willemvandeveen2604]

Hi Eva, I have been listening to you for a while and I really appreciate your feed back. I am Dutch but live now for 23 years in New Zealand. I think your posts are very positive even if you do not like all the things of The Netherlands, which I find positive feedback. Keep up the good work. 🤗 Perhaps your girlfriend can do a similar blog about the USA from a Dutch perspective. 🤗 Cheers, Willem.

[@c128stuff]

Actually, there are multiple castles throughout the city of Utrecht, but not all of them are easily recognized as such. A few of them you will know, and on closer look you'll probably still recognize their origins as a 'city castle', but lets first briefly get into what makes something a castle... First of all, there is just the 'it looks like a castle, with walls, towers and all that'. On its own that isn't enough to make something a castle, but it is often part of what makes a castle. Traditionally, a castle is a house which included defensive elements, and hence, the walls and towers, possibly a moat and such. An example of such a building which is still standing, and partially still recognizable as such is stadskasteel Oudaen. If you look closer to the wall facing the Oude Gracht, you can still see the scars of the last battle it was involved in, its defensive elements were not just there for show. There are a few more 'city castles' along the Oude Gracht, but they are far less easily recognized, often due to extensive modifications over time. An important aspect besides the defensive elements is it having been intended or used as a home. Over time most castles lost their defensive elements, and this was no longer a requirement for something to be considered a castle. However, it was held that a castle has to be a 'ridderhofstad', a home used by a knight (with official recognition as such). Something which is not a home, even if it has all the defensive elements one would associate with a castle, is strictly spoken not a castle, it is a fort, or citadel or such. An example of something recognized as a castle, but not having any defensive elements is the building used by Zadelhof near the Oorsprongpark.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

How would you classify 'het Muiderslot?" Nobody ever lived there permanently.

[@c128stuff]

@@ronaldderooij1774 actually, it has been used as a (part-time) home, by Floris V even who commisioned its building. Later, after destruction and rebuilding, it again was used as a home. It was not intended as such initially, and because of that it is debatable if it is technically a castle. One can argue either way. In dutch it is called a dwangkasteel, to differentiate its purpose from a proper 'kasteel'. But it is an interesting case because of its original intention not being a home, but it having been used as such at various points in its history. Calling it a 'burcht' or 'slot' in Dutch avoids this 'issue'. Those are purely based on its architecture and defensive capabilities, and not on with what purpose it was built.

[@DenUitvreter]

If you like the brick roads you should maybe look at the bricks in the walls a bit more. Dutch masonry on the not so very old buildings is usually done quite well with subtle and intricate patterns to make it look better.

[@Otamie]

hey I live in Utrecht as well! And we have a second windmill that is actually an old wood saw mill. You should definitely visit it as its one of a very few remaining wood saw mills in the whole of the Netherlands.

[@arnehaverschmidt]

Well done, congratz!!

[@qedqubit]

what you show at 7:14 is pure gold ! it's sooo typically Dutch ; it's like what painters like to paint, and people send postcards of, so if you have any more of that footage, load it up & getta lotta likes ! also , the channel 'Not Just Bikes' shows a lot of what you're talking about (&the guy talking is fun to hear, i think he's very good at cynicism & sarcasm)

[@Bruintjebeer6]

The windmills once where outside the city but when the cities became bigger and bigger they just build around it. Where i live, a neighborhood from the seventies, you can find a farm house with sheep and a mill between the 13 floor apartment buildings

[@reiniervanderwal2223]

Hi Ava, I am a Dutch guy, 73 years old, and was born in Utrecht. We share the same love for this beautiful city. One of my brothers in law lives in a house at the Oudegracht and has also a cave at the water. I like your funny videos. By the way: do you have an eiersnijder in your kitchen?😀

[@margreetanceaux3906]

These windmills are specifically constructed for the city: high, meant to catch wind, although being situated amongst 3-story buildings. Best examples: Schiedam.

[@eln6218]

I think this particular windmill in Utrecht was just at the outskirts of the city when it was built (the now surrounding buildings were added later) but I don't know about Schiedam :)

[@hfokker9562]

I'm living in Schiedam and we have lots of windmills built in the city and als some canals and a castle ruin. And a city center train station... yes we have it all. And we have the Ketel1 brewery too :-)

[@dannymolfilmpie]

I was stunned to see regular city busses in San Fran have spaces on the front for bicycles! That was soooo cool. It totally would'nt work in Holland though with the millions of bikes everywhere.

[@RViscara]

Yes to me that’s one thing that “Not just bike channel” never mentions how in San Francisco or other cities we have bike racks on the buses and more then anything we don’t charge extra money to bring you bike! In the Netherlands they charge you to bring your bike on the train almost as much extra as s paying for a extra ticked for your bike!?? It’s insane to charge a huge fee to bring your bike in the Netherlands. They should have a separate train car just got bike passengers half seats half of it bike hooks to hang your bike. Then not charge for it.

[@LarsvanderHeide]

​@@RViscara In the Netherlands you don't have to take your bike on a bus because there's good infrastructure to just bike everywhere. In the US you might have to take your bicycle on a bus to get to places where it's pleasant or safe to cycle.

[@RViscara]

@@LarsvanderHeide Lars you speak to me as if I don’t know what is in or available in the Netherlands I live here in the Netherlands. Your theory only works for the first say 50 km. Your theory is pretty silly if you need to travel from Eindhoven to say The Hague or Zwolle you are not going to ride the bike that distance you take the train. 🙄🤓 now I have to go and and calm down my girlfriend who just read your Dutch reply and theory she is laughing uncontrollably.

[@LarsvanderHeide]

@@RViscara If you take the train and need your bike in another city you can cycle to the station? I just don't think many people would use a bike rack on a bus in the Netherlands, because why would you take the bus if you have a bike.

[@ronniebots9225]

The Brick stone street have actual function over form. It is part of our water management. Asphal streets dont drain water nearly as effecient as brick stone streets. Brick stone streets dont rely on the sewer system completely for water drainage but can let water pass trough in the ground below.

[@markmeyer-delvendahl9766]

Every time I watch one of your videos my desire to move to the Netherlands grows :)

[@edgarvanoostrum8450]

If cobblestones and Dutch architecture fill you with feelings of nostalgia, you should definitely visit the Efteling someday (corona volente) ... It's a theme park based on the drawings of Anton Pieck (whose calenders and drawings adorn the walls of many Dutch toilets), and his gnarly, Tim-Burton-meets-Charles-Dickens style will probably delight you to no end.

[@eronsentertainmentstore6487]

I like how you always show Nieuwegracht when showing canals in Utrecht. It's kinda sad I moved out of the center, but then again triple the space, same price. XD

[@mavadelo]

I remember when that windmill still had a bakery and a miller :) But it's kinda funny there is a butcher in there now. Utrecht has a few very nice windmills. On the edge of the little canal at the Muntkade (Jaarbeurs side of the station edging Lombok) there is a beautiful one as well

[@robinbraamhorst1410]

Have you been iceskating? On the canals ?or what do you think about the dutch iceskate fever?

[@randez_9168]

When things open again you should check out " 't Oude Pothuys" in Utrecht, it's a bar in one of those basements you love and has a great atmosphere. There's also a second windmill in Utrecht that's worth a quick visit. It's called Molen de Ster and it's an old lumber mill, left in its original state. They normally also do tours there! Cheers from an Utrechter!

[@arposkraft3616]

@2:25 welcome to dordrecht, where the centre is in the upmost north west corner of the city proper, btw centraal station is reserved for citys above a certain population size and throughput so usually though a similar centre station will be present its usually not a centraal station

[@nielsdegroot9138]

@4:40 Most, if not all, of the windmills in cities used to be outside the built up area. If you go to your local museum, it's not uncommon to find an old painting of that same windmill standing by itself in a field with the city in the background. :)

[@wilmascholte7607]

One reason you find windmills inside cities is that before, they used to be on the city walls, or within the ring of the city's outer defenses. Of course, since those times, the cities have expanded and these windmills now are between the buildings.

[@eefneleman9564]

Most city and village centers in The Netherlands (and in Europe, I think) were historically built up around a church. Looking at the map of an older city, you normally see a church in the center and concentric circles of streets fanning out. A lot of our older cities have fortifications, usually starshaped (Elburg, Willemstad). In even older cities they've found Roman roads and fortifications (Valkenburg ZH, Nijmegen). In the Delfshaven quarter of Rotterdam you can find at least three windmills, one of which is fully restored. And of course cities needed windmills too, to grind grain and supply the flour to bakers. There used to be more windmills throughout Rotterdam, and some names still reference them. There's an old movie called Amsterdamned which has a speedboat chase through canals at the end, filmed in Utrecht (because actual Amsterdam canals weren't found to be suitable). Let me just spoil that for you right here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2PSqp6Nn9x0j7s

[@RViscara]

How very true. In the USA most cities were built up after the war. Most factories were outside city limits so suburbs followed behind those factories and industries. the biggest factor people in Europe dont realize is the size of the USA compared to Europe is it is massive. even our smallest state in the USA is bigger then the Netherlands.

[@alettejurgens2883]

Hi, it makes me happy to see you so enthusiastic about the beautiful city of Utrecht, as it is my city too. I was born in a small village, my family actually owned a windmill "De Liefde" in Woudenberg. But this windmill is gone. Anyway I moved to Utrecht to study, in the nineties, and stayed, and still enjoy the beauty of the city every day. Do you know Houtzaagmolen De Ster, you should check it out. Bye and keep up your nice channel!

[@arposkraft3616]

@3:10 was about to say... we have cobblestone streets.. but those are not cobblestone streets but brick streets, we have those as well, and ZOAB asphalt is a typical dutch invention so we tend to have that as well, brick is used specifically in higher pedestrian dense areas because it encourages slowing down and makes noise as well as visually indicating you are on a ped crossing/bicycle likely street.

[@lincymoonen228]

There is a city centre because historically thats where the city begun. So from that “trademark” basicly it grew and grew and so the center is always kind of in the middle because the city is built around it

[@0321Sjoerd]

A lot of the features you like in Dutch cities can be seen in old cities and villages. It’s because these settlements kept growing over long periods of time. The canals for instance weren’t designed as canals most of the time. They were moats: a line of defence around the city. When the city grew another moat had to be dug out and that’s how the canals were formed. There are big differences between old, medieval cities that grew like this (organic growth) (i.e. Amsterdam, Leiden, Zwolle) and newer cities that were planned on the desk in a planning office, such as Almere or Lelystad.

[@AriodanteITA]

this rule about preserving the beauty or the style is present EVERYWHERE in EU. sometimes they destroy the whole building but keep the façade (saw it in madrid, close to Puerta del Sol)

[@wisecat.]

I also live in Utrecht near the Dom tower. Although my house was built in 1990. It was buiilt in the same style as the old buildings around. Big windows with high ceilings, same color brick. My house is actually attached to an old building from 1650. Now the year of construction of my house is also registered as 1650. I heard that it's fairly common to construct new buildings the same as the old historic buildings in the city center, especially the historic city center where I live.

[@DanAndHoe]

When I was a child my best friend lived in the windmill at 5:00. Had a lot of fun playing in the upper parts.

[@DutchAmericano]

OH. MY. GOD.

[@DanAndHoe]

@@DutchAmericano This was just 12 to 20 years ago. The bottom floor is the kitchen and living room. The shop couldn't be reached from the living spaces. There's a staircase to first floor with the bedrooms, bathroom etc. The rest of the windmill was all just windmill, including a big millstone for grinding wheat.

[@eddys.3524]

You talked about the differences in exterior of buildings. In the Netherlands we know something like a "Welstandscommissie" ( formerly called "Schoonheidscommissie") which influences the way buildings look. Formerly that "commissie" had more influence than nowadays, but it set the traditions of the colors applied.

[@Gorerupted]

If you haven't been there, try to go for a day to the city Groningen. It is the biggest city in the north of the Netherlands. If you go with the train, absolutely go through the mainhall and look up to the ceiling, you would be surprised. The whole center is beautiful and have some very old buildings and lots of canals (in Groningen we call it a diep)

[@thanhhuynh2044]

Walking on hopakker, spotting the mill :) the worff (cellar / canal) is only in Utrecht.

[@Helpimnoob]

5:43 "In the Netherlands we have Disney World... But in the Netherlands we have..." No we don't. We have the Efteling, which is better! (or at least I think so. ;) Starting to mix up the US and the Netherlands I see. (just teasing obviously. Love the video.)

[@frankhooper7871]

Yay! I'm not the only one who noticed that! I actually scrolled back to check "did she _really_ say what I think I heard?"

[@timticking3292]

Efteling is een aftands schijtpark wat zijn beste tijd gehad heeft (al een jaar of 10 geleden) leukste dingen zijn altijd dicht en veel achterstallig onderhoud

[@Ernzt8]

Living along a Dutch city canal is a dream, that is why those are the most expensive houses in The Netherlands

[@dutchman7623]

We preserved our history, market place, narrow streets around it, church and church square (often graveyard). Our cities grew slowly, were build out of wood, but replaced by bricks after city fires from around 1500 forward. Canals are multi functional, drainage, water supply for washing, cleaning, to water the vegetable garden, transport, sewer, and city moats that ended up in the city after growth. Because of warfare a lot of cities had to be walled and therefor compact, main roads from the gates to the market, narrow walking streets around.

[@willpower8894]

The oldest dutch coffeeshop Sarasani was in a cellar on oude gracht. Really cool. Das war einmal.

[@hihosilverlining9081]

Yes! They even had a living crocodile there!

[@TakanashiYuuji]

The windmills used to be outside the city, or just on the edge. The city later grew around them.

[@edwinlockefeer755]

The church was in centre … not the windmills ….

[@albertlay8927]

Most of the mills in the city used to be outside the city. Later the city expanded and sort of swallowed the mill. We just didn't made the mistake of tearing them down.

[@jessehols3645]

Just out of curiosity: are you leaving out some very obvious information like the reason for round cities to generate comments so the algorithm works better? Would be pretty genius. Worked on me haha. Great channel though. Keep it up !

[@in551125do]

Most older cities (like medieval....) are centred around a church, and fan out from there, or are centred around a port or something.....thanks to this youtube channel ("Not just bikes") I learned something about North America's zoning law, which ofcourse is geared towards car-usage and develops this whole up- and downtown "narrative". (it's not permitted to have any shops, bars, restaurants in a residential area for instance, so you're more or less forced to use a car for the smallest of errands.....)

[@henkwilts7533]

As has been mentioned before, city centers are the original city, which were much smaller. For instance, Amsterdam was first mentioned in a document in 1275. A map from 1538 shows the city of Amsterdam, which now can be recognised as the actual centre of nowadays Amsterdam. upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Amsterdam_in_1538.JPG/260px-Amsterdam_in_1538.JPG

[@RijkvanGeijtenbeek]

You should visit Wijk bij Duurstede as well some time. Close by Utrecht, with the only drive through windmill in the world, and an old castle as well.

[@arposkraft3616]

@7:45 they are pretty unique to Utregt, because Utregt is on a sandy hill a remnant of the last ice age, most citys in holland are situated on mud, though in dordrecht as well as amsterdam some of the more expensive houses have cellars like that, usually dressed in tactyleen in case flood water comes rushing down, in utregt its more convient , most houses on the mud do not have cellars at all, just a "crawling space" for utilities and drainage and the heipalen.

[@kastooMcFry]

I think you're right: Utrecht may very well be the only city that has those cellars next to the canals. I grew up in the Hague and have pretty much been everywhere over in the NL - they don't seem to have them. When things are a bit more 'normal' regarding covid, you should visit the small towns up north, like in Friesland - really quant.

[@compier12]

You are just going to love the villages of Friesland province. Even for our own people, they are super romantic

[@michelle-ni5eu]

i love that in many big cities the medieval times still shine through

[@eugene__eugene]

Most places do have laws here for maintaining the style, look, facade for the old buildings that are part of the atmosphere of the city. Next to that individual buildings can be classified as monuments, which means they are subject to even stricter rules to what you can or cannot change to them.

[@jacobmannessen1191]

If you go to Schiedam you will see several windmills in the city. The old cities had windmills on the defending walls.

[@DutchAmericano]

Sounds lovely!

[@jacobmannessen1191]

@@DutchAmericano Schiedamse stellingmolens - Geschiedenis van Zuid-Holland images.app.goo.gl/sXrVFbPUf81JU6yY7 Afbeeldingen kunnen auteursrechtelijk beschermd zijn. Verstuurd vanaf mijn iPhone

[@Dutchbelg3]

@@DutchAmericano : Yep Schiedam has mills as they were used to grind wheat and guess what is made from wheat? Jenever! Schiedamse Jenever is world famous in The Netherlands :-) If you go to Zaanse Schans (open air museum near Zaanstad) you will see more windmills as these were providing power to upscale industry to make loads of products: Wood sawing, grinding pigment for paint, making musterd, baking flour and more. It was one of the oldest European industry zones :-) Besides a lot of old mills it also has the oldest Albert Heijn rebuilt and loads of other old shops and homes in the typical green wooden structures so traditional for the "Zaanstreek".

[@frdml01]

Wow, at 7:15 in the video, there's a Christmas postcard scene, right there.

[@andrecostermans7109]

about cobble stones; 80% is made from the magma of old/inactive volcano's , the very small ones ( 20 %) are mostly made of Italian granite

[@ex0stasis72]

There are some streets in Seattle that are still brick, but they are full of huge potholes and the residence apparently vote to keep the potholes there to discourage and slow down thru traffic.

[@macexpert7247]

If you own a historic property in the Netherlands you have to maintain it and cant change it without permission inside and outside. On the plus side the cost for maintenance and repairs are subsidized.

[@Dutch1961]

In Utrecht there is a castle in the centre. It's on the Oudegracht and It's called city castle Oudaen. It was built in 1280.

[@toaojjc]

Ava you need to visit a "vestingstad". You'll love that!

[@bertnr32]

Alkmaar!

[@ebaristogringo]

I love your eyebrows! :)

[@Antoon55]

The centre isn't there by design most of the time. It's the original first version of the city often started in the middle ages. It just expanded in time.

[@patrickpille7044]

Eva, look to the link, it is a video about Utrecht with the cellars in the canals.

[@disposabull]

If you love the cobblestone streets in the Netherlands you should pay a visit to Rome and go for a walk along the Apian Way, the cobblestones were laid down in 312BC. You can have a nice picnic while thinking about all the slaves that got crucified after the Spartacus revolt.

[@disposabull]

@Dank Farrik My dad took me to Rome as a child and recounted the story of Spartacus to me while we were having a picnic. Nice holiday, but as you say Roman history goes dark quick.

[@janharryzeeman2802]

As a Dutch person from the north(Groningen), I would like to recommend San Antonio(TX). The riverwalk is as good as Utrecht for werfkelders walking around.

[@patglennon9671]

Remember the Alamo, nice town all right.

[@sikkodeboer9082]

To your info kastels are not only to find outside the city centre but also inside you can find one in Utrecht at the Oude Gracht 99, its now a restaurant but original it was a kastel or is it stil ;-) stadskasttee Oudean

[@dirkgonthier101]

If you like canals and old stuff, you have to visit Brugge one day. Brugge was a major trading hub for North-Europe from the 13th untill the 15th century and was called 'Venice of the North'. At the end of the 15th century it lost its access to the sea (by silting up), so everything from that period has been preserved. It's a bit touristic (8 million visitors a year) but it's still worth a visit. You can try the Belgian specialities (beer, chocolats, frites and wafles).

[@dutchuncle3310]

Ava, if you ever have the opportunity you might like to visit Dordrecht. Dordrecht is the oldest city of Holland 12 th century ( the provinces north and south Holland) and has a beautiful very compact city centre. A great place to spend a sunny afternoon.

[@Rman_]

Dordrecht is for real a historic city mutch old movies are record in Dordrecht. A beautiful old port also.

[@honema123456789]

you should visit the keukenhof and the haar!

[@bertobleijlevens9160]

Cobble stone streets are different from Brickstone streets. Windmills where situated outside the city in the past. Cities grew around them.

[@33lex55]

Or windmills were incorporated into the city walls, like in Delft.

[@dutchman7623]

@@33lex55 Windmills were placed close to or on the city walls, to catch the wind that came from the countryside. Wheat, rye, oat, can be preserved when stored dry, cool and dark. Once milled, flour cannot be preserved long and has to be consumed quickly. So cereals were stored in the city as food storage, and milled short before consumption.

[@dutchman7623]

There are windmills in villages and the countryside of course. All people ate bread daily. But walled towns needed them during times of troubles, war, sieges. What is storage worth when you have to bring it to the countryside to be milled into flour? Same goes for other seeds, we used mills to produce vegetable oil for human consumption, for the production of alcohol (jenever gin), and for animal fodder. Pigments to dye textiles. Blacksmiths used them for hammering hot iron. Mills were used to saw trees into timber. And lots of other purposes, in the Netherlands windmills were the first industrial revolution.

[@charlesvanderhoog7056]

I loved this video. I learn a lot about the USA and my own country from watching you. Thank you for your videos. By the way, I think you will love the center of Haarlem. Then visit a bar called De Blauwe Druif that is better known as Proeflokaal. And you got Café De Uiver close by. Of course, best on Friday's.