This article is classified "Real"
A good way to start a tour through the Netherlands, unless you are "doing"
Europe in four days [1], is to visit Madurodam in the city of The Hague. It
gives you a broad overview of what there is to see in this country and can
help you get ideas where to go to during the following days of your visit to
the Netherlands [2].
So what is this "Madurodam"? Basically it is a miniature city with models
of buildings, scale 1:25, which tries to give a picture of how a "typical"
Dutch city has developed throughout the centuries [3]. The architectural
museum that the place in fact is, was originally designed to preserve some
of the old city and country scapes that are rapidly disappearing due to the
demands of modern time. At the same time it tries to give a picture of what
the results of these demands are. There is an old part of the city with
models of structures dating back to medieval times: from typical houses and
streets [4] to churches and basilisks.
Moving through time you gradually emerge into the area of contemporary
architecture where buildings and streets built only a few years ago are on
display. Then come the industrial terrain, the offices, the harbour and
such. Intersecting the many exhibits are the railways where models of all
types of Dutch trains [5] make realistic sounds while they move around.
It's model train paradise! Of course, moving things attract most attention,
for instance some ships in the harbour (one of which is on fire [6]) and in
the lock. There are, however, also some exhibits which only operate after
you have inserted the smallest coin that exists in the Netherlands [7], the
"dubbeltje" (10 cents). For the budget traveler: just wait till someone
else puts one in. What then happens is most entertaining, especially for
the many kids that visit the place. Now you know which locations to avoid.
Almost all miniatures, you must realize, have been picked out of their
natural surroundings to be the building bricks of the Madurodam districts,
or to stand by themselves if the designers thought they looked better that
way. This sometimes gives an unrealistic and strange impression, so the
best thing to do is to compare them with their counterparts in the
Netherlands some time during the following days.
There are no explanatory signs on the exhibits, so you will have to buy a
(not so expensive) tour guide. There are many pictures in it, so you don't
really have to make any yourself. The guide gives you a tour along the
exhibits, but I have to give you a warning: if you follow the route you
will very soon experience an overkill of impressions. Therefore it is best
to grab every opportunity to take a break and give your feet, eyes and
brains some rest [8]. You can also decide to follow a route that takes you
in and out of the different quarters so you won't get saturated by seeing
only, say, a lot of ancient buildings.
In the summer, due to the high latitude, it doesn't get dark until very
late. This means you will miss the beautiful view of Madurodam by night,
when a multitude of little lights illuminate the city. The opening hours
are from 9:00 to 22:00, so to see this, a visit outside summertime is the
only way.
On the side there is also an exhibition called Sand World, where statues
have been sculpted out of compressed sand to represent the struggle of the
Dutch against the sea through the ages. Ennobled sand castles are always
impressive.
How to get there: from The Hague central station take tram 1 or 9. On any
train station in the Netherlands you can buy a ticket that combines train,
tram, and entrance tickets, which on itself is a bit less than twenty
guilders, not very cheap. Talking of which, the restaurants inside are
pretty expensive, so you better bring your own consumables.
From Madurodam you can easily continue to Scheveningen, where you find the
casinos, the promenade, the pier, and the beach. This is a nice place to
end your day out, with something to eat and a comfortable stroll.
[1] In that case go to Mini-Europe in Brussels, Belgium.
[2] It is a misconception to think that you have seen all of the Netherlands
when you have only been to Madurodam.
[3] Inspired on a mini city in Beaconsfield, UK. Does it still exist?
[4] Examples from Delft, Amsterdam and many other cities.
[5] Dutch Rail = Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS).
[6] Why this should be part of the typical Dutch landscape escapes me.
[7] The smallest coin of the whole world, I guess.
[8] Shuffling is extremely tiring.