{"id":6309,"date":"2017-04-04T09:00:08","date_gmt":"2017-04-04T13:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=6309"},"modified":"2018-01-28T14:22:37","modified_gmt":"2018-01-28T19:22:37","slug":"honey-i-shrunk-the-netherlands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=6309","title":{"rendered":"Honey, I Shrunk the Netherlands!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a9 2017 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved<\/i><\/i>.<\/p>\n

What if I told you that I saw all of the Netherlands’ major cities in one day?<\/p>\n

You wouldn’t believe me…<\/p>\n

Well, it’s true…or almost.<\/p>\n

For years, I have seen ads for Madurodam in the Hague,\u00a0the capital city of the province of South Holland, and I always thought that it would be an interesting place to visit. \u00a0With no other plans for the day, it was time…<\/p>\n

Although it was quite cool outside, the sun was out and I was in the mood for an adventure. \u00a0Heading out early to the train station, I was soon on my way to the Hague and Madurodam.<\/p>\n

After arriving at Den Hague Central Station, it was a short wait for Tram 9, which would take me to Madurodam.<\/p>\n

Jumping off of the tram at my designated stop, I stopped to admire the modern architecture while approaching the building. \u00a0Purchasing my ticket, I walked from the lobby into the miniature park…wow…the Netherlands in 1:25 scale!<\/p>\n

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\"\"Opened in 1952, the park is named for George Maduro, a Jewish law student from Cura\u00e7ao.\u00a0\u00a0After\u00a0fighting the Nazi occupations forces as a member of the Dutch resistance, he died at Dachau concentration camp and was the only person of Antillean descent to be awarded the Knight 4th-class of the Military Order of William.\u00a0 After World War II, his parents donated the necessary capital to build the park in honor of\u00a0their\u00a0only son and a replica of his birthplace in Cura\u00e7ao was added to the park in his honor.<\/p>\n

Madurodam, visited by millions of\u00a0people each year, is the perfect place to experience everything that makes Holland so unique.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Divided into three themes, Water, As A Friend and An Enemy, Historical Cities and The Netherlands As An Inspiration For the World,<\/em> the park showcases\u00a0canal houses, tulip fields, a cheese market, a wooden shoe factory, windmills, the Peace Palace and the Delta Works…all in miniature.<\/p>\n

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As I walked through the park, I must admit, my first impression was that I was visiting an attraction\u00a0probably best enjoyed by the younger set.\u00a0 Had I traveled all this way by mistake?\u00a0 Once I arrived at the Schiphol Airport exhibit with its moving airplanes, (even Delta’s) however,\u00a0I was enthralled.<\/p>\n

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Having traveled throughout the Netherlands, I have seen much of its beauty and many of its municipalities.\u00a0 As I moved to the rear of the property with\u00a0reproductions of many of the Netherlands’ cities, I developed a game to check out each city exhibit before reading the accompanying signs and identify it by its buildings and landmarks.\u00a0 As an avid photographer, I especially enjoyed positioning my camera to get the best shots of these tiny cities…with the results, in some cases, you have no idea that you are looking at a photo of a model, so detailed are the displays.<\/p>\n

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When obtaining your tickets upon entry,\u00a0a chip card accompanies your purchase.\u00a0 At many of the exhibits, there are informative aspects…swipes of the card trigger bridges, factories, fires on oil tankers, televisions stands showing brief video footage, in-depth information, light shows and my favorite…playing DJ at the concert venue!<\/p>\n

There are two restaurants on the property, a cool playground for children, and an\u00a0extra large scale\u00a0display of the\u00a0Netherlands’\u00a0most widely identifiable object…the tulip.\u00a0 \u00a0Here, you can sit among these giant tulips for countless photo opportunities.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Another attraction, explains the beginning of the Netherlands in 1572.\u00a0 Hof van Nederland (Dutch Court) is located at the rear of the property and unlike the small-scale displays, is life sized. The best part of the entire park,\u00a0however,\u00a0is that the entirety of the net proceeds from the park go towards various charities in the Netherlands!<\/p>\n

One should always remember that while it is\u00a0absolutely a wonder to visit the landmarks of this fabulous country, you can never forget what makes it truly special…its people.\u00a0 While touring Madurodam, pay close attention to the tiny people in each of the displays showing\u00a0the real life of the Dutch.\u00a0 The “residents” of Madurodam have become a bit more diverse over the years, depicting those who have migrated from other countries.\u00a0\u00a0My favorite tidbit of information pertaining to these residents\u00a0is that they reflect the changing environment. \u00a0In the winter, they wear sweaters and coats and in summer, t-shirts!<\/p>\n

So, go to the Hague…release your inner child and see all of the things that make the Netherlands famous…the Rijksmuseum, the Binnenhof, Schiphol, the Port of Rotterdam, traditional Dutch canal houses, tulip fields and windmills.\u00a0 It’s the best way to see the country…especially if you are limited with your time!<\/p>\n

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.<\/p>\n

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Madurodam<\/strong><\/p>\n