Netherlands South Holland

Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Rotterdam is currently going through a sort of renaissance, with some urban architecture projects, a nightlife, and many summer festivals celebrating the city's multicultural population and identity, such as the Caribbean-inspired "Summer Carnival", the Dance Parade, Rotterdam 666, the Metropolis pop festival and the World Port days. The self-image of the city is that of a no-nonsense workers' city. In that sense, there is a healthy competition with Amsterdam, which is often viewed as the cultural capital of the Netherlands.

City life concentrates around where the Parliament is located. It has some small streets in the town centre that date from the Middle Ages and several spacious streets boasting large, luxurious 18C residences. It has a large 15 C church, an impressive 16C City Hall, several large 17C palaces, a 17C Protestant church, and many important 18C buildings. The city is becoming more student friendly with several universities and academies. The Hague is the largest Dutch city on the North Sea and includes 2 beach resorts. There are only a few canals in The Hague, and the remaining ones are surrounded by parks and gardens.

Leiden has been a university city since 1575, housing Leiden University, the oldest university of the Netherlands, and Leiden University Medical Centre. The two branches of the Old Rhine, which enter Leiden on the east, unite in the centre of the town. The town is further intersected by numerous small canals with tree-bordered quays. The town is home to several parks and gardens, including the Hortus Botanicus and other gardens, the Leidse Hout park, which contains a small deer park, and the Van der Werf Park. Much of the 16th- and 17th-century town centre is still intact, making it the 2nd largest 17th-century town centre in the Netherlands.

Noordwijk is located in the province of South Holland. Besides its beaches, Noordwijk is also known for its bulb flower fields. It is located in an area called the "Dune and Bulb Region". Noordwijk aan Zee was founded around 1200 as a fishing village. Until the beginning of the 19th century, fishing remained its primary business, but then began to be replaced by the growing tourism industry. Nowadays because of its long sandy beaches, it is a popular resort town with 1,000,000 overnight stays per year. It has a lighthouse and a KNRM rescue station. Furthermore, it has a reformed church (1647) with a pulpit from the 17th century.

Delft is known for its historic town centre, for 17C Delft Blue pottery, for the Delft University of Technology, for the painter Vermeer and the scientist Antony van Leeuwenhoek, and for the Royal House of Orange-Nassau. Several famous painters lived and worked in Delft. They all were members of the Delft School. East of Delft is a vast nature and recreation area called the "Delftse Hout" ("Delft Wood"). Apart from a forest, through which bike, horseride and footpaths are leading, it also has a vast lake (suitable for swimming and windsurfing), beaches, a restaurant, gardens, campground and other facilities. Inside the city there are several smaller town parks and a Botanical Garden.

Dordrecht, colloquially Dordt, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. Dordrecht is the largest and most important city in the Drechtsteden and is also part of the Randstad, the main conurbation in the Netherlands. Dordrecht is the oldest city in the Holland area and has a rich history and culture. Because of its long and important role in Dutch history, Dordrecht has a rich culture. The medieval city centre is home to over 950 monuments. The city also houses 7 churches and 6 museums in a relatively small area and hosts many festivals and events every year.

Gouda is famous for its Gouda cheese, smoking pipes, and 15th-century city hall. In the Middle Ages, a settlement was founded at the location of the current city by the Van der Goude family, who built a fortified castle alongside the banks of the Gouwe River, from which the family and the city took its name. The area, originally marshland, developed over the course of two centuries. By 1225, a canal was linked to the Gouwe and its estuary was transformed into a harbour. Gouda's array of historic churches and other buildings makes it a very popular day trip destination. Today, Gouda is home to many fascinating old sites and buildings, dating back to 15C.

Katwijk aan Zee (literally, Katwijk-on-Sea) is a seaside resort located on the North Sea at the mouth of the Oude Rijn. It is situated in the municipality of Katwijk and the province of South Holland. Katwijk aan Zee had its own unique dialect, called 'Katwijks' or 'Strand-Hollands', still spoken by a considerable number of people, therefore being one of the few active dialects of Hollandic still in use. Since 20C, Katwijk aan Zee is a popular seaside resorts and the village grew explosively. Recently, in 2006, the neighbouring communities Valkenburg and Rijnsburg were added, which made a larger municipality called 'Katwijk'.

Scheveningen is one of the eight districts of The Hague, as well as a subdistrict of that city. Scheveningen is a modern seaside resort with a long sandy beach, an esplanade, a pier, and a lighthouse. The beach is popular for watersports such as windsurfing and kiteboarding. A nudist section is 1 km to the north. The harbor is used for both fishing and tourism. Night life centers on Pathe Scheveningen movie theater, and the sea-front boulevard with its bars, restaurants, gambling halls and other entertainment.