Heavenly Holland

The oldest 4-star hotel in The Hague: Hotel Corona

Heavenly Holland — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 19:27:37 +0000

Did you know that Hotel Corona is the oldest four-star hotel in The Hague? It is located right in the middle of the lively city center, on the Buitenhof square, only a stone’s throw away from Binnenhof.

History of Hotel Corona

The 72-room boutique hotel is located in three adjacent 17th century buildings. If you stand in front of the hotel you can see three different facades. Early 1800s a coffee house named Koffiehuys Van Dalen was located in the middle of the three buildings. Fancy gentlemen came here to drink coffee and read the newspaper.

From 1783 to 1818 it housed a hotel called De Beurs van Amsterdam. Until 1919 the three buildings served as offices, a wallpaper store and a bank. Then in 1921 it became a hotel again. After WWII the new director changed the named to Hotel Corona.

An extensive renovation has been going on since 2017. They try to preserve as many historical details as possible such as the high ceilings on the ground floor, the beautiful chandeliers and the oldest escalator of The Hague. The hotel remains open during the renewal and it is estimated to be completed by mid-2021.

During the COVID-19 pandemic the in-house B.I.T. Grill & Cafe had to close until further noice for outside guests. Hotel Corona does remains open.

Location and contact details

Boutique Hotel Corona
Buitenhof 39
2513 AH The Hague
phone: +31 (0) 70 363 7930
www.corona.nl

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Watch out for oak processionary caterpillars

Heavenly Holland — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 11:20:47 +0000

From mid-May to July you may find oak trees all over the Netherlands wrapped in red-white warning tape. This is because of the oak processionary moth (OPM, or ‘eikenprocessierups’ in Dutch).

The poisonous bristles of these critters cause a lot of discomfort to both humans and animals; severe itching is the most well-known consequence.

The oak processionary is mainly spotted in oaks along streets in cities, towns and villages. The oak processionary is also observed in forest areas, but here there seems to be a biological balance with its natural enemies.

Infested oak trees can be recognized by silky nests around the branches and the trunk of the tree.

Oak processionary

Procession caterpillars move in long strings in succession, hence the name ‘oak processionary’.

From the third moulting stage (mid-May) the caterpillar develops characteristic bristles in addition to the normal white hairs. These arrow-shaped bristles are an active defense mechanism and are fired at a threat. The caterpillar does not need to be touched to come into contact with the bristles. They can also spread with the wind, as far as 500 meters.

Health risks

When contact with these stinging hairs occurs, health complaints may occur such as severe itching, bumps, skin rashes and redness of the skin as well as irritation of the airways and red and puffy eyes.

Sometimes the symptoms feel like a cold; a runny nose, coughing, difficulties to swallow, tickle in the throat and shortness of breath.

In addition to these common symptoms, other complaints such as vomiting, dizziness and fever may also occur.

The symptoms differ per person. Complaints can be more severe when you repeatedly come in contact with oak processionary caterpillars. Animals, especially dogs and horses, can also suffer from the symptoms.

Prevention is better than cure

Try to avoid any contact with oak processionary caterpillars.

Do’s
• teach children to keep a safe distance from infested oak trees
• keep pets, animals and livestock away from infested oak trees
• cover your neck, arms and legs

Don’ts
• don’t go near nests and caterpillars
• don’t try to remove nests yourself → report the nest to the local authorities

Did you get in contact with oak processionary caterpillars? Try to scratch or rub as little as possible. Rinse your skin and eyes with lukewarm water. Wash your clothes preferably at 60ºC to remove all bristles.

Strip your skin with sticky tape; stick it onto the skin and then pull it off again. This way you remove the poisonous caterpillar hairs. In case of severe itching, ointment or cream with menthol, aloe vera or calendula can give relief. You can find this at farmacies (‘apotheek’ in Dutch) and drug stores like Kruidvat, Etos and Holland & Barrett.

In general the symptoms disappear within a few days to two weeks.

When to get medical help?

Call a doctor immediately if you have difficulties breathing, get thick eyelids, thick lips or a thick tongue.

In case of eye problems you should seek medical help right away because a bristle in your eye can cause serious consequences. An inflammated eye can lead to blindness.

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The Netherlands wins Eurovision Song Contest after 44 years

Heavenly Holland — Sat, 18 May 2019 23:49:24 +0000

Congrats to Duncan Laurence for winning the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv! Did you know that this is the first Dutch victory since 1975?

Duncan was awarded third place by the professional jury, but he still won thanks to the votes of the televoting. The song ‘Arcade’ is written and composed by himself.

In 2014 Duncan reached the semi-final of the Voice of Holland. He entered the contest through the Blind Auditions with the song ‘Sing’ by Ed Sheeran.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eztx7Wr8PtE

The Netherlands has been participating in the Eurovision Song Contest since 1956. The 2019 victory is the fifth time the Netherlands wins the contest.

Dutch victories of the Eurovision Song Contest

1957 Corry Brokken ‘Net als toen’
1959 Teddy Scholten ‘n Beetje’
1969* Lenny Kuhr ‘De troubadour’
1975 Teach-In ‘Ding-a-dong’
2019 Duncan Laurence ‘Arcade’

* 1969: in a four-way tie with France, Spain and the United Kingdom

Duncan Laurence quick facts

Real name Duncan de Moor
Date of birth 11 April 1994
Place of birth Spijkenisse, the Netherlands

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Tasty appetizers: Tomato tulips

Heavenly Holland — Sun, 12 Aug 2018 10:17:18 +0000

They look like flowers but every single part of this tulip is edible: cherry tomatoes with tasty cream cheese filling and chives for the tulip stems. They make a pretty appetizer or edible table decoration. For Easter, for Mother’s Day or simply to celebrate this tulip season. You can make these tomato tulips in just under 30 minutes.

Ingredients for 16 tomato tulips

• 21 stalks of chives
• 150 grams of cream cheese
• 16 cherry tomatoes
• grilling skewer(s)

Three easy steps to make tomato tulips

1) Finely mince four chives and mix with the cream cheese. Slice the tomato top to slightly above the middle making a x-shaped cut. Use a skewer to poke a hole in the bottom of the tomato.

2) Scoop out the tomato seeds with a teaspoon. Fill the tomato with the cream cheese mixture. Plug a chive stalk into the hole at the bottom.

3) Arrange the tomatoes on a white serving platter in the shape of a bunch of tulips. Wrap the bunch together with a chive.

Keep them refridgerated until ready to serve. These tomato tulips are best served the same day they are made.

Tip: Stick a skewer in each tomato and put them in a glass vase like a bouquet of tulips.

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The cutest border crossing in the world

Heavenly Holland — Sat, 28 Jul 2018 13:20:45 +0000

This border crossing can be found in between De Lutte in the Netherlands and Bad Bentheim in Germany. In the old days the border was crossed by merchants and smugglers on secret trails in the forest. Today the border is hardly visible anymore and turned into a delightful area where residents and visitors can discover the best of both the Netherlands and Germany.

The climbing tower is part of a chain of five wooden climbing stations along cycling and hiking trails along the German-Dutch border in Grafschaft Bentheim. The other four experience stations can be found in Emlichheim, Uelsen, Neuenhaus and Nordhorn.

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Damrak: one of Europe’s busiest streets

Heavenly Holland — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 09:55:44 +0000

Did you know that Damrak is one of Europe’s busiest streets? Damrak runs from Amsterdam central station to Dam Square.

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Jisp: an old whaling village

Heavenly Holland — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 08:24:04 +0000

Did you know that Jisp near Purmerend is an old whaling village? During the 17th century this small community used to have its own vessel to hunt whales in the Arctic Ocean.

Today the nearby Jisperveld is a nature reserve renowned for spotting many species of birds like the spoonbill, ruff and black-tailed godwit.

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Stayokay Dordrecht: a great night’s sleep in freshwater tidal wetlands

Heavenly Holland — Sat, 07 Jul 2018 21:34:57 +0000

The recently renovated Stayokay Dordrecht is located on the outskirts of the oldest city of the Netherlands, and on the edge of The Biesbosch National Park. Wake up in the middle of a green lush area. It is the ideal place to go on an expedition in the national park, which is one of Europe’s largest freshwater tidal wetlands.

The Biesbosch National Park

Enjoy the lush green maze of interconnected rivers, creeks and islands, full of waterfowl, beavers and other wildlife. It is located in two provinces; South Holland and North Brabant. The reserve covers an area of around 9,000 hectares in total, which makes it one of the largest national parks in the Netherlands. The national park was established in 1994 but the Biesbosch history dates back centuries ago. It is located in two provinces; South Holland and North Brabant.

The story of the Biesbosch is unique. The swampy area was formed after dikes gave way in 1421, known as the Saint Elizabeth’s Day Flood. In the old days the Biesbosch was an important area for fishing and harvesting rush, reed and willow branches but now the national park has an significant recreational function. You can explore the park on foot, by canoe or whisper boat or cycle along polders, meadows, fields, rivers and little towns.

There are two Biesbosch visitor centers and a Biesbosch MuseumIsland. One of the visitor centers is located only a stone’s throw away from Stayokay Dordrecht.

Biesbosch Center Dordrecht

Biesbosch Center Dordrecht
click here for opening hours

• free entrance
• Biesbosch exhibit
• watch the 15min movie ‘Biesbosch Water Epos’
• join a guide in search of beavers during twilight
• rent a canoe, kayak, sup or (whisper) boat
• various types of cruises on whisper boats
• walking tours with or without a guide
• restaurant with outdoor terrace
• souvenir shop

Address Biesbosch Center Dordrecht
Baanhoekweg 53
3313 LP Dordrecht
www.biesboschcentrumdordrecht.nl

Biesbosch Center Drimmelen

Biesbosch Center Drimmelen
click here for opening hours

• free entrance
• information desk
• walking tours and excursions
• boat rental
• miniature golf course
• coffeehouse
• B&B
• mini-supermarket

Address Biesbosch Center Drimmelen
Biesboschweg 4
4924 BB Drimmelen
www.biesboschcentrum.nl

Biesbosch MuseumEiland

Biesbosch MuseumEiland
click here for opening hours

The museum shows how mankind has earned his living in the Biesbosch and how we determined the appearance of the area. The Biesbosch MuseumEiland is an excellent base for hiking, cycling and sailing trips in the national park.

• exhibit on the past, present and future of the Biesbosch
• children can build dams in the outdoor playground
• whisper boat cruises
• bicycle rental
• restaurant
• souvenir shop
• wedding location

Address Biesbosch MuseumEiland
Hilweg 2
4251 MT Werkendam
www.biesboschmuseumeiland.nl

Stayokay Dordrecht

The recently renovated Stayokay Dordrecht has 33 rooms with 128 beds: two double rooms and 31 quadruple rooms. The quadruple rooms have two single beds and one bunk bed. When booking a double room, you may be allocated a quadruple room. The remaining beds will not be available for other guests.

Upon arrival you will be given bed linen to make your own bed. Bring your own towels or rent a towel package.

Facilities
free wifi • bar and restaurant • lounge area • waterside terrace • children’s playground • luggage storage • bicycle rent • laundry room • wheelchair accessible • free parking

Free breakfast
The free breakfast buffet includes breads, cheese, jam, chocolate sprinkles, cold cuts, boiled eggs, fruit, cereal and yogurt, as well as fruit juices, milk, tea and different types of coffee.

About Stayokay

Stayokay is a Dutch hostel chain with 22 locations all over the Netherlands. The history of Stayokay dates back to 1929 when it was named NJHC (Nederlandse Jeugdherberg Centrale). The name was changed to Stayokay in 2003.

There are branches in cities like Amsterdam and Maastricht but also on the coast, on islands and in the countryside. Some hostels can be found in the most surprising places; Stayokay Rotterdam is located in one of the famous cube houses and Stayokay Gorssel is housed in a gorgeous Norwegian-style hunting lodge, which used to belong to the royal family. At the Stayokays in Heemskerk and Domburg you sleep in an old castle.

Stayokay offers no unnecessary luxury, but a well-catered stay in informal surroundings.

The clientele of Stayokay is made up of (inter)national guests: couples, solo travelers, families, kids on school trips and other groups. Each locations has shared rooms and private rooms with bathroom facilities. And they all have several common areas, like a lobby, bar and outdoor terrace, where guests can meet fellow travelers in a relaxed atmosphere.

Stayokay is a member of Hostelling International, a worldwide network of thousands of not-for-profit youth hostels in more than 80 countries. You can become a member of Stayokay or Hostelling International and get discounts but staying at Stayokay is open to everyone, with or without a membership.

Location Stayokay Dordrecht

Baanhoekweg 25
3313 LA Dordrecht
www.stayokay.com
phone: +31 (0)78 621 2167

How to get there?

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Starry Night bicycle path inspired by Van Gogh

Heavenly Holland — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 20:16:26 +0000

Did you know that this glow-in-the-dark bicycle path is made of thousands of special stones that charge themselves in the sun and light up in the dark?

The 600 meter long cycle path is inspired by Starry Night and can be found in between Eindhoven and Vincent van Gogh‘s old hometown of Nuenen.

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Archaeological gold mine in the heart of Amsterdam

Heavenly Holland — Thu, 14 Jun 2018 21:58:02 +0000

Did you know that the construction of the North/South metro line (‘Noord-Zuidlijn’ in Dutch) in Amsterdam not only came with a lot of headaches, annoyances and delays but also turned out to be an archaeological gold mine?

The development of the new underground metro line is one of the largest construction projects in Amsterdam ever. Drilling tunnels under the oldest parts of the city was met with a lot of resistance from locals citizens as it caused headaches and sagged buildings.

A wealth of excavated objects of all periods

No less than 700,000 objects were found during the construction of the infamous North/South Line. Since the start of the construction archaeologists dug up all kinds of stuff from the ground; from pot shards to hash pipes and from Nokia 3310’s to coins.

Many historical objects emerged from the construction pits on Damrak and Rokin, where the old riverbed of the Amstel is still deep below street level. In the old days discarded items were thrown in the river and much of it has been well preserved.

All finds have been cleaned, photographed, described and catalogued. A selection of the objects is included in the book ‘Spul’ (translation: ‘Stuff’). On the website www.belowthesurface.amsterdam you can see thousands of objects, arranged in chronological order.

Rokin Station displays

At Rokin Station there are two enormous displays containing 10,000 objects excavated from the bottom of the Amsterdam‘s city center. It showcases everyday items such as lost wallets, phones and specs but also prehistoric spearheads, bones and hamer axes. The displays are located between the escalators at Rokin Station and can be freely visited. Just enter the metro station and go up and down the escalators.

Opening of the North/South Line

Due to a series of setbacks, the North/South Line is completed 7 years later than planned. It also turned out to be considerably more expensive: €3.1 billion in stead of €1.7 billion. The North/South Line will finally open on 22 July 2018.

Tip: Free rides on Saturday 21 July

To celebrate the official opening on 22 July, everybody can ride the North/South Line for free on Saturday 21 July 2018 from 14.00 to 21.00. That afternoon and evening all sorts of festivities take place along the route such as live music performances.

North/South Line

The North/South Line is an important transport artery from the suburbs in Amsterdam North, via the city center to Amsterdam Zuid Station.

The North/South Line will run every 4 minutes during peak hours, with 5-minute intervals during the day and 10-minute intervals in the evening. The eight stations along the route are Station Noord, Noorderpark, Amsterdam Central Station, Rokin, Vijzelgracht, De Pijp, Europaplein and Amsterdam Zuid.

The total length of the route is almost 10km , of which approximately 7km will be underground. The journey time for the entire route is expected to be 16 minutes.

Time-lapse North/South Line June 2012

The North/South Line in short

• Operator: GVB Amsterdam
• Number of stations: 8
• Total distance: 10km
• Average speed: 35km/h
• Maximum speed: 70km/h
• Possible extension to Schiphol Airport in the future

Fun fact

Because the underground route is too narrow for two parallel tunnels, the two running lines are built above and below each other. The metro tunnels run in a vertical alignment between 20 and 35 meters below Amsterdam’s streets, canals and bridges.

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