THOSE WHO LOOK BEHIND UNDERSTAND MORE WHEN TRAVELING
In search of what makes a country special
Looking back
In the past, travel guides usually began with a long chapter on the history of a city or country. Today, the order is: hotels, restaurants, museums, sports facilities and excursions.
However, the story is an interesting approach to learning about the specific character of a country.
We have tried it out.
On a trip to Amsterdam, the two guides offered a tempting selection of excellent restaurants, stylish hotels, world-class museums and interesting routes through Amsterdam, on foot, by bike and by boat.
A look at the map
Water – the sea, the rivers and the canals are the defining elements of the Netherlands. Therefore, it is not the magnificent Rijksmuseum or the famous Rembrandt House that offer the key to better understanding the history of the Netherlands and thus the character of Amsterdam, but the Maritime Museum.
The National Maritime Museum, Amsterdam © HSM, Eddo Hermann
The four cardinal points denote the four wings of the building in which the fascinating history of Dutch seafaring can be experienced.
A replica of the historic ship East Indiaman Amsterdam and the royal launch also await visitors in front of the building.
The world’s first public limited company
The Dutch East India Company was the first organization in the world to issue shares to finance its trade in spices and other Asian treasures. 4,700 ships sailed the seas on behalf of the Dutch East India Company, holding monopolies on spices such as nutmeg, vanilla and pepper and defending them against other seafaring nations such as Portugal and England.
Dutch seafaring still characterizes the cityscape of Amsterdam today. The global network can be experienced directly in maritime trade. The knowledge of shipping, trade, water management and the food industry are still the basis of the Netherlands’ wealth today.
Golden splendor
The royal barge in the museum adds to the impression of a long history and continuity that can still be seen and experienced on many buildings in Amsterdam today.
The National Maritime Museum, Amsterdam
In every country, in every city, there is a piece of its history to discover. It’s worth digging a little deeper.
After looking at the history, you see Amsterdam with different eyes.
The most pious person cannot live in peace if …
Dictators and autocrats like to rewrite maps and history books in their own way so that future generations do not even begin to have doubts.
A glance at the actual map often quickly reveals the curse or blessing of a country’s location. Natural resources can mean wealth or war. Ukraine could be a prosperous, peaceful country if the neighboring country were a different one. Professor Timothy Snyder never tires of telling the story of Ukraine in his lively lectures at Yale University. Prime Minister Netanyahu used maps in his speech to the UN General Assembly to get his point across more effectively.
The traveler sees the gardens in Singapore as a tourist attraction – but they are also an expression of the priority given to modern water management, as the small city has little access to natural water sources.
A glance at the map or the globe already tells an important part of the story. For more details there are guidebooks, The guidebooks we used for Amsterdam were the Amsterdam Guide by Monocle and by Louis Vuitton. Both are highly recommended.
Photographs © GloirousMe 2024
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