The Netherlands - or Holland, as many people prefer to call it - sits in a small corner of Europe that measures roughly 41,500 sq km, and with a population of 16.25 million is probably Europe's most densely inhabited country. Despite this, the Netherlands retains a feeling of space, freedom and organisation, the main concentration of the population occurring in the bigger towns and, of course cities, such as Amsterdam, the capital, and Rotterdam. It shares borders with Germany and Belgium with the North Sea facing its north and western fringes, and as over half of Holland lies below sea level, it is essentially a flat and wet country, vast quantities of which having been reclaimed from the sea over a number of centuries. The Rhine flows through the centre of the Netherlands contributing to the level of water in the vast network of canals that criss-cross the country - water courses that are controlled by dykes and inter-sect a rich and fertile landscape that never rises to a hill, except in the south eastern Limburg province.

With its liberal attitudes and cosmopolitan nature, the Netherlands is a hugely popular destination for a holiday, accommodation in Holland being plentiful in both urban and rural situations offering opportunities that will appeal to people of all ages. Summer temperatures are reliably good and attract the most visitors, although spring-time is un-missable if you want to see every available field between the canals and windmills carpeted in daffodils and tulips - scenery that is both breathtakingly colourful and typically Dutch and perfect for anyone whose idea of a relaxing holiday involves being out in fresh air and beautiful countryside. Winter has its own special attraction when freezing temperatures mean ice skating can be enjoyed on the canals and flood plains.

Culture lovers will find all they want in the towns and cities, which are renowned for their cleanliness and friendly atmosphere, stunning architecture and sense of history, and the profusion of canals means the principle form of transport is the bicycle, allowing you the chance to really discover what makes this such a unique and fascinating country. Holiday farmhouses in Utrecht are ideally located in a region of the Netherlands where a peaceful, rustic way of life can be tempered by the excitement of day trips to either Amsterdam or Rotterdam, both cities being within easy travelling distance, although renting the holiday apartments in Amsterdam will remove the need to travel there in the first place! Alternatively, a holiday home in Drenthe, a region in the north of Holland, might suit a family whose love of outdoor pursuits and wide open spaces is more important - a place where the largest forest in the Netherlands provides the potential for an endless range of activities in some of the finest Dutch countryside to be found.

Back to holidays in The Netherlands