NETHERLANDS NUGGETS

A Day in Dordrecht

Traveling to a relatively tourist free destination in the Netherlands and appreciating its inherent calm

The Leuvebrug intersection in the center of Dordrecht. On the right you can see various signboards indicating the directions to the city’s major landmarks [Photograph: Vickey Maverick]

When you have travelled to a particular country on many occasions with every subsequent trip, you try to visit a new place, hitherto unexplored. And it is not always an easy thing to cull out. I suffer from a similar plight when it comes to the Netherlands.

Amsterdam is without doubt the largest and most beautiful city in the Netherlands, but I believe Rotterdam is more centrally located. A traveler can cover a lot of places if he/she is based in the country’s second largest metropolis. If you are contemplating multiple day trips during your stay, Rotterdam offers a lot more options.

Every time me and my better half head to the Netherlands, we make it a point to begin our trip in Rotterdam. Making the port city our first base helps in planning, as also in the proper execution, of the travel plans. This time, it was no different, either.

In fact, on this occasion, the initial plan was to head to Utrecht on one of the days. But since we had been to the country’s fourth largest city earlier, we decided to venture into unchartered territory. Being a traveler has a huge advantage vis-à-vis being a tourist, as…