Netherlands
The Netherlands (or Holland as it is often known) is a small but historically hugely influential country in the north west of Europe. Surrounded by Belgium and Germany and with a coastline on the North Sea, the Netherlands has played an important part in the development of the continent and actually the whole world. The population of the country is almost 17 million and although the only official language is Dutch, English is spoken to a high standard in the larger cities, especially Amsterdam. Indeed, for many tourists Amsterdam is as far as they get on their visit to the country. The sights of the capital and its somewhat notorious lifestyle make it one of the most popular tourist cities in Europe.
There is plenty to see outside of Amsterdam however, such as The Hague with its excellent beach resorts, Rotterdam - home of the largest port in all of Europe and Maastricht, one of the most ancient Roman towns on the continent. Serviced apartments in the Netherlands are found all over the country from the largest cities to small towns and coastal areas. The weather is typically northern European with summer temperatures reaching the mid-20s Celsius, although winter temperatures tend to stay above freezing.
