History Studies conducted in 1937 by Rijkswaterstaat…read more(Department of Public Works), showed that safety in many parts of the Netherlands could not be guaranteed at times of storms and high sea levels. In the densely populated areas near the river mouths of the Rhine, the Meuse, and the Schelde, it proved very difficult to build new dikes or strengthen the original ones. The first solution was to close all the river mouths: the Western Schelde, the Eastern Schelde, the Haringvliet, and the Brouwershavense Gat. This proposal was christened 'the Deltaplan'. In 1950, the first river mouths of the Brieles' Gat and the Botlek were closed. The Brielse Maas became a freshwater basin. This not only made the area safer, but it also provided Voorne with a freshwater supply. The plan was to build the remaining dams in the following decades. Unfortunately though, the infamous flood of 1953 prevented this from happening. Nearly two thousand people died and more than 150,000 hectares of land were flooded. People soon became aware that something had to be done, and very, very quickly. Twenty days after the flood of 1953, the Delta commission was inaugurated. The commission would give advice about the execution of the Deltaplan, that would, in the long run, increase the safety of the Delta area. Although safety was the number one priority, the seaways De Nieuwe Waterweg and the Western Schelde would have to stay open, because of the economic importance of the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. In order to be able to build dams in the rivers' mouths, some auxiliary dams would first have to be built in the Zandkreek, the Krammer, the Grevelingen, and the Volkerak. These dams were known as 'compartment dams', since they would divide the large area of water into multiple compartments. In 1959, the Delta Law was passed, in order to organise the construction of the dams. The building of the 'Deltaworks' was such an enormous project, that it was sometimes referred to as the 'eighth wonder of the world' - and not without good reason. When you think about the Deltaworks, the first things which probably come to mind are steel and concrete. However, the people who built the Deltaworks did not simply place the heavy constructions on the bottom of the sea. With regard to the Oosterschelde, for instance, the bottom was so weak that specially made mattresses filled with stones had to be placed on the bottom. Geological research was required in order to find out more about the layers of the earth. Within the following pages of this section, you will find more information about geology in general, the geology of the Netherlands, and the geology of the Delta region. The environment was very important too when considering the design of the Deltaworks. Some dams could only be closed during particular circumstances, i.e. when the tides and the winds were favourable. And you may almost forget: why were the Deltaworks built anyway? Exactly, because of flood disasters, caused by a combination of extreme weather conditions and spring tide. Knowledge of the weather and the climate is especially important when building something as large as the Deltaworks. The most advanced computer programmes were used to calculate the wind speeds and the currents, before the Maeslantkering and Oosterscheldekering could first be closed. Now the Deltaworks have been completed, research into (the change of) climates still has priority, since climate changes could have an effect on the sea levels. In the Netherlands, in which about half of the country lays below sea level, swimming is still a preferred solution to sinking. Lastly, the Dutch landscape and some serious (global) environmental problems will be discussed. The Dutch landscape has been influenced particularly during the last two thousand years, since humans entered the area. Three prominent types of landscape will be described: the sea clay landscape, the river clay landscape and the dune landscape. Moreover, four environmental problems will be discussed: the rise sea level, the dangers to fish, the depletion of the ozone layer and water pollution. All these problems have (indirect) effects on us. It is not too late though and we can do a lot to help by treating our environment responsibly.

The Delta Neeltje Jans, or Deltawerke, in Middleburg in the Netherlands is one of a serious of…read moreprojects in the area of land reclamation and sea defence. This particular project is a museum and information centre, bordering on a theme park, aimed at educating people on the amount of damage caused to agriculture and industry in the surrounding areas. To counter this, a barrier was built to keep the water away from the land, which is what the project centres on. The centre consists of a cafeteria, a film-room, a gift shop and several areas allowing visitors to see exactly what the project has entailed. It's brightly coloured and purpose built. Just outside the centre is a walkway to the actual barrier itself, which looks like a bridge from the outside. There's a seal show, and behind that there's a childrens play area with a water theme, so a slide into water and waterwheels, etc, and further along there's a childrens museum in the shape of a whale. At the project itself, visitors are able to descend into one of the towers of the barrier, where films and information posters are shown along the way. The idea of centring a museum on one of the Delta land reclamation and sea defence projects is a good one, but I think that unless you're interested in the themes, there's little to be impressed with. However, I'd imagine children would thoroughly enjoy the attractions here for them.

A well laid out museum with a large collection of masterpieces from artists like Rembrandt, Vermeer…read moreand Ruebens. The famous Girl with the Pearl Earring is captivating but there are many others worth viewing. Check out the lower level and its presentation about how the museum dealt with occupation during WWII.

I'm not typically an art fan but as it houses some very famous paintings I decided it was a must…read moresee! It's well laid out and easy to move around even when it's busy. I recommend going when they open to avoid any crowds around the girl with the pearl earring. It was amazing to see The Bull in person. I never realised the scale of the paining but it's fast and incredible to see in person. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff and a fun gift shop if you're into trinkets and educational books. Well worth a visit, even if you're not a museum/art person.

A very unique experience, though a bit pricey at around $24 USD (€20-22). It's important to know…read morethat this isn't a traditional museum; it's a high-tech art storage center that happens to be open to the public. The focus is really on the "behind-the-scenes" of art preservation--how pieces are crated, cleaned, and stored in climate-controlled rooms. The building itself is a masterpiece. It spans several floors, and while the individual sections feel small, the central atrium with its zig-zagging staircases is massive. There's an elevator if you want to skip the stairs! They offer free 10-minute "walk-in" tours of the storage compartments, plus more detailed "behind-the-scenes" tours that are worth the extra look. The top floor has a great cafe/restaurant (Renilde) and an outdoor space with a forest of birch trees. The 360-degree view of Rotterdam is breathtaking. If you love architecture or are curious about how museums actually work, it's worth the price. If you just want to see a standard art gallery, you might find it a bit expensive.

The Boijmans is the main art museum in Rotterdam. It opened in 1847, originally with the collection…read moreof Frans Jacob Otto Boijmans. Since then, it has grown and now contains some of the preeminent works of art. Not just Dutch artists, the collection includes Rembrant, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, René Magritte and Salvador Dalí. And those are just the more famous. There are Rubens and Bosch and many more! A friend of mine had visited a few months ago and found the Rembrant/Dali wing was closed. That wing was open this time, but the Kandinsky wing was closed. I'm a big fan of Kandinsky and I have a few posters of his work and his contemporaries. I was bummed. Even bummed, I still enjoyed the Bruegel "Tower of Babel", one of the most famous paintings in Rotterdam. And the Rodin sculptures. Amazing artworks! The museum wasn't particularly crowded on this weekday and they had no issue with photographs, as long as the flash was disabled. An audio tour is available, which I strongly recommend. Note: The museum is a member of the Museumkaart system, so if you're planning on visiting more than three or four museums in the Netherlands, get the card!

This was a very nice museum. I really enjoyed the exhibit here. Before coming, i read that the…read moremuseum had been closed and renovated. If that's true, they did a wonderful job. The rooms are layers out in a timeline. The very first thing you see is a video that goes over the battle at Dunkirk. You then move on to learn about the civilians, life during the war, and Dunkirk's place in all of that. There are a lot of artifacts and memorabilia. There is a very well done model of some of the shops involved in the rescue. And there is a lot to read! You can easily spend a good hour learning about this important piece of history. I highly recommend a visit.

Loved this museum. It's a small museum but very interesting. It captures storytelling of Escher's…read morelife and how it is portrayed in his art. Loved how the rooms are laid out for this purpose as well. Good labeling on the pieces and useful to have the free audio tour accessible via phone.

Fantastic museum for any one who appreciates interesting art or is an Escher lover. The museum has…read morea QR code that you can scan which provides a free overview of the most popular prints. You can read or listen to the guide. This was very helpful in getting the background story on the art and covers the top 12. There are 2 floors of prints from Escher and artists who were inspired by him. No parking.

A well laid out and inviting museum that allows you to get up close to some of the best artowrks by…read morethe Flemish masters. Van Eyck and Bosch are represented, as well as a smattering of post-modern artists from the 20th century. I enjoyed how each room represented a particular artistic movement chronologically. A nice way to spend 90 minutes or so.

Flemish art overload. Allow 1-3/4 hours. Each room had multi-lingual explanatory cards (a great…read moreidea). + padded benches €30 for 2

Nice setup, with informative plaques. It's not crowded, and the museum takes you through the…read moreexhibition in a way that creates a good flow. It's well worth the money (9euros per person for adults). On the down side, it's not wheelchair or walkerframe friendly. Bonus tip: you can get tickets for the witch "museum" there too.. that too, is super cool, and right next to the torture museum

We loved the torture museum. Shocked at what was done thru the years. 20 euro for 3 adults…read more Probably spent 45 minutes here.

A WWI history excursion to Belgium would not be complete without spending time here. The building…read morein which it is housed is a sight unto itself as it features wonderful architecture. The museum allows a somewhat personalized visit as a watch issued upon entry allows registration of basic information such as nationality and preferred language. One can then activate certain displays to get a response specific to that information. There are many items of interest to the history buff and the casual observer alike. It will require two to three hours at minimum to take in all of the information though some will spend more. The displays are excellent. The multimedia presentation is gripping and very well done featuring re-enactments of the accounts of medical personnel. For an extra cost, you can choose to climb the tower to take in the magnificent views afforded by the perspective from the top. Overall, this is a must-see if you are visiting Ypres. The information presented is outstanding, the displays are well done and the museum is well laid out. The €9 fee is unquestionably worth it.

What do you do when you've already visited Brussels & Bruges? We decided to take an In Flanders…read moreFields tour that includes admission to this museum. It was a great tour! It's located in the reconstructed Cloth Hall (Lakenhalle) at Grote Markt in Ypres. Did you know that it had been totally destroyed during WWI? You would never know this by looking at it. The museum itself is very well done. It focuses on the battles of the Ypres Salient. It's the Western Front in WWI that covered about 9.2 square miles and formed a semicircle around Ypres. The objective of the museum is to show more of the human side of the trench warfare battlefield through personal experiences and artifacts. There's a great amount of information about the artillery projectiles that were responsible for two-thirds of all deaths on the battlefield. There's also a display of medical items used to dress these wounds during the battle and at Advanced Dressing Stations such as the one in Essex Farm. The chemical warfare exhibit is the most haunting of them all, but then you'll see art in the midst of all of it. The art pieces are scattered throughout the displays as a segue or transition that humanizes the subject matter. My only regret is not purchasing the audio guide. They give you a microchipped poppy bracelet that allows you to enter. It can be personalized, but no one really gives you any instructions on how to program it. Who has the time for that anyway? It can be used with the interactive displays to scan for personal stories of people who lived through the war. You can keep the bracelet as a souvenir. We just dropped it back into the dedicated container on the way out. There's an option to climb up to the bell tower if you have the time. We also saw a nice café in the museum with a gift shop. We had a very nice visit at the museum and Ypres. It's a beautiful city!

This museum has things going back to the 1400s. Very well preserved and interesting history about…read morea famous wealthy person. It's a must see for history buffs.

This museum is a gorgeous interlude showing the history of Bruges over time as well as medieval…read morehistory in general. Definitely worth checking out for anyone who enjoys history and/or art. One pleasant surprise is the balcony on an upper floor that provides a very nice view of Bruges! You also can peek into the neighboring church in the way that the wealthy family who once lived here used to do--from their private oratory.