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This week in the Netherlands: rain, high temperatures, and… snow?!

Heather Slevin
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This week in the Netherlands: rain, high temperatures, and… snow?!

Didn’t catch a glimpse of Mr. Frost last week? Well, we hope you’re enjoying the cold temperatures, because if you didn’t see snow last weekend, you just might see it this week.

In the North-East of the Netherlands, temperatures are due to be icy and cold, with chances of snow in some areas. In the South, temperatures are set to rise, and, along with the warmer weather, is due a whole bucket-load of more rain, reports NU.nl.

Clattering teeth, lots of blankets, and 3cm of snow

A Code Yellow has been issued for areas in the North-East due to dropping temperatures. In the provinces of Groningen, Flevoland, Overijssel, Friesland, and Drenthe, the warning will be in place until 9 AM today.

While, in Utrecht, there are warnings of thick fog until 12 PM today. And, yesterday, a weather warning was issued due to the chance of snowfall. Parts of the Netherlands in the North and East got up to 3cm of snow. ❄

But, other provinces in the North and East of the Netherlands are due to beat out this snow; areas such as Trente can expect up to 7cm of snowfall during this week — so grab those woolly jumpers and hot cups of Chocomel, because it’s going to be a cold one for those in the northeast. 🥶

Rising temperatures and a whole lot a’ rain

The one thing our dear Netherlands is known for is the endless, sprinkling rain. So while in the South of the Netherlands, the colder air is to be expelled by an incoming, warmer wind from France, bringing temperatures up to 10 degrees Celcius — but you’re going to need that trusty umbrella.

Today, the morning will be sunny and brisk, but showers are due to hit in the afternoon, the rain sticking around like an unwanted guest in the evening.

These showers are due to last all week, and, unlike a guest that has shown up uninvited, there’s no way to kindly suggest that they go back to their own home. 👋

people-walking-in-rain-in-amsterdam
It’s set to be rainy in the Netherlands this week, so gear up with your ponchos and umbrellas. Image: Depositphotos

On Tuesday, temperatures in the South will be between 8 and 11 degrees. On Wednesday, temperatures will rise to a slightly warmer 12 degrees, and the rain will continue. 🌧

If you’re planning on taking a water-logged picnic this week, Thursday may be the best day to do it as the rain is to ease until nighttime, with the temperature rising to an estimated 10 degrees.

And again, on Friday, we’re going to see more showers and temperatures between 10 and 14 degrees during the day.

Has there been snowfall in your province? Tell us in a comment below! 👇

It’s official! Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most festive Christmas cities

Heather Slevin
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It’s official! Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most festive Christmas cities

Grab some pepernoten, draft those letters to Sinterklaas, and pop a bottle of Chocomel because we’re celebrating. Why? Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most festive cities!

Amsterdam, home to what feels like a billion canals and endless rain, has ranked among the top 20 most festive Christmas cities in Europe according to a report by Holidu.

And are we surprised? Nee. 🎅

Christmas markets, hashtags, and google searches

Holidu, a booking portal for holiday rentals, put all the figures together to find out which European city really has the best Christmas vibes.

By gathering data such as the number of Instagram hashtags, Global Search Volume, the number of Christmas markets, as well as how many snow days that city can expect during December, they have compiled an epic list of the 20 best Christmassy cities Europe has to offer.

And, Amsterdam, the embodiment of gezellig — which is perhaps the most Christmassy feeling ever — has ranked at number 18. ❄️

people-ice-skating-outside-the-rijksmuseum
Go ice-skating in Amsterdam to feel those delightful Christmas vibes. Image: Depositphotos

With five jam-packed Christmas markets and three hopeful days of snow, Amsterdam is the city to be for those sparkly fairy lights, festive ice rinks, and steaming cups of hot Chocomel.

Vrolijk kerstfeest! (Merry Christmas!)

Europe’s most festive cities

If you plan on leaving the Netherlands for the festive season, you should at least be aiming for somewhere that offers similar vibes.

The ranking of Europe’s most festive cities has shown us exactly which cities we should add to our holiday getaways. Here are the top five most festive Christmas cities in Europe:

  • 1. Berlin ranked right at the top of this list, with an epic 80 Christmas markets in the city during the festive season. Berlin also has an average eight days of snow during December, so pack those thick winter coats and gloves! 🧤
  • 2. Vienna, the capital of Austria, a country known for its snowy ski slopes, had an average of 5,800 monthly searches about the festive season.
  • 3. Prague, in the Czech Republic, has an expected 10 days of snow in December, making it a brilliant city for bundling up and shopping the markets.
  • 4. Munich landed in at number four on the list, making Germany one of Europe’s most festive countries in Europe.
  • 5. Copenhagen in Denmark ranked at number five. With seven Christmas markets to attend during the season, Copenhagen is another great city for those Christmas vibes.

Germany saw three cities reach the top twenty on the list; Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg. Other major cities were Paris, Milan, and Dublin — the latter lost to Amsterdam by just one.

Where will you be headed for cosy Christmas markets? Tell us in a comment below! 👇

BREAKING: Eight Dutchmen sentenced for murder in Mallorca

Heather Slevin
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BREAKING: Eight Dutchmen sentenced for murder in Mallorca

Eight Dutchmen have been sentenced for the murder of Carlo Heuvelman in Mallorca in July 2021. The harshest sentence handed down was a maximum of seven years in prison.

Sanil B., accused of attempted manslaughter, has been sentenced to serve a seven-year sentence after the court in Lelystad determined him guilty, reports the NOS.

The rest of the suspects have received lighter sentences — and people are not impressed.

What happened?

Carlo Heuvelman was murdered by a group of nine Dutchmen in the summer of 2021. The gang of young men was rioting for hours before the attack, which ultimately led to Heavelman’s untimely death.

Now, eight of the nine suspects have been sentenced to serve prison terms, with one suspect being acquitted of all charges.

People are not impressed

Translation: Carlo Heuvelman only enjoyed 27 years of his life before he was kicked to death during his vacation. In 7 years, Sanil B. will also be 27 and free to enjoy the rest of his life. Where is the justice in that?

Sanil B., was accused of kicking Heavelman in the head and causing his death after Heavelman’s DNA was found on his shoes.

Other suspects, such as Hein B. and Mees T, will serve 30-month terms after being accused of unnecessary violence.

So, what was the verdict?

  • Sanil B: 7 years imprisonment
  • Hein B: 30 months imprisonment
  • Mees T: 30 months imprisonment
  • Daan S: 30 months in prison, 6 of which are suspended, alongside probation and TBS
  • Kaan B: 30 months imprisonment
  • Lukas U: 18 months imprisonment
  • Stan F: 12 months imprisonment
  • Lars H: 150 hours of community service and a suspended prison sentence of 2 months

Lower terms than originally demanded

Sanil B., Hein B., and Mees T., all seem to have gotten off lucky. In October this year, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM), had demanded the men serve much longer terms.

Sanil B. was subject to serving a ten-year-long prison term, while the other two main suspects were to serve up to eight years in prison.

However, because the court could not prove that they were directly responsible for Heavelman’s death, they will serve much shorter terms.

As for the other suspects, they have all been handed down heavier punishments than were originally demanded.

Follow DutchReview on Facebook for the latest news and updates.

These Dutch train stations will soon Tikkie you money when you hand in bottles

Gaelle Salem
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These Dutch train stations will soon Tikkie you money when you hand in bottles

It’s time to wave goodbye to awkward receipts. Soon, you’ll be able to deposit your bottles at five of the largest NS stations in the country, and get paid back via Tikkie! 

Before the end of the year, five of the largest NS stations will offer bottle deposit machines, namely Utrecht, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Eindhoven.

Rather than giving you receipts to collect your cash like in supermarkets, you’ll receive the amount directly onto your account by using Tikkie. If you prefer, you can also donate the money to The Plastic Soup Foundation.

A what??

Tikkie is an online system that allows you to send people payment requests via WhatsApp. If someone owes you money, you enter the amount into the Tikkie app and share it with your debtor.

Translation: In Dutch, we don’t say ‘you are a really good friend’, but ‘I’ll send you a Tikkie for that stroopwafel we shared’, and I think that’s really beautiful.

A bit of monetary motivation

Before the bottle deposit machines were introduced, tens of millions of bottles wound-up in the trash at train stations every year. 

Many people often buy bottled beverages at train stations and end up throwing them away rather than depositing them for cash because it’s just more convenient that way — especially if you’re running for the train.

READ MORE | Dutch Quirk #7: Send a Tikkie for virtually nothing

“There is a €0.15 deposit on every small bottle, yet people still throw them away easily. It is a hassle to take it with you on a trip and eventually hand it in at the supermarket or another point of sale”, a spokesperson for NS tells NU.nl.

READ MORE | Tikkie etiquette: the do’s and don’ts of asking for money in the Netherlands

Hence this new initiative! In time, the idea is to have collection points for both bottles and cans at 50 train stations across the Netherlands.

What do you think about NS stations using Tikkie? Tell us in the comments below! 👇

Not to brag but the Dutch just ranked as the best non-native English speakers (yet again!)

Liana Risseeuw 🇱🇰
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Not to brag but the Dutch just ranked as the best non-native English speakers (yet again!)

If you thought Dutchies’ superpower was riding bikes like absolute pros… just wait until you hear them speaking English!

The Dutch have once again rocketed to the very top of the EF English Proficiency Index, with the highest English proficiency rates out of the whopping 111 countries tested. 🚀

Amsterdam is the city with the best non-native English skills (again!)

Beating English-speaking heavyweights Copenhagen (#2) and Stockholm (#3), Amsterdam has nabbed the crown as the best non-native English-speaking city. 👑

And this isn’t the first time the city has bested the rest, oh nee!

READ MORE | Why are the Dutch so good at speaking English?

The EF uses a points system to rank countries from “Very High Proficiency” to “Very Low Proficiency”, with data collected from 2.1 million people in 111 countries.

Amsterdam, at 673 points, actually ranks a whole 10 points higher than last year, where the city also dominated the list.

What other countries have serious English skills?

Although DutchReview is thrilled that the Netherlands is once again ruling the charts, it’s interesting to see what other countries have shot to the top.

So, without further ado — let’s get to the results!

EF EPI 2022 rankings:

1Netherlands
2Singapore
3Austria
4Norway
5Denmark
6Belgium
7Sweden
8Finland
9Portugal
10Germany
11Croatia
12South Africa
13Poland

Where did your country rank on the list? Tell us all about it in the comments below!

BREAKING: three sentenced to life in prison after MH17 flight downing

Juni Moltubak
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BREAKING: three sentenced to life in prison after MH17 flight downing

Three suspects involved in the MH17 case have officially been handed down life sentences by the District Court of The Hague. A fourth suspect has been acquitted.

The suspects were deemed co-perpetrators in the downing of the passenger plane that crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17th, 2014, writes the NOS.

The Malaysia Airlines flight flew over Eastern Ukraine while fighting occurred between pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian army. Over 200 Dutch citizens were on board when the plane was shot down by a missile.

Played an essential role

The District Court of The Hague stated that the suspects played an essential role in firing the Buk missile that hit the plane, killing 298 people in total.

The perpetrators did not intend to hit a passenger plane, but rather assumed it was a military aircraft. Still, the actions were of criminal nature.

“Life in prison” — but not really

Firstly, two of the three people who were sentenced, Sergey Dubinskiy and Igor Girkin, are Russian. However, it is uncertain whether they will ever actually end up behind bars.

Why? Russia doesn’t allow its own nationals to be extradited.

Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the third suspect, Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko, is also unknown, NU.nl reports.

There will still be some repercussions for the convicts. The court also ruled that the men must pay roughly €16 million in compensation to the next of kin of their victims.

Want the latest Dutch news to come zooming through the internet to your inbox? Dat kan! Subscribe to DutchReview’s weekly roundup 📮

Feature Image: Dutch Ministry of Defence/Wikimedia Commons/CC1.0

The Netherlands could see SNOW this weekend with temps dropping below zero

Liana Risseeuw 🇱🇰
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The Netherlands could see SNOW this weekend with temps dropping below zero

It’s time to break out the glühwein (mulled wine) and cry over energy bills, because colder-than-average temperatures are expected to hit the Netherlands this weekend — with a chance of snow! ☃️

Temperatures are set to dip below zero, which is unseasonable cold for this time of year, writes RTL Nieuws.

In fact, previous years have always seen an average of about 10 degrees Celsius for mid-to-late November. Brrr!

Winter is (definitely) coming

Talking to RTL Nieuws, meteorologist Martijn Dorrestein even hinted at temperatures falling to an icy -4 degrees!

This weekend will mark the arrival of a cold stream of air from Eastern Europe, with Saturday the first day to have temperatures around freezing.

READ MORE | How to survive the Dutch winter: weather, clothing, and more

However, it’s largely the north and northeast of the country that’ll feel this cold wave’s chilly fingers.

The south of the Netherlands still receives comparatively warmer weather, due to a supply of warm air from Southern Europe.

Here today, gone next week

Unfortunately for Frosty (and hoera for our energy bills), these surprisingly icy temperatures aren’t expected to last longer than a week.

Temperatures next Thursday are set to be around 10 degrees Celsius during the day and 5 degrees at night.

What do you think about these surprisingly icy temperatures? Tell us all about it in the comments below!

The Amsterdam Light Festival is almost here, here’s how to enjoy it

Juni Moltubak
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The Amsterdam Light Festival is almost here, here’s how to enjoy it

Nothing brightens up a dark December evening like a marvellous light festival, and Amsterdam is preparing for just that.

Between December 1 and January 22, the Dutch capital will be sprinkled with light fixtures, in Amsterdam Light Festival’s eleventh edition.

Imagine beyond

A mix of Dutch and international artists have created as many as 20 artworks, around the theme of “Imagine Beyond” — a concept designed to entice the audience’s imagination.

READ MORE | 9 awesome light festivals in the Netherlands: what’s lit, where, and when?

The creative theme was inspired by the imaginative spirit with which Amsterdam itself was created. It also hopes to foster imaginative ideas about the future of the Dutch capital.

How to get the best light festival experience

If you want to enjoy the Amsterdam Light Festival, you can wander the picturesque canal streets of Amsterdam between 5 PM and 11 PM.

You can always walk around on your own, but the experience is bound to get even more interesting if you join a guided tour of the festival.

Here are some options for those looking for the full experience:

The whole route will typically take a bit over an hour to walk, but that all depends on your own speed. Just remember to wrap up in warm clothes — the Netherlands is about to take a turn for the cold! 🥶

What are your top tips for a great light festival experience? Tell us in the comments below!

Squatters occupy Russian billionaire’s Amsterdam building — and the court says they can stay

Gaelle Salem
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Squatters occupy Russian billionaire’s Amsterdam building — and the court says they can stay

A group of squatters who moved into out-of-town Russian billionaire Arkady Volozh’s building in Amsterdam will be allowed to stay.

We’re not sure if this is meant as a giant middle finger to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but we like to think it is.

Volozh acquired much of his wealth from creating the highly-popular Russian online search engine, Yandex.

As any, rational billionaire does, he built a home on one of the most expensive streets in Amsterdam, Vossiusstraat. However, his fancy home has since been occupied by squatters. 🏠

Well, that must be one heck of a nice apartment to be squatting in, that’s for sure. 😏

Why are the squatters allowed to stay there?

In short, the billionaire was placed on the Sanctions List after being accused by Brussels of taking part in Kremlin’s propaganda machine, writes RTL Nieuws.

READ MORE | This independent Russian news channel has made Amsterdam it’s new home

As a result, he’s not allowed to enter the EU — which means that ultimately, the court ruled in favour of the squatters, stating that there’s no reason to really kick them out. 🤷

Argument after argument dismissed

The only legitimate way to get the squatters to leave is through renovation, but this has also been deemed unfeasible due to the sanctions and the very fact that Volozh would acquire capital growth if it were renovated.

READ MORE | The Netherlands wants to ban Russians from getting tourist visas

Volozh’s lawyers pleaded with the court, sharing that the building was intended for private use and that the billionaire’s family would have liked to use it as a holiday home with his family. 

However, this was ruled out as well simply because he can’t enter the EU… you know… because of the sanctions.

What do you think about the squatters staying in Volozh’s home? Tell us in the comments below! 👇

Featured image: Marcel Mulder/Wikimedia Commons/CC3.0

Dutch cabinet plans to let military soldiers in uniform travel by train for free

Gaelle Salem
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Dutch cabinet plans to let military soldiers in uniform travel by train for free

Dutch political party VVD wants to push for free train travel for every soldier in military uniform — and plans to present this with the defence budget later today.

In Germany, military soldiers have been given the opportunity to travel by train for free since 2020. 

Now, the Dutch finally want to jump on the bandwagon and offer its own comrade-in-arms the same benefit.

The VVD’s strategy

“This is good for the recognition, visibility, and appreciation of our soldiers,” Dutch politician of the VVD, Peter Valstar, tells RTL Nieuws. 

Like many businesses in the Netherlands, the Dutch armed forces are facing a shortage of personnel and have been looking for ways to attract more people.

picture-of-dutch-military-soldiers-in-uniform-walking-on-road-in-netherlands
Dutch military soldiers are falling in number, and a solution is needed. Image: Depositphotos

Fortunately, the VVD has a solution: If soldiers are offered free train travel, they’ll make an appearance in and around train stations in the Netherlands more often. 

The cabinet hopes that more youngsters will see these soldiers in uniform and be inclined to join the army in the future. 

READ MORE | Getting a cheap Dutch train ticket: 7 tips for the best deals

“Defence has a big challenge, ten thousand vacancies. And that number is only increasing. I hope that the visibility of uniforms will also make young boys and girls look up to soldiers and think: I want that too later”, Valstar tells RTL Nieuws.

Other parties are more or less in agreement

Several Dutch political parties have shown interest in the VVD’s plan, stating that they’re in favour of having more military personnel seen in public.

However, most want to see further elaboration and substantiation before offering their full support.

READ MORE | What was the Eighty Years’ War? The Dutch War of Independence explained

“I want the minister to consult with the Dutch Railways about whether that is also practical and feasible here,” Valstar explains to RTL Nieuws.

While the majority believe the plan to be a sympathetic one, it also stirred thoughts that others on a low-income budget, like teachers, would want free train travel too. 

READ MORE | Train between Amsterdam and London saved: will more than double capacity in future

Left-wing parties, like SP and PvdA, agree. They’re against the decision to offer free train travel solely to military personnel — believing that it should be free for larger groups too.

What do you think about the plan to give Dutch military soldiers free train travel? Tell us in the comments below!

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