Centrally-located, bustling, and well-connected big cities — the Randstad area in the Netherlands is popular for a reason. So why are people leaving?
Well, quite simply, it seems Dutch people prefer the countryside, less packed neighbourhoods, and more peace and quiet.
By Dutch design
Randstad literally means “round city”/”circle city”, and it’s an area including the four biggest cities in the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht), and everything between them.
It’s designed to merge the main Dutch cities, making work, commuting, and living easier and more efficient.
For quite some time now, though, it’s been an increasing trend that people choose to move away from the area, writes NOS. They seem to prefer “the rest of the Netherlands“, as we like to call it. 🤭
Suits some, but not all
It’s ideal for some, such as young professionals living flexible and dynamic lifestyles and people who just moved to the Netherlands, looking for that international-friendly city life.
We’re talking students, 20-somethings, and busy international workers.
Veel aandacht voor de zogenaamde trek uit de Randstad, maar als je vervolgens naar dit kaartje van CBS kijkt zie je dat bijv Almere een van de populairste bestemmingen is – een gemeente die sterk verbonden is met Amsterdam. Dat is geen trek uit de Randstadhttps://t.co/RhzeiwwOXEpic.twitter.com/G5lRY0KINE
Translation: “Much attention is paid to the so-called Randstad migration, but if you then look at this map from CBS, you will see that Almere, for example, is one of the most popular destinations – a municipality that is strongly linked to Amsterdam. That’s not an exodus from the Randstad.“
When it comes to healthcare, education, and culture, the Dutch capital ranked among the top 10 most livable cities in the world — and are we surprised? Nee.
According to The Global Liveability Index 2022, Amsterdam managed to snag spot 9 in the top 10, moving all the way up from 21st place since last year.
The index gave to each city scores for stability, healthcare, culture & environment, education, and infrastructure. The rankings were then determined by the average of these combined scores.
City
Rank
Vienna, Austria
1
Copenhagen, Denmark
2
Zurich, Switzerland
3
Calgary, Canada
3
Vancouver, Canada
5
Geneva, Switzerland
6
Frankfurt, Germany
7
Toronto, Canada
8
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
9
Osaka, Japan
10
Melbourne, Australia
10
A majority of the top 10 cities are in Western Europe and Canada, save for Osaka and Melbourne.
Did Amsterdam really improve?
The Global Liveability Index also pointed out that Amsterdam made one of the biggest improvements in the ranking over the last year.
They attributed it to the move back to “normal life” after high COVID-19 vaccinations and the easing of restrictions.
Likewise, Amsterdam ranked in the top 10 dream cities to work in — but some may say otherwise.
Plenty of international students were forced to drop out of their studies due to the lack of student accommodation, not to mention the housing shortage across the whole country.
Indeed, Amsterdam may be livable, but it’s proven to be a task and a half to move there.
What do you think of this year’s ranking? Tell us in the comments!
On top of the staff shortage, travellers don’t always find themselves and their bags on the same flight — probably the most important thing an airport should guarantee. 🤔
As many travellers continue to wait in long queues and struggle to get to their plane, they end up missing their flight and need to have their bags retrieved from the cargo.
Since Schiphol’s management skills aren’t really up to par right now, many people eventually end up getting separated from their luggage.
On the other hand, the chaos at Schiphol isn’t all over. Schiphol already put a cap on the number of travellers per day for the next couple of months. So, we guess only time will tell.
Have you been personally affected by Schiphol’s mismanagement? Tell us in the comments below! 👇
It’s no news that the housing shortage is taking its toll on students in the Netherlands — and internationals are no exception to this. Hopeful students are now dropping out of Dutch universities due to a lack of accommodation.
According to the knowledge centre for student housing, there will be up to 26,500 student rooms too few this autumn, forcing many to make the difficult decision to drop out.
No house, no studies
The Netherlands is a very popular study destination for international students. With low tuition fees, high English proficiency, and the legal framework of the EU to guarantee Europeans university access, it’s no wonder students flock to the lowlands.
Earlier this summer, however, Dutch universities made headlines with their warnings telling international students not to come to the Netherlands if they don’t know they’ll have a place to stay.
Fair enough, nobody wants to be homeless, right? But the situation has caused frustration and disappointment for thousands of prospective students, writes De Telegraaf.
Some have now been forced to follow the authorities’ advice and drop out before they even begin their studies.
Creative (and pretty terrible) solutions
For those determined enough to make the move despite the grim housing crisis, some creative solutions are on offer:
The University of Utrecht has reserved a bunch of hostel beds as temporary accommodation for those in need, with couch surfing and tent life being secondary (but not very ideal) options.
Some students don’t want to spend their studies living in a park, however (silly snowflakes) and are simply unable to find a solution. The result? Their dream of studying in the Netherlands must be abandoned.
What do you think about the student housing situation? Tell us in the comments below!
This morning, an 18-year-old man was arrested at Rotterdam The Hague Airport for sending passengers a photo of a crashed plane right before taking off.
The man was travelling to Croatia on a Transavia flight when he decided it was a goed idee (good idea) to AirDrop the dubious photo to dozens of passengers on the plane. 🥴
AirDrop is a Bluetooth feature from Apple that can send files, such as photos, to other Apple devices within a 30-foot radius. People receiving AirDrop files can choose whether to accept the sent file before seeing it.
Arrested for the threat
While the man claimed that it was a joke, The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee considered it a threat and arrested him for suspicious behaviour.
“These are not the jokes you should make at an airport, especially not on an airplane. We see this as a threat. That is why it has been decided to arrest the man”, a spokesperson for Marechaussee tells AD.
Hugo de Groot, also known as Hugo Grotius, can easily be called one of the greatest scholars in Dutch history. A philosopher and a thinker, he laid the foundations for international law.
Yet despite his importance today, he was not quite appreciated in his own time and was even sentenced to life in prison. Who was he, and what was his ideology?
Who was Hugo de Groot?
Hugo de Groot (born Huigh de Groot) was born in 1583 in Delft. His father, Jan de Groot, was a well-known scholar, and it soon became clear that the junior De Groot was a very intelligent kid as well.
By the time he was eight years old, he was already able to understand Latin and Greek. At the age of 11, he started his studies at Leiden University. Within three years, he produced some of his first important work, and shortly after, he became the chief legal advisor of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt. Oldenbarnevelt was one of the key names of the early days of the Dutch Revolt.
Between the years 1599 and 1607, Hugo de Groot had his own workplace in The Hague, where he ran a law practice. In 1607, with the advice of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, he started his duty as a tax lawyer at both the Court of Holland and the Supreme Court.
One of his most important works, Mare Liberum (meaning ‘The Free Sea’), was completed in 1609, laying the foundation for modern natural and international law. It was written to justify a hijacking done by the Dutch East India Company.
In Mare Liberum, he defended the principle that the sea is for everyone. Therefore, the incident which took place in the Indian waters was simply irrelevant.
During his work for Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, Hugo de Groot also drafted the ideology of religious tolerance.
He had nothing to do with fanatical Calvinism and preferred a softer approach. According to him, in order to maintain civil order, it was only necessary to enforce basic ideas such as the existence of a God or Divine Providence. Everything else should be left to the individual’s private conscience. These claims caused some trouble and resulted in his arrest.
In 1619, De Groot was transferred to Slot Loevestein where he was to spend the rest of his life. Shortly after, his wife Maria van Reigersberch joined him voluntarily (now that’s devotion). During his time as a prisoner, De Groot was allowed to read and therefore continue to broaden his work.
For a prison, it’s not half bad. Image: Depositphotos
He would often receive the books in big book chests, and even though these were inspected each time in the beginning, the controls loosened up as time passed. In 1621, with the help of his wife, Hugo de Groot managed to escape from Slot Loevestein in a book chest. After three years in captivity, he was free once again.
In Christianity, it was believed that humans were not capable of living together in peace and that only religious devotion could save the world from slipping into chaos.
The options were, therefore, clear: either live a life in despair, sin, and death or accept your immortal insignificance and find faith. De Groot started questioning this dogma, wondering whether a fully functioning society was possible without divine devotion and only based on one’s activities alone.
Next time you visit Delft, look for Hugo de Groot’s statue in front of Nieuwe Kerk! Image: Depositphotos
With new civilizations being discovered beyond the known continents, the lives of foreign nations — which were free from the dogmas of Christianity — began to spark the interest of 17th-century philosophers. In light of all of this, Hugo de Groot started exploring the idea of a world beyond religion.
How can humanity survive if God would abandon all? All these thoughts led him to an understanding of natural law and he soon become one of the fathers of the Enlightenment.
Hugo de Groot: final years
In the year 1631, after much travelling, Hugo de Groot returned to the Netherlands and opened his law practice in Amsterdam.
He was hoping to find a better climate in the country and leave his turbulent past behind him. Shortly after his return, he became part of a theological seminary in Amsterdam to teach alongside other important names such as Simon Episcopius and Philipp van Limborch.
In 1634, as a result of the Swedish King’s admiration, he became Sweden’s ambassador to Paris. On one of his returns from Sweden, his ship was shipwrecked while crossing the Baltic Sea. De Groot managed to reach the shore but died shortly after in Rostock, Germany, on August 28, 1645.
His remains were returned to Delft, where he is still buried in the Nieuwe Kerk.
Did you know about Hugo de Groot before? Tell us in the comments below!
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in March 2018, and was fully updated in August 2022 for your reading pleasure.
The Netherlands has made it to the top of the EU charts this month — but pause on the applause. This is something the country doesn’t want a gold medal for: we now have the highest gas prices in the EU.
In July, Dutch households paid more than twice (!) as much on gas compared to the average EU household.
Wait, what?
According to figures requested by Nieuwsuur, the Dutch coughed up the most cash for gas in the EU last month, paying €283 per megawatt/h (MWh) of gas.
To give you some context, our neighbours in Germany and Belgium paid roughly half as much.
Expensive energy contracts
Of course, this sharp increase was brought about by the war in Ukraine. However, Dutch energy contract prices aren’t helping either.
Dutch households that switch energy contracts can now expect to pay a whopping €3,700 extra in energy prices this year compared to last year — and the Dutch budget advisor, Nibud, is putting its foot down.
A one-time supplement is not enough
Director of Nibud, Arjen Vliegenthart, tells the NOS that many Dutch households will not be able to cope.
“Some [households will] just have to cut back a bit, but there is also a large group who can’t get by even if they budget well, and that’s worrisome.”
While the Dutch government has offered a one-time subsidy of between €800 and €1,300 to help tackle the rising prices, Vliegenthart believes this won’t be enough — even for middle-income families.
Chairman of the FNV, Tuur Elzinga, is in agreement with Vliegenthart, telling the NOS “a temporary supplement is not much of a benefit because inflation is permanent.”
A price ceiling and a wage increase, alsjeblieft
The only way to really tackle the purchasing power crisis? A price limit and higher wages, the FNV believes.
Specifically, Elzinga believes that wages need to increase to a minimum of €14 per hour — and they need to change quickly. This should also include an increase in benefits and the state pension.
He also argues for a price cap on how much companies can increase their prices at the moment.
“What we’re seeing now is that inflation is impoverishing citizens while companies are making record profits. There’s plenty of money, but it’s all with companies.”
All we’ll say is this: 👏👏👏.
How have you been affected by the current gas prices? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
On the night of July 27, 33-year-old Ajax footballer, Dusan Tadic, was attacked by two robbers in his home in Amsterdam.
Tadic, who captains one of the most successful and beloved clubs in Dutch football (Ajax), woke during the night to find two men prowling his house in search of something to steal.
Apparently, Tadic’s wife had already sensed that trouble was coming when two men posing as pizza deliverers rang the footballer’s doorbell earlier that day.
A targeted attack
The police believe that the robbers were targeting Tadic specifically — and that they were after his presumably very expensive watch.
Tadic was quick to notice the intruders, who were wearing helmets and dark clothing.
And the footballer was ready to teach them a lesson. Tadic managed to crack open the visor of one robber’s helmet and hit him in the face, reports De Telegraaf.
The famous footballer suffered minor injuries to his hand during the attack — as one of the robbers tried to steal the watch tied to his wrist.
Luckily, the assailants were unsuccessful in their attempts to loot the watch and left his home with nothing but a bruised face (and egos). Tadic was quick to call the police.
Not the first time for footballers
Apparently, this isn’t the first time that a footballer was targeted by robbers, NOS reports.
The family of former PSV striker, Eran Zahavi, was also attacked in his house in Amsterdam. In his case, the assailants were successful, and two robbers looted personal items and cash.
Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Co-op, Dirk — regardless of which supermarket you go to, you’re paying approximately 18.5% more on groceries than you would have 11 months ago.
This percentage is an average, however. For example, products like pasta and bread increased significantly more in price than the average 18.5%, the NOS reports.
On the other hand, products like chocolate and cleaning products barely increased in price, if at all. It’s a bad year to enjoy eating bread — and that’s not ideal for the Dutch.
Family groceries increasing
Let’s talk numbers. On average, a family of four in the Netherlands spends €7,000 to €8,000 a year on food shopping.
But according to Norman Buysse of GfK, the market research agency that conducted the research, they can pay up to €1,500 more for the same amount of groceries.
Buysse expects these prices to increase for a little while. “At least until the autumn or winter. Because the factors that influence the price increases, such as the war in Ukraine, grain shortages, and labour shortages, will remain in force for a while.”
GfK mentions that shoppers often choose generic brand products and shop at cheaper supermarkets due to rising prices— and it’s a classic move.
However, Buysse does have an extra tip to save money: Pay attention to the size of supermarket packaging. “There are many packaging sizes that are relatively as expensive as each other. It’s better to buy a larger package.”
Have you noticed this increase in your weekly groceries? Tell us in the comments below!
It’s hard to walk around Amsterdam without running into a few — or a few thousand — tourists. So it’s no surprise to hear that it’s now scientifically and officially confirmed: the Dutch capital is overloaded.
Amsterdam is amazing, which is why everyone wants to live there, and even more people want to travel there. It’s bound to get a bit crowded.
However, we didn’t realise just how crowded Amsterdam really is — until we read this study. 👇
Let’s talk about data
The travel agency Holidu just conducted a study on the most visited European cities, and developed a handy ranking for anyone wishing to escape the crowds this (late) summer.
In order to reach their conclusions, only data from 2019 was used. This was to make sure pandemic tourist numbers wouldn’t interfere with the results.
They combined the “most visited cities” lists of The Savvy Backpacker and Air Mundo, to compile the ultimate list of the most popular European destinations.
Then, they divided the number of tourists in 2019 by the number of local residents, and ended up with an ultimate list of Europe’s busiest travel destinations.
Amsterdam lands in the top 10
Out of 35 cities, Amsterdam lands in 8th place, with a whopping 12 tourists in the city per inhabitant — yikes!
That’s worse than Paris, Prague, and Barcelona, but quite a bit better than Dubrovnik, Venice, and Florence. Well, well, we’re not really surprised…
