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7 winter escape routes in the Netherlands you can take by train

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7 winter escape routes in the Netherlands you can take by train

Although it can be difficult to predict and be prepared for the weather in the Netherlands, there are plenty of options to enjoy the weather in any condition. 

Moreover, to do this, you can choose rail transportation, which is one of Europe’s most developed and most environmentally friendly travel routes. This means making a winter trip that is both affordable and quite romantic. Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark and the Czech Republic; Whichever you choose, they’re all routes you can reach in just one day.

The most convenient way to book trains between countries in Europe is to use NS’s international website or Rail Europe. You can also purchase an interrail card if you plan to travel for an extended period of time, or opt for a more flexible – but also more expensive option – to purchase tickets as you go. Prices listed are based on booking one month in advance, so if you book for example tomorrow it will be more expensive.

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1. Gent

Gent’ is described as a more relaxed and accessible Bruges, with a striking mix of old and new architecture that graces its city centre. And to be honest, considering the short travel time from Amsterdam to Ghent, a trip to Ghent sounds pretty tempting. There’s no reason to take short trips like this by plane because it will probably take much longer than if you took the train.

Arrival time: 3 hours

One way ticket: 29-37 €

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2. Strasbourg

Tired of The Hague, the international city of peace and justice? So leave The Hague and go to Strasbourg! It’s true that Strasbourg is the home of the European Parliament and you’ll get your fill of politics here, but that’s okay. Because Strasbourg is also a truly beautiful city: there are two UNESCO World Heritage sites, Notre-Dame Cathedral (not the one that burned in Paris) and the Imperial or German Quarter.

In addition to these, there are many beautiful parks in Strasbourg that you can enjoy even in winter weather. And hang tight, you can enjoy both Germany and France at the same time, as Strasbourg is a historically contested city between the two countries and the cultural mix is ​​quite pronounced.

The train will take you through Paris, so although it’s a short journey, it might be worth a delay exploring the French capital. But if you do not prefer this delay, there is another very simple route alternative that will take you to Strasbourg in less than half a day. Strasbourg is a great option if you just want to go somewhere for the weekend.

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Arrival time: 6 hours

One way ticket: 42.20

3. Luxembourg

If you want to penetrate the essence of Western Europe, you should not miss Luxembourg. Luxembourg is at the heart of everything and is multilingual (you can find people speaking English, French, German and Luxembourgish there) and has a deep understanding of culture and history.

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One of the most important of these cultural elements, Luxembourg Castle is a must-visit place. The fort was known as Gibraltar of the North until it was made unfit for military use in 1867. It has a great wine and dining scene, making it a major attraction for the winter months.

So what does a Luxembourg train journey look like? You can easily get to Luxembourg in Bruxelles-Midi, usually with just one transfer. If you start the day early, you might even be in Luxembourg for a little late lunch. Download a movie to watch on your phone and the journey is over before you know it.

Arrival time: 6 hours

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One way ticket: 32.50 €

4. Zurich

Most of us know about Zurich as an expensive financial centre, this information is true but incomplete. Because there is so much more to Zurich than that, which is why Zurich stands out as one of the best winter destinations by train. First of all, there is the fact of the beautiful and clean nature of Switzerland. Zurich is a lakeside city with the beautiful Limmat River running through the Old Town. In the summer, locals swim in both the river and the lake, but unless you’re a little crazy, you probably don’t want to do this in the winter.

Each of the small mountains that surround the city have amazing hiking trails, so get ready and head to these parks. There are few things better than a visit to a museum in winter, and Zurich is full of them.

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The train journey is exactly eight hours and usually includes two stops: one in Frankfurt and the other in Basel, Switzerland. Eight hours is short enough that you don’t have to split the journey, but if you want to (like if you have young children), Frankfurt is a great place to do it.

Arrival time: 8 hours

One way ticket: 37.90 €

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5. Vienna

If your expectation from a trip is to walk on boulevards with high-quality architecture, Vienna should be the place to go. But if for some reason you want to visit a city on a Sunday, it’s not wise to consider Vienna the first place to go. Because with its places to visit, just one day will never be enough for Vienna.

Vienna is the center of Habsburg imperial history for which it is known. You can come here and visit the magnificent castles; Schonbrunn, with its cheerful yellow walls and stories from the private lives of Sisi, Franz Joseph or Hofburg, and the addition of new architectural styles that each new monarch tries to show themselves: All are great locations to visit. There is also a coffeehouse culture in Vienna. You can watch Vienna while eating a delicious cake and drinking coffee.

The train journey sometimes has only one stop in Frankfurt, but other alternatives have more than one stop, for example in Munich or Saltzburg. Either option can be a great idea, depending on whether you want to split the trip. Saltzburg is a beautiful city surrounded by mountains, and Munich, although expensive, is a beautiful place to explore for a day.

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Arrival time: 11 hours

One-way ticket: from 30 €

6. Copenhagen

To be honest, Copenhagen is a bit higher in preference than the cities listed above. The train ride takes you through beautiful countryside and cityscapes.

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So what can be done in Copenhagen? If you are interested in books, the first thing to recommend would be to visit the Royal Library, not only for the books, but also for the architecture. This library has two parts: the 19th century red brick side and the newer ‘Black Diamond’ extension that shimmers in the sunlight. Then you can stop by the famous town of Christiania, home of hippies and pot dealers. We assure you that it will be a very unique experience.

So what does an eleven-hour train ride to Copenhagen look like? You will have two or three transfers, one in Osnabruck and the other in Hamburg. Hamburg would be the perfect place to take a break from the journey as it’s about halfway through the journey, but if you don’t choose that, the journey can be done entirely in one day.

Arrival time: 11 hours

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One-way ticket: from 38 €

7. Prague

Prague is famous for its cheap beer and attracts revelers from far and wide every year. But there is much more to Prague than that: above all, the architecture is breathtaking. The Old Town Hall is one of the most popular places. Built in 1338, the gothic church is adorned with an astronomical clock on its tower. On the ground and second floors you can find the art exhibitions as well as the tourist office. Apart from these, Charles Bridge is another stop you should visit. The bridge was built in 1390 and attracts a significant number of tourists each year. So don’t expect too much peace and quiet here.

Local artists and vendors may be around all day, but it’s all part of the experience. The train ride from Amsterdam to Prague will take all day but you will pass by some beautiful places. Passing through Cologne and Frankfurt, you will stop in Nuremberg (so if you want to split the trip into two days, this would be the perfect place to stay). After a final transfer in Schwandorf, you will cross the German border into Czechia. It sounds like a long journey, but if you have a few good books or make a friend, you won’t know how the journey ends.

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Arrival time: 12 hours

One-way ticket: from 38 €

 

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From majestic castles to dazzling architecture, to an intercultural journey; When it comes to winter destinations, there are so many places to choose from within Europe. And considering how easy it is to hop on a train, you can fill any weekend of the cold and dreary months with a hot ride.

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Sea level in the Netherlands has been rising faster than expected in recent years

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Sea level in the Netherlands has been rising faster than expected in recent years

As in the rest of the world, the sea level in the Netherlands is rising faster and faster.

According to the latest report, it is rising faster than 30 years ago.

Sea level in the Netherlands is rising faster and faster. Previous studies on this subject have also been confirmed by the latest report published by Deltares and the Dutch Meteorological Institute KNMI. Over the past 30 years, sea level has risen by an average of 2.9 millimeters each year.

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Stating that the effect of wind on the sea level can now be determined accurately, Deltares stated that the latest sea level data obtained are therefore more reliable.

In the report, it was noted that sea level rose by an average of 1.8 millimeters per year about 30 years ago, but according to the data obtained, this rate of rise increased to 2.9 millimeters per year.

The report stated that the rate of sea level rise in the Netherlands increased at the same rate as the global rise.
The rapid rise in sea level is also a direct result of climate change. Due to the emission of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, the Earth is currently on average 1.2 degrees warmer than it was before the industrial revolution. This accelerates the melting of glaciers and thus the rise of sea level, as in the Greenland and Antarctic regions.

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Fear of the Netherlands: Sea level rises above 2 meters

With its deepest point being the Zuidplaspolder 7m below sea level, half of the Netherlands’ surface area is just a meter above or below sea level. Looking at the demographic structure, it is seen that about half of the population lives in areas below sea level.

KNMI’s report in 2014 predicted a 1 meter rise in Dutch sea level by the end of the century. In the report published only 7 years later in 2021, it was stated that the sea level rose faster, and that it would rise by 2 meters at the end of the century.

Climatologists suggest raising dykes called “Dijk” and flood levees called “waterkering” to prevent the country from being flooded in case the sea level rises up to 2 meters. However, this measure may be insufficient if the sea level rises above 2 meters.

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Measurements on which Deltares and KNMI are based were performed in Delfzijl, Harlingen, Den Helder, IJmuiden, Hoek van Holland and Vlissingen.

Nearly half of the Netherlands lies below the sea level.

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Woman shot dead in Amsterdam

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Woman shot dead in Amsterdam

The suspect, who killed a woman in the morning hours in the Amsterdam West region, was found dead in an area close to the crime scene.

Acting immediately upon a tip-off at around 08:00 on Thursday, the Amsterdam police found a woman shot dead in front of her apartment in the Staatsliedenbuurt neighborhood, De Wittenstraat.

Many officers and trauma helicopters were dispatched to the scene. However, ambulance crews announced that the woman died due to her injuries.

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In the statement made on the social media account of the police around 10:00, it was recorded that the murder suspect was found dead in the car park in De Wittenkade, which is close to the address where the incident took place.

Police cordoned off the area where the woman was killed and started an investigation. No explanation was given as to why the woman died.

In the first statement made by the police after the incident, it was announced that the murder suspect was 1.90 meters tall and ran away from the scene.

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Woman shot dead in Amsterdam

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1/3 of students starting university in the Netherlands this year are foreigners

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13 of students starting university in the Netherlands this year are foreigners

According to data published by the Netherlands’ official education agency DUO, approximately one-third of first-year undergraduate and graduate students at Dutch universities in the 2022/2023 academic year are international students.

In the autumn 2022 registration period, the number of foreign students increased by 7.3% compared to the previous year and exceeded 85,000. While the number of international students at universities is increasing, a slowdown is observed in the annual rate of increase. This rate was between 12-15% in previous years.

The increase in international students is causing difficulties in meeting the demand for universities in the Netherlands and the cities where the universities are located. This is especially observed in the Randstad region. The biggest problem is the lack of accommodation for students. Members of parliament recently demanded that the government take control of universities’ intake of international students. Particularly, it was requested to organize the participation of universities in career fairs abroad and the registration admission processes.

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Making statements on this subject, Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science Robbert Dijkgraaf emphasized that this increase in the number of foreign students and the negative aspects of internationalization are worrying, the need to reduce the workload on teachers, among other problems, and the positive impact of attracting talented foreign students to the country.

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In the Netherlands, 4 kindergarten students were hospitalized after smelling cocaine in the bag they found

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In the Netherlands 4 kindergarten students were hospitalized after smelling cocaine in the bag they found

In the town of Tegelen in the south of the Netherlands, 4 kindergarten students were taken to hospital after they tasted cocaine in a bag they found near the school garden.

Event; it happened last Monday at PassePortout Elementary School in Tegelen Township, near the city of Venlo: 4 kindergarten students out for recess found a bag in the bushes adjacent to the school garden. The children tasted it curiously at the white powder residue inside the bag. Realizing the situation, the security guard informed the police and teachers about the situation.

Four kindergarten students were taken to the hospital immediately. As a result of the controls, it was reported that the condition of the children was good.

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The school administration sent a letter to all parents and informed them of the incident.

A police spokesperson told De Limburger Newspaper that a white powder residue was found in the bag, which was determined to be “cocaine” as a result of investigations.

Police are investigating how the bag got around the school.

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NS warns 780,000 customers: Data stolen

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NS warns 780000 customers Data stolen

Dutch Railways (NS) has notified its 780,000 customers via email that their personal data may have fallen into the wrong hands due to a data leak.

The data leak did not originate from NS itself, but from a software supplier of market research firm Blauw.

Blauw provides customer satisfaction surveys for NS as well as many companies. E-mail addresses, phone numbers or names of train passengers who participated in such a satisfaction survey may have been leaked. While the stolen data is not financial data or passwords, there is a risk that malicious individuals could use this data to send phishing messages to NS clients, for example. It is now being investigated how the leak occurred.

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Emergency services in Amsterdam started drills

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Emergency services in Amsterdam started drills

Amsterdam and its surroundings are preparing for the exercise to measure emergency services in security zones.

Police, emergency medical services, firefighters, armed forces and the municipality will respond to a large-scale counter-terrorism attack in the planned exercises.

According to the news of RTL Nieuws, the exercise will start today in the Westelijk Havengebied neighborhood and will be moved around the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday.

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The Amsterdam-Amstelland Security District announced that the city does not have any security risks, but such a program has been applied to improve response to emergencies.

It has been announced that the places where the exercise will be held will be restricted to public access.

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Free meals in schools for students in need started in the Netherlands

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Free meals in schools for students in need started in the Netherlands

The Netherlands took action for the children of families in need. A free meal application was launched for students in need in primary and secondary schools.

The application, which started today in Merlijn primary school in The Hague, aims to prevent economic problems from affecting children’s education life.

The government has earmarked 100,000 euros for the program, organized by the Youth Education Fund and the Red Cross.

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Campaign to deter obscene party content from the Netherlands

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Campaign to deter obscene party content from the Netherlands

The Dutch Municipality is running a campaign to prevent obscene and drug-related parties in Amsterdam.

In the content of the digital campaign targeting men aged 18-35, young men are handcuffed and fingerprinted by the police as they stagger down the street. Advert; it will appear in front of those who search with terms such as cheap hotel, bachelorette.

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Dutch Association of Municipalities (VNG) warns the government

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Dutch Association of Municipalities VNG warns the government

In the report published by VNG, it was stated that the purchasing power was low and the social security was insufficient.

In the published report, it was also stated that there was an increase in the number of people suffering from financial difficulties and having to be supported by municipalities.

Saying that the government should make a ‘social security commitment’ to improve the quality of life of citizens, VNG also drew up a strategic plan for the situation.

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Dutch sperm donor with 550 children worldwide sued

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Dutch sperm donor with 550 children worldwide sued

A woman who became a mother through a sperm bank sued a Dutch sperm donor who was determined to be the biological father of 550 children worldwide.

A woman who became a mother through a sperm bank with the Child Donor Foundation in the Netherlands has filed a lawsuit against a Dutch sperm donor who, despite being on the “black list”, was determined to be the biological father of hundreds of children worldwide.

The foundation and mothers do not want Jonhatan M., 41, to donate any more sperm.
Families who have children through sperm donation are concerned that hundreds of children from the same donor may be at risk of incest or consanguineous marriage.

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Dutch law allows donors to give sperm to a maximum of 12 women and to father a maximum of 25 children.

However, it was determined that Jonathan M., who lives in The Hague, Netherlands, is the biological father of 102 children despite legal obstacles.

Jonathan M., who was blacklisted and banned from donating in the Netherlands, continued to donate sperm to other sperm banks and individuals around the world.

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According to Jonathan M.’s own statements, there are currently 550 children born from their own sperm in various countries.

The Dutch Foundation for Donor Children, founded by people born through sperm donation, and a mother applied to the court to prevent Jonathan M. from donating sperm and to name the clinics he has donated to date.

The Hague Court will take the case first. The court will set the timetable for the trial process on Monday.

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In the Netherlands, anonymous sperm donation has been banned since 2004. When the child turns 16, he can learn the identity of his biological father.

In order to prevent children from the same donor from having intercourse with each other and to prevent the spread of hereditary diseases, a maximum of 25 children are allowed from one donor’s sperm.

The Dutch Society of Gynecologists, alerting clinics in 2017, reported that at least 102 children were born with sperm from a donor.

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The Netherlands blacklisted Jonathan M. for not donating sperm. However, he continued to donate.

As a result of the researches, it was determined that Jonathan M. lied to the women he came into contact with via the internet and claimed that he did not donate to many people.

It was determined that the Dutch donor donated sperm to clinics and women in many countries from Australia to Ukraine. Whether he did this for economic or other reasons is unknown.

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According to the Dutch newspaper AD, Jonathan M. says he is the biological father of 550 children worldwide.

Ties van der Meer, President of the Donorkind Foundation, said that they have decided to take action against the Dutch sperm donor.

Van der Meer explained to public broadcaster NOS the reasoning for the lawsuit:

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“National governments are doing nothing about this person. It has a worldwide reach via the Internet and even does business with large internationally operating sperm banks.”

People who have children through the foundation and donated sperm are worried about the risk of incest or consanguineous marriage.

Van der Meer said: “It is dangerous not only biologically, but also mentally, for blood relatives to have intercourse with each other unknowingly. You will have hundreds of half-brothers and half-sisters. You can never have a healthy communication with them,” he said.

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Lawyer Mark de Hek emphasized that the Dutch sperm donor acted illegally and said, “This behavior is dangerous for the health and spiritual development of the donor children. The donor is acting illegally by giving priority to the reproductive impulse.”

Saying that he is currently in Kenya, Jonathan M. did not respond to questions from the Dutch media.

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