Villa Holland

Wondering where to spend your holiday this year? If you are not a fan of scorching sun and crowded beaches you should check out our villas in Holland. Most of them are located in a remote place deep into a charming and quiet forest. This is the perfect retreat from the busy city life and everyday problems.

From an intimate villa big enough for a small family to huge villas fitting more than 16 people, the choice is yours. Many of the accommodations are pet friendly and are fully equipped with the latest fashion furniture. The most luxurious ones even have their own swimming pool and sauna.

The beautiful Dutch nature

Although small in size, the Netherlands has a lot of natural parks and reserves. From long coastlines filled with sandy dunes and clear waters to hilly regions with deep forestation and stunning wildlife thriving amongst the trees. The biggest and probably the most famous one is Hoge Veluwe National Park. It is the largest lowland natural terrain in Northwest Europe. There you can see red deer, wild boars, mouflons, and roe deer in their natural habitat, roaming freely in the park. More than 65% of the park consists of forest trees like birch, beech, oak and Scots' pine.

Lauwersmeer National Park is what all the birdwatchers dream for. It consists of a manmade lake and flood lands around it. It is located in Friesland and the Wadden Sea. If you visit this magical place in spring or autumn you will be amazed by the numerous barnacle geese filling the skies like a cloud on a rainy day. Pied avocets and spoonbills also use the place for a rest stop on their epic migrations. There are special huts, built for the birdwatchers and in that way the birds stay undisturbed. Because of the very little light pollution, Lauwersmeer is also called the Dark Sky Park. See the night sky like you’ve never seen it before.

While in the area of Groningen you should visit Drentsche Aa National Park. There is located the Dretsche Aa. It is the only long river in the Netherlands unaltered by dikes or canals. The river runs through a valley laid with heath, woodland, dunes and hay fields. There is very little touch from the outside world to this beautiful place, making it perfect for a quiet nature walk.

Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park has the second largest forest in the country. The park’s low sand hills are a product of glaciation more than 150,000 years ago. Parcels of the oak and beech woodland hark back to ancient post-glacial forests.

Some interesting things that you can do while on vacation

The best time to visit the Netherlands is in tulip season. Keukenhof, also known as the Garden of Europe is located in the small city of Lisse, with a population of about 20 000 people. Feast your eyes on the largest public garden anywhere in the world. Autumn on the other hand is perfect for a quick visit of Kinderdijk. The beautiful windmills that date from the 18th century and the surrounding landscape have put this area in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Given the fact that Holland is small in size, it’s preferable to rent a car while you are staying here. That way you can explore more places for less time. Visit the thick forest of Veluwe for an afternoon hike in nature. Explore the sandy beaches of a lake nearby and find the perfect spot for a nice picnic lunch with the family. You can try to catch some fish while there or get on a boat and go for deeper waters and bigger fish. Or if the sun gets too hot jump into the crystal-clear waters for a swim. There are many cycling routes as well there.

Check out the flat landscapes of Lauwersmeer and be sure to take your camera, because there are many rare bird species to be photographed. While there, take a tour around the countryside and engage in the native culture and traditions. When tired of exploration, there is a restaurant for any taste on every corner.

And when the day is finally coming to an end go home to your cozy Dutch villa and enjoy the sunset with your loved ones. Maybe have a barbeque dinner in the backyard. Grill some veggies from your very own garden, that comes with the accommodation itself. Have a nice glass of wine and fall asleep in front of the cracking fireplace or open a cold beer and find peace and tranquility laying on the hammock, listening to the sounds of the forest. Then wake up from the sound of little birds chirping on your window and have a nice yoga and meditation session out in the middle of nowhere.

Be sure to take an umbrella

The Netherlands has a temperate maritime climate influenced by the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean. It's cool, cloudy and humid for most of the year. Summers are cool and winters are mild. Temperatures reach 20-25 °C in the summer months, with an annual heatwave for a week or two when temperatures could go as high as 35 °C and more. Winters are pleasurable – from 2 to 6 °C on average. Rainfall is common throughout the year, but the period from April to September is dryer than usual. Sometimes easterly winds can cause a more continental type of weather, warm and dry in the summer, but cold and clear in the winter with temperatures sometimes far below zero. The Netherlands is a flat country and has often breezy conditions. Due to its location, close to the sea, surrounded by canals the air in Holland stays very humid.