The Netherlands lie on the western edge of the European mainland. They have a natural frontier in the north and west, with a long and much indented coast on the North Sea, and are bounded on the east by Germany, and on the south by Belgium.
Much of the Netherlands lies below sea level (hence the name Netherlands, "Low Countries") and has been
won from the sea over the centuries by the construction of dykes to reclaim land from the water.
Favorite touristic areas are the West Frisian islands and the seaside resorts on the North Sea coast such as Scheveningen, Noordwijk and Bergen. The towns and villages on the IJsselmeer also draw many visitors. Volendam, near Edam, is famed for the traditional costumes still worn there. The improvement in road connections as a result of the Delta Plan has brought large numbers of tourists to the islands of Zeeland. Old cities and towns like Amsterdam, Leiden, Delft, Gouda, Haarlem and Middelburg, with their treasures of art and architecture, are also powerful tourist attractions, as are the bulb fields when the flowers are in bloom. The Hoge Veluwe National Park to the north of Arnhem and the open-air museums at Arnhem, Enkhuizen and Zaandam also attract large numbers of visitors.
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