South Holland, Province in western Netherlands
Description
Zuid-Holland is an administrative division in the western part of the country, extending from the North Sea shoreline to the inland polder landscapes. The territory includes major urban centers like Rotterdam and The Hague, along with smaller towns connected by a dense network of canals and roads.
History
The territory emerged as a separate administrative unit in 1840, when the government divided the older Holland region into two distinct parts for practical governance. Centuries earlier, these lands had already served as centers of trade and seafaring within the Dutch Republic.
Culture
The territory carries the name of the historical Holland region, with towns built around windmills and canals that still shape how residents navigate daily life. Local markets often sell herring eaten raw with onions, a tradition visitors can observe along waterfronts and in town squares.
Practical
Visitors move most easily between major cities using trains and trams, while smaller towns are often reached by bus or local ferry services. Cycling paths run along the coast and through the countryside, making bicycles a practical alternative to motorized transport.
Did you know?
The territory holds more greenhouses than almost any other region in Europe, with kilometers of glass structures producing vegetables and flowers year-round. Visitors can drive along roads through seemingly endless rows of illuminated glass buildings that glow from within at night.
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Johan Cruyff Arena
39.7 km
KB National Library of the Netherlands
24.9 km
Keukenhof
31 km
De Kuip
15.4 km
Ziggo Dome
39.5 km
Peace Palace
27.2 km
Mauritshuis
25.7 km
Castle de Haar
25.7 km
Cube House
15 km
Madurodam
27.6 km
Euromast
17.3 km
Maeslantkering
34.8 km
Erasmusbrug
16 km
Noordeinde Palace
26.3 km
Santa Claus
16.2 km
Huis ten Bosch
24.4 km
SS Rotterdam
17.5 km
Market Hall
15.2 km
Museum Voorlinden
25.6 km
Loevestein Castle
31.8 km
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
16.4 km
Lowest point of the Netherlands
2.6 km
AFAS Live
39.6 km
De Biesbosch National Park
27.6 km
Van Nelle Factory
18.2 km
Cube Houses
15 km
New Dutch Waterline
22 km
People detained by the International Criminal Court
27.9 km
Alblasserdam
Albrandswaard
Alphen aan den Rijn
Barendrecht
Bodegraven-Reeuwijk
Voorne aan Zee
Capelle aan den IJssel
Delft
Dordrecht
Goeree-Overflakkee
Gorinchem
Gouda
Hardinxveld-Giessendam
Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht
Hillegom
Kaag en Braassem
Katwijk
Krimpen aan den IJssel
Lansingerland
Leiden
Leiderdorp
Leidschendam-Voorburg
Lisse
Maassluis
Midden-Delfland
Nieuwkoop
Noordwijk
Oegstgeest
Papendrecht
Pijnacker-Nootdorp
Ridderkerk
Rijswijk
Rotterdam
Schiedam
Sliedrecht
Teylingen
Vlaardingen
Voorschoten
Waddinxveen
Wassenaar
Westland
Zoetermeer
Zoeterwoude
Zuidplas
Zwijndrecht
Nissewaard
Krimpenerwaard
Hoeksche Waard
Molenlanden
The Hague
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