More features:

• Dutch courage

  
  Michael Caine perhaps said it best in the third installment of the Austin Powers film trilogy when he said: ‘There are two kinds of people I can't stand in this world....

• Miraculous Amsterdam

  
  Amsterdam first put its name on the map of Europe not with its trading prowess, its port or with prostitution, but with a supposed miracle that’s still celebrated today on March 12....

• Chardongay

  
  That the Netherlands is a (reasonably) tolerant country for homosexuals has been known for ages. Now, however, gays can even sip their own wine: the Chardongay....

• Crisis? What crisis?

  
  Of the 12.6 million Dutch who went on holiday last year, almost half chose to spend time in their own country....

• Oldest national anthem

  
  The Dutch Wilhelmus is the oldest national anthem in the world. The first stanza is the part that is usually sung or played at official events....

• Cash or credit?

  
  That the Dutch are a frugal lot has never been up for debate, but, as it turns out, this affects your lifestyle as much as it does theirs....

• Who wants to be a trillionaire?

  
  Recent research has determined that the total value of all property in the Netherlands is over €3....

• A farewell to pints

  
  Unless you’re at an Irish pub or sports bar where you can get a proper pint or half liter mug, beer glasses in the Netherlands tend to come in dainty sizes more suitable for children or ladies who lunch....

• Senseless slaughter

  
  Anyone who thinks that the Dutch are a politically correct, peace-loving people may want to revise their opinion after reading the following sentences....

• Ajax: the most loved and loathed club in Holland

  
  Amsterdam's legendary football club is a household name throughout the world, yet despite, or perhaps owing to, its success the Dutch either love or hate Ajax and there doesn’t seem to be any middle ground....

• Sticks and stones

  
  In other countries, the mere mumbling of swearwords like 'klootzakken', 'kankerlijers', 'losers' and 'sukkels' (which are all impossible to translate) to a police officer would be sufficient for at least a night in jail....

• The price of complaining

  
  The Dutch love to complain, especially about money and the weather. Despite of the fact that many daily products like bread, milk, cheese, eggs and beer are 10% cheaper than in neighbouring countries, they love to gripe about the cost of a trip to the supermarket....

• Amsterdam calendar of events

  
  Here's what's going on in Amsterdam this winter. New Wave icons Echo & the Bunnymen will perform at the Paradiso on January 21....