GRE Test Centers

Bergen aan Zie, North Holland Province (Netherlands)

The resort of Bergen aan Zie is located in the north of the Netherlands on the coast of the North Sea. Its name is translated as “Bergen on the sea”, because not far from the resort is the fishing village of Bergen. They are separated from each other by a five-kilometer park area, where you can have a great time walking. The water in the North Sea is quite cool, so the swimming season here does not last long (July-September). In addition to sunbathing in Bergen en Zie, you can surf and ride catamarans.

De Koog, Texel island (Netherlands)

The resort of De Koog is located on the largest island of the West Frisian Islands, Tessel. They are located 4 km from the mainland in the North Sea.

In the resort area of De Koog there are several sandy beaches where vacationers sunbathe in the summer. In coastal waters, you can go windsurfing or travel on a rented catamaran. Excursions are also organized on Tessel Island to the vast tidal zones, to the Airland area, where many birds gather, as well as to the EcoMar center, which will tell about the nature of the region, its flora and fauna. At low tides, you will have the opportunity to walk to the surrounding islands yourself. It is worth noting that the Wadden Islands are considered an ecologically clean area, some of them do not even have cars.

Maastricht (Netherlands)

Maastricht is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands. It was founded in 50 BC. Romans, and its name comes from the Latin phrase “Mose Traektum”, which means “Wade across the Meuse”. Maastricht is located in the south of the Netherlands on the banks of the Meuse River near the Belgian border. Here, in 1991, the agreement on the creation of the European Union was signed, and it was here that the prototype of d’Artagnan’s musketeer, Charles d’Artagnan, perished. From the city station to the “old” city, which is located on the left bank of the Meuse, leads the oldest bridge in Maastricht – Sint-Servasburg (late 13th century). The main street here is Wikinburgstrasse, many cobbled streets branch off from it, where old burgher houses stand. The center of the “old” town is Freihof Square with numerous cafes where you can sit and admire the sights surrounding it.

In Maastricht, the two main cathedrals are the most interesting – the huge Cathedral of St. Servaas and the red Gothic Cathedral of St. John. Cathedral of St. Servaas – the oldest church in the Netherlands, built in the Romanesque style. It was founded in 570, then, in 831, destroyed by the Normans and rebuilt by 950. On the portal of the Cathedral of St. Servaas there are bright figures carved from wood. On the same square there is a monument to the inventor of gas lighting, Jean-Pierre Minkeler.

In Maastricht, you can see the most beautiful Romanesque church in the Netherlands – the Onse-Live-Frauwe church, which was built on the site of a pagan temple. Be sure to visit the Museum of Fine Arts. It is interesting not only inside, but also outside – its building was built in a modern style by architect Aldo Rossi.

Close to Maastricht there is a hill of Sint-Petersburg with fortifications and caves (about 20 thousand corridors with a total length of 200 km). These caves were formed as a result of the extraction of building material for houses. During numerous sieges of the city – the caves served as a great place of shelter for people. In addition, during the development of quarries on the hill, the remains of an ancient dinosaur were discovered, according to estimates, their age is about 6 million years.

Rotterdam (Netherlands)

Rotterdam is the second largest city in the Netherlands and is also the largest port in the world. Since the city was practically wiped off the face of the earth during the Second World War, there are few architectural sights left here. Among them, we can note the oldest skyscraper in Europe “White House”, built in 1898 and having a height of “whole” 45 meters and the Old Port area.

It will also be interesting to see the largest town hall in the Netherlands – the Stathaus, built in 1914-1920. in the style of the Flemish Renaissance. It is located on Colsingel Avenue.

A beautiful panorama of the city, destroyed and reborn, opens from a 104-meter height Euromast (Euromast) – a tower built in 1960.

Oranjestad (Aruba, Netherlands)

According to aGoodDir International Directory, Oranjestad is the capital of the island of Aruba. It is located on its southern coast. The name of the city is translated from Dutch as “orange city”. There are no oranges here, but the city itself is very colorful. All buildings in Oranjestad are made in the Dutch style and painted in different colors.

The oldest building in the city is Fort Zoutman. It was built in 1796 and was named after a prominent Dutch admiral. The port is surrounded by four cannons and stands out with its tower of King William III.

There are a lot of churches in the city, the most important of them is the Catholic Church of St. Anne, which was built at the beginning of the 20th century, is interesting for the handmade oak altar, which was made before the foundation of the church in 1870.

In Oranjestad there are museums – the Archaeological Museum with exhibitions on the history of Arawak culture; Historical Museum with a collection of the pre-Columbian history of the island and the colonial era; Numismatic Museum, some of the coins exhibited here were found at the bottom of the sea in sunken ships; as well as the Geological Museum, which tells about the history of the origin of the island. In the city center you can find a huge number of shops of famous brands of the world, the prices of which are lower than in Europe.

From Oranjestad it is very easy to get to the beaches of the west coast. The most popular of them are Arashi Beach and Hadikurari Beach in the northwest of Aruba, Druif Beach, Bukuti Beach, Palm Beach, Eagle Beach, Roger Beach, a small Renaissance island lying directly opposite the Oranjestad harbor. All of them are made of white sand, which reflects the sun’s rays and does not burn your feet even on hot days. All beaches are municipal, so tourists can relax on any of them. Cruise submarines depart

daily from Oranjestad and make voyages lasting 1 hour along the coastal waters of the western coast of Aruba. Through huge windows you can see coral reefs, tropical fish, moray eels, turtles and seals. The submarine has a bar, and the interior itself resembles that of an airplane.