POST-CONFERENCE TOUR (cancelled)

‘Due to the small number of people who registered for the post conference tours we unfortunately had to cancel them both. Those who did register are already informed about this cancellation by tour operator Holland International.'

1. Enkhuizen, Harderwijk and the Hoge Veluwe (2 days)

Saturday 11 July 2009, 09.00 - 18.00
We will make our way to Enkhuizen. Enkhuizen is a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It was one of the harbour-towns of the VOC, just like Hoorn and Amsterdam, from where overseas trade with the East Indies was conducted. It received city rights in 1355. Nowadays, Enkhuizen continues the maritime tradition and has one of the largest marinas of the Netherlands. It is also the location of the Zuiderzeemuseum, an open-air museum reflecting life in the villages around the Zuiderzee throughout history.
After our visit to the Zuiderzeemuseum we will make our way to the Afsluitdijk. It is a major Dam in the Netherlands, constructed between 1927 and 1933. It is a fundamental part of the larger Zuiderzee Works, damming off the Zuiderzee, a salt water inlet of the North Sea and turning it into the fresh water lake of the IJsselmeer.
We will stop at the monument on the Afsluitdijk. We continue our program to Makkum. Here we will enjoy a short walking tour along the harbor.
After our visit of Makkum we will go to the hotel.

Sunday, 12 July 2009, 09.00 - 18.00
We will leave the hotel and make our way to Harderwijk. Harderwijk is a town in Gelderland and is based on the edge of the Veluwe. The lovely innercity of Harderwijk was declared protected in 1969. Harderwijk is known for the dolfinarium and the harbors at the Veluwelake.
After lunch we will make our way to the Hoge Veluwe and visit the Kröller-Müller museum. National Park De Hoge Veluwe is one of the Netherlands' oldest and largest national parks. It consists of no less than 5,500 hectares of woodland, heathland, lakes and driftsand. Together with the Kröller-Müller Museum it offers a unique combination of nature, art and architecture. De Hoge Veluwe is a park where visitors can still find plenty of space and peace.
The Kröller-Müller Museum is world-famous for its sculpture garden and its large collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh: it features a magnificent selection of his work. The museum also houses impressive works by George Seurat, Pablo Picasso, Fernand Leger, Piet Mondriaan and many other leading artists.
We will make our way back to Amsterdam.


2. The Hague and Zeeland (2 days)

Saturday 11 July 2009, 09.00 - 18.00
From Amsterdam we will make our way to The Hague for a city tour. The Hague is the third-largest city in the Netherlands after Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands lives and works in The Hague. All foreign embassies and government ministries are located in the city, as well as the The Supreme Court and the Council of State.
During our city tour in The Hague, we will make a stop at the Panorama Mesdag. The Panorama Mesdag is a cylindrical painting, more than 14 meters high and 120 meters in circumference. The vista of the sea, the dunes and Scheveningen village was painted by one of the most famous painters of the Hague School, Hendrik Willem Mesdag. It is the oldest 19th century panorama in the world in its original site and a unique cultural heritage.
After The Hague, we will make our way to Scheveningen. Scheveningen is a modern seaside resort with a long sandy beach, an esplanade, a pier and a lighthouse.
After lunch we will continue the tour to Zeeland. Here we will enjoy some of the scenery and check in to our hotel.

Sunday 12 July 2009, 09.00 - 18.00
We will visit the Maritiem Museum in Zierikzee. The Maritiem museum has one of the oldest shipmodels of the Netherlands on display. Unique are the fossil bones and teeth of 2 million year old mamoths. The building in which the museum is housed, is almost 500 years old. For centuries the building served as a city prison. The Zierikzee skippers and captains were worldtravelers. They did not fear to enter exotic destinations like Greenland and Indonesia.
After lunch we will make our way to the Neeltje Jans Deltawerken. Neeltje Jans is an artificial island. It was constructed to facilitate the construction of the Oosterscheldedam. The island was named after a nearby sand bar. At the Neeltje Jans Deltawerken we will get an explanation of the Delta project and the Storm Surge Barrier (including guided tour).
We will make our way back to Amsterdam.