Thursday Doors: Rural Holland
Posted on: June 6, 2024
- In: Doors | Travel
- 87 Comments
I enjoyed Amsterdam but also found rural Holland wonderfully charming and loved the buildings.
We stayed in this delightful Bed & Breakfast in the country.
The whimsical front door of the B&B with the requisite wooden shoes.
A traditional barn in the Netherlands. Don’t you just love the slopped roof?
Of course, we had to stop and get our picture taken with the town windmill. Most towns have at least one windmill, some still working mills. This one had a coffee shop attached that sold fresh baked goods made with the flour milled next door. Before you ask, yes we bought some and they were delicious!
The door to a village church.
Another interesting village church.
The door to a coffee shop we discovered while driving in the countryside.
Doors and windows of charming rural houses.
The door to a Clock Museum we found in a village in Northern Holland.
A stately home with many doors and windows.
One more picture of the door to a windmill, just because it’s Holland, the land of windmills.
I hope you enjoyed this trip to the Dutch countryside.
Welcome to Thursday Doors! This is a weekly challenge created by Dan Antion for people who love doors and architecture to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos, drawings, or other images or stories from around the world. If you’d like to join us, simply create your own Thursday Doors post each (or any) week and then share a link to your post in the comments on Dan’s blog post.
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87 Responses to "Thursday Doors: Rural Holland"
June 6, 2024 at 11:52 pm
I’m glad you decided to support the local business with a purchase 😉 The windmills are very interesting buildings. I’m glad they are preserved and operating where possible. The second church is my favorite, but the photo of the B&B is a close second.
June 6, 2024 at 11:57 pm
I tend to support the local businesses wherever I go! (just ask my hubby) That church was cool. We found it and the clock museum in a very artsy village, with lots of art studios and sculptures around town. I guess many artists live there. Amazing what you find when you leave the beaten path.
June 6, 2024 at 11:57 pm
Love this story and as Dan said: terrific the you supported local business…and that you went out into the countryside to see the real work beyond Amsterdam…sometimes the big cities get all the attention to the detriment of the rest of the country!
June 7, 2024 at 12:03 am
Even though I’m a country girl, I find big cities exciting and love exploring them. But I’m still drawn to the countryside and try to check it out as well. Seeing both sides gives you a better feel for the entire country. Thanks for your comments, John.
June 7, 2024 at 12:02 am
I do find that sloped, barn roof mesmerizing! I can only imagine what it looks like inside. Great photos, Darlene, I enjoyed traveling with you today.
June 7, 2024 at 12:05 am
Thanks, Denny! I’m pleased you enjoyed these depictions of rural Holland. I loved those barns with the slopped roofs.
June 7, 2024 at 12:45 am
I enjoyed your photos. We spent more time in cities, seeing historic things.
June 7, 2024 at 2:25 am
Thanks, Anne. There is always so much to see in the cities. We had friends who lived in the country and drove us around one day, which was very nice.
June 7, 2024 at 1:09 am
Great pictures, Darlene. I was in Amsterdam and took a train through rural Holland many years ago. I still remember that charming countryside and the fact that you could see into people’s homes through the windows. It was fascinating.
June 7, 2024 at 2:26 am
I know. I found that interesting too. And the inside was always so neat and tidy. Such a lovely country.
June 7, 2024 at 1:39 am
Great classic windmill for which the Dutch are so famous. The coffee house almost has a Hobbit look to it!
June 7, 2024 at 2:27 am
I was delighted to see a windmill in every town. I read about them as a child so it was great to see them for real.
June 7, 2024 at 1:40 am
Hi Darlene – pantile rooves are a favourite round here in Sussex and Kent – the idea was imported from the Netherlands apparently. Those photos record are lovely … I see you spend time on the west coast of Canada – I had a year there about 5 years ago … and now I’m back here in Eastbourne. Thanks for the thumbs up re the Carnegies and their libraries – I’m looking forward to reading the book – cheers Hilary
June 7, 2024 at 2:30 am
Thanks for commenting, Hilary. I lived in Vancouver for 25 years and loved it. (I’m from Alberta originally). Now I live in Spain for the most part. Let me know what you think of the book about the Carnegies.
June 7, 2024 at 3:17 am
Hi Darlene – I spotted where you used to live … and now Spain – or the European continent … lots to see there. I will let you know once I’ve read the Carnegie book … cheers Hilary
June 7, 2024 at 4:43 am
How charming, Darlene! Great doors!
June 7, 2024 at 4:56 am
Wonderful Old World architecture! What was the inside of the B&B like?
June 7, 2024 at 5:26 am
It was clean and cozy. The breakfast room had dried flowers hanging from the ceiling. I loved it.
June 7, 2024 at 4:57 am
Great doors, Darlene. The countryside is beautiful too.
June 7, 2024 at 5:01 am
You have the best “doors” post, Darlene. Many years ago, we traveled through the Netherlands. My favourite memory was of Zaanse Schans, Zaandam, The Netherlands. The smell of chocolate was intoxicating.
June 7, 2024 at 5:29 am
Dutch chocolate is very good. I love that they sprinkle chocolate on their toast. Yum!
June 7, 2024 at 5:01 am
Thanks for taking us along with you on your Dutch trip, Darlene. Brilliant!!
June 7, 2024 at 6:43 am
I love the windmill! A wonderful trip you had.
June 7, 2024 at 11:40 am
The architecture of rural Holland seems very sturdy, including the doors.
June 7, 2024 at 9:37 pm
Practical and sturdy like the good folks who live there and the shoes they wear.
June 7, 2024 at 12:42 pm
Holland is one of my favourite places we have visited your images are fabulous , Darlene and revived some memories …I love a windmill 🙂 x
June 7, 2024 at 9:38 pm
I love a windmill too. I’m glad i was able to bring back some memories for you.
June 7, 2024 at 8:03 pm
It looks delightful, Darlene. I am always impressed and somewhat ashamed at how well most Dutch people I have met speak my language, but I know so little of theirs!
June 7, 2024 at 9:39 pm
Thanks, Mike. I believe the Dutch children learn English, as well as other languages in school. We found that almost everyone spoke English.
June 7, 2024 at 9:51 pm
lovely doors and that windmill is fabulous.
What wonderful architecture, Darlene💕
June 7, 2024 at 9:58 pm
Thanks, Cindy. I have always loved windmills so you can imagine my delight when I found some still operating.
June 8, 2024 at 12:07 am
Lovely set of pictures. The Netherlands is very charming, especially some of those smaller towns. I love the windmill.
June 8, 2024 at 12:24 am
Absolutely charming! What’s not to love here?
June 8, 2024 at 12:40 am
I do love those rooves (roofs?) Lots of snow there? We need a new blog hop–Friday Roofs!
June 8, 2024 at 12:49 am
Me too. They do get a fair amount of snow and lots of rain so I guess the slopped roofs (rooves?) make sense.
June 8, 2024 at 12:43 pm
Oh wow, Darlene. These photos are amazing. I would have loved to tag along on your trip!
June 8, 2024 at 5:28 pm
It was such a great trip. I got so many ideas for Amanda’s adventure in Holland!
June 8, 2024 at 12:57 pm
The rural homes are absolutely charming! Love the look of the B & B you stayed at.
June 8, 2024 at 5:29 pm
Thanks, Debra. The B&B was wonderful and had lovely gardens as well.
June 8, 2024 at 10:53 pm
I saw a little bit of Holland, love the windmills and wooden shoes!
June 9, 2024 at 1:58 am
I wonder how many days of sun Holland averages a year. I never saw sun on my visit. The rural part of the country looks very picturesque.
June 9, 2024 at 2:51 am
Holland gets a lot of rain but not as much as the UK. We were lucky as we got mostly sunny days when we were there. I loved the countryside.
June 9, 2024 at 6:32 am
Darlene, I love this post. The places in each photo look so charming. Except for the church — It’s gorgeous and deliciously atmospheric, but more eerie than charming. LOL. Hugs.
June 9, 2024 at 7:02 am
Thanks, Teagan. Glad you enjoyed the charming buildings. But many creepy stories could come out of that church!
June 9, 2024 at 11:08 pm
Thank you! What a lovely peek at a different world. That coffee shop invited me right in!
June 10, 2024 at 12:32 am
It was warm and welcoming inside. Glad you enjoyed these pictures.
June 13, 2024 at 4:21 am
Marvelous pictures, Darlene. We are planning another visit to Netherlands in December. It will be winter but its the only time we can go as a family. Greg will visit the university and investigate doing his masters there.
June 13, 2024 at 4:35 am
How exciting. Which university is he considering? Should he attend there, you will no doubt be visiting more often.
June 13, 2024 at 4:27 pm
He is looking at Amsterdam University. We are planning to relocate as a family at the end of 2025 🌸💖
June 23, 2024 at 10:46 am
Both of my parents came from Holland when they were kids. My grandfather wrote a book about the area where he grew up. Some day I’d love to go there with that book and explore this place. Thanks for sharing your experience, Darlene.
June 23, 2024 at 4:59 pm
You must do this, Mark. You will just love Holland and it will be great to learn about your roots. Glad you enjoyed this post.
August 14, 2024 at 7:01 am
holland seems like a great place – and nice doors and more 🙂
Darlene Foster's Blog 
June 6, 2024 at 11:46 pm
What adventures! I love the sloped roof on the barn and the whimsical coffee shop. Fantastic photos, Darlene!
June 6, 2024 at 11:52 pm
I know, it was all very fairy tale like. I’m reading The Edge of Too Late right now and loving it.