Places loved by youngsters

The Netherlands have a special name for youngsters who’re gathering themselves at the most popular place to be: the streets. The meet each other, talk, relax, chill and having a good time! Dutch politicians don’t have a clue what’s so funny about it and call them; “hanging youth” (‘hangjongeren’) and come up with all kinds of ideas to wipe them of the streets! The real oldies, sixty something, slowly emerging on the street too, discovering this ultimate pastime, they only bring their wheelchairs or their walking frames with them!

If it isn’t really nice to hang around the streets, for example due to the weather conditions, it’s always nice to go to the cinema. The Pathé Cinerama’s are the biggest in Netherlands, but check out the little ones too! Those have a special atmosphere and also show you more alternative movies instead of the blockbusters only!  Want to save money? Go to the movies on less popular times to spend less on your ticket. Check your cinema for their discount hours. In Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Utrecht and Den Haag theire are alot of different filmfestivals! The place to be when you love the movies!

When the weather is nice, do as the locals do, filling up all the parks and terraces in the cities to enjoy the sun, meet your friends, have a bite to eat and relax! If want to go to the beach instead; go early, before all the Dutch people go and leave late, so you miss all the traffic jams or go by public transport to avoid all this. Remember: you’re not at a Mediterranean country, so the water can be very cold. Swimming is only for the dare devils especially at the beginning of the summer season!

The gym or the football-field is also a spot where the more sporty youngsters like to spend their time, the same counts for the different associations. Don’t you like to be around sweaty people much, but want to be sporty? Take your bike or put on your running shoes and go! Probably you’re not the only one, because it quit common to walk or cycle by yourself!

If you can move yourself around nicely on a skate-board, a skate-park is a good place to show what you can! If you’re a real disaster on a skateboard you can watch too! 

Going out is really personal, but for everyone there is a place to be! Weekends starts normally on Friday’s after 5pm. This day and Saturday are the evenings to go out! If you’re a student then you’re expected to start your weekend on Thursday by going to the local student pub to drink as much you can! Don’t get yourself ready to be in the club by nine or ten. From eleven o’clock in the evening the early birds will enter the clubs, while the parties really start around half past eleven / twelve o’clock!

If you’re into art your at the right spot in The Netherlands. There are a lot of little galleries in the country where you can explore the work from different (upcoming) artists.