Hi, and welcome to Hidden Holland!
We're Herman and Gerjo, the founders of this blog. We are a couple for over 18 years now. (I genuinely don't know how Herman has managed that). We're living in Amersfoort, a beautiful old city just 35 minutes east of Amsterdam.
However, most of all, we're two passionate travelers. It's in our DNA to explore. It's not often you'll find us at home on a day off.
We love to travel around the world, but just as much in our backyard. At home in Holland, we especially like day hikes and exploring museums.
Often you'll find us taking a hike in our forests during autumn. Or along the long coastline with its wide sandy beaches, getting some fresh air all year round. And during a sunny spring day, we love to go to the rolling hills of Limburg in the South of the Netherlands (yes, we do have hills :-).
We also love to explore Dutch cities. All have their unique characters and stories. Like the Dutch Hanzesteden, which are medieval trading cities still bursting with monumental buildings from that era. Or modern Rotterdam with its architecture and trade. Or the many student cities we have like Eindhoven, Groningen, Delft, Leiden, and Utrecht. All of them bursting with life.
And of course the grand city of them all Amsterdam. It's always a joy spending time in Amsterdam.
If we're not in the Netherlands, you'll most often find us in the UK, Sweden or the US. Three of our favorite countries in the world.
A little bit more about our background
In daily life, Herman is a medical analyst in a local hospital's laboratory. For Hidden Holland, he has a significant advisory role, and he helps a lot on the back end, especially with proofreading. Gerjo is a full-time entrepreneur. He creates most of the content for this site.
The idea of Hidden Holland
We were inspired to launch Hidden Holland by our love of the Dutch countryside. We love to share the hidden wonders that are so often missed by visitors.
The idea for Hidden Holland has been brewing for quite some time. And we mean that quite literally. It started 20+ years ago when Gerjo has spent a big chunk of his years "living" with his American friends in Burbank, CA.
He was often there for three months at a time. Then a few months home. While he was earning some money before he went straight back to California, he paid rent there and lived like a local.
That continued for a few years until he felt the need to settle down a bit :-)That experience, however, has changed his perspective about travel and different cultures so much. When he was home, his friends from LA would come over to visit Holland. And it was then that he learned how beautiful and diverse his country was by seeing it through their lens.
There is a world to discover outside of Amsterdam
Amsterdam, of course, is a must-see. For everyone. You can not visit Holland (or better said the Netherlands) and not see Amsterdam. It's too famous for that.
However, the feedback we often get from our friends is how much they enjoyed exploring the rest of the country beyond the tourist crowds.
They would talk about how diverse nature was. About the fun, we had at the different National Parks. And how beautiful most of the cities and towns where.
People most often stick to Amsterdam (and then really just to a few streets), and they might see one or two of the well-known tourist attractions like the Keukenhof and take a canal tour from Central Station.
There is, however, a much better way to see this country and the city of Amsterdam. And we're happy to take you along to show you how!
Our goal with Hidden Holland
With our extensive travel background, our understanding of American culture and the differences on both sides of the pond, combined with our experience of hosting people visiting us here in Holland we have a unique perspective to show you our country from a locals perspective, but through the lens of a visitor.
We want to inspire you with our itineraries. Help you make your travel to Holland easier by providing practical information. And to offer you guided tours with one of us as your guide.
What we also love to do is create fully customized personal itineraries — tailored to your interests and schedule.
We hope that you'll enjoy exploring this website. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Happy travels,
Herman & Gerjo
