Holland souvenirs
The Holland souvenirs that are the most popular with the tourists are the Delftwareproducts. It's earthenware with a very beautiful blue and white color.
During de Golden Age (1600-1700) people became familiar with the delicate Chinaware. People all over Europe tried to copy this magnificent earthenware. Craftsmen from Delft succesfully produced a type of earthenware, the famous "Delft Blue", which was very similar to the original Chinaware. In Amsterdam you can buy a lot of souvenirs in the Delftwarestyle. If you want to buy the real stuff, you should buy Delftware from "De Porceleyne Fles", "Goedewaagen", "De Delftse Pauw" en "De Candelaer". It's also possible to visit the Delftware factories in Delft.
The Dutch used to wear handmade wooden shoes. Nowadays it's one of the best sold souvenirs in Holland. Sometimes kids still wear them. You can buy them with all kinds of paintings or just plain wood. Sometimes you see them hanging on a wall in a Dutch gerden. Sometimes filled with flowers. How very Dutch!
My personal favorite Holland souvenirs are the tulip bulbs. They are easy to transport, when you go home. You just have to put them in the ground and you can enjoy beautiful the flowers a few months later. Originaly it's a Turkish flower but the Dutch merchandisers took them home in the golden age and since that time they cultivated thousands of different kinds. If you really love them you should visit "Keukenhof" in the spring. Millions of tulips and other bulbflowers in a beautiful park.
In Amsterdam you have several antique shops that sell old maps or reproductions of old maps. Very stylish to hang it in a frame your house. Old maps are usualy very decorated in a beautiful style. When I was a kid, my parents used to have one od the south of Holland in the toilet.
Since the 16th century Amsterdam is one of the biggest diamond tradecenters in the world.
The best diamond setters in the world work in Amsterdam and Antwerp in Belgium. Surprise your wife, girlfriend or your mother with a real Amsterdam diamond. Wouldn't that be impressive!!!
My Daughter has a nice collection of little Amsterdam warehouses made of earthenware. They are so cute and you can buy them everywhere. A lot of the houses you can buy, really exist in Amsterdam.
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