One of the most beautiful museums in the Netherlands is the Kröller-Müller Museum which is conveniently located in one of the best Dutch nature reserves: De Hoge Veluwe National Park. After a scenic ride through beautiful forests, you’re rewarded with an iconic museum where you will find the second largest collection of Vincent van Gogh and enjoy masterpieces by modern masters such as Claude Monet, Georges Seurat, Pablo Picasso and Piet Mondriaan.
The Muller part of the name refers to Helene Kröller-Müller (1869 – 1939), and the Kröller part to her husband Anton Kröller. Besides having nicely rhyming surnames this high-society couple of a bygone era was big on collecting art. Helene, daughter of a wealthy steel magnate, made it her dream to build a museum for her collection of modern art. The couple acquired more than 11.000 works of art between 1907 and 1935, and Helene especially had a taste for modern art.
During my student time in Groningen where I studied Art History, I often visited the Wadden Islands Terschelling and Ameland, one of the most beautiful places on earth. The sand dunes, the different cafes and restaurants on the beach is all breathtaking and so relaxing and don’t forget to taste the ‘Amelander Commandeurtje’, a classic sailor’s drink’.
I now live in Rotterdam. For lunch I go to the Foodhallen on Kop van Zuid. It’s a stunning indoor food market made up of a large 40m high archway, it offers a covered market area the size of a large football pitch with around 100 food stalls and 20 shops and restaurants. Each end is sealed by a glass façade to keep out the weather. There are so many different kitchens which makes it such a nice place. I also like to go to the restaurant OX which has this kind of like ‘speakeasy vibe’ as it is quite hidden from the public. The culinary focus of OX is inspired by the Malaysian Chinese cuisine. Aromatic and fragrant, influenced by flavors from surrounding regions. You receive some information when you make your reservation but upon arrival, you have to find your way through a dark stairway with candles to the hip, kind of industrial-looking modern space that is located in a basement. The space is small and cozy, and always filled with music and conversation! Such a cool spot.