The Netherlands culture has its roots in European culture.

Its tradition of liberalism and tolerance makes it a fascinating place for lovers of the arts.

Music, dance, theatre, art, literature and architecture are all characterized by an immense diversity.

The Netherlands has produced an impressive list of world famous artists and ensembles.

The tradition established by Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh lives on in the work of contemporary artists such as Karel Appel en Rob Scholte.
 
The Netherlands Dance Theatre is one of the leading modern dance companies, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is internationally renowned.

The North Sea Jazz Festival, which takes place every year in July in The Hague, is the largest of its kind in Europe.

Despite its relatively small scale, the Dutch film industry has succeeded in winning a considerable number of international awards, among them four Academy Awards.

The movie 'Character' from director Mike van Diem was awarded best international movie in the 1998 Academy Awards ceremony.  
 
The Dutch literary heritage too is rich and the Netherlands produced a number of major writers - from Erasmus and Spinoza in the 16th and 17th centuries, to the contemporary novelists Harry Mulisch, Gerard Reve and W.F. Hermans, whose books have been translated in many languages.
 
Dutch design - marked by simplicity, clarity and austerity - also enjoys an international reputation. The most characteristic example is the work of the members of 'De Stijl', a group of designers and artists, including Gerrit Rietveld and Piet Mondrian, who exerted major influence on the Dutch art scene in the 1930s. Dutch architecture built a reputation with names like Berlage, Dudok, Rietveld, Herzberger and Koolhaas.