Each raindrop which falls on the Dutch ground must be mechanically pumped out. In the past, the windmills were used to pump the water out of the lowest parts of the land as well as to mill grains. Nowadays, the windmills have been replaced by numerous massive pumping stations keeping the ground water level in check. The Dutch windmills are historical monuments and also the symbols of this country. Most windmills are still occupied. Many of them can be visited. What is more, the visitors can observe how they work. The most interesting windmills are situated in the heritage parks in Ijmuiden, Katwijk, Scheveningen, Vlissingen.

For some Dutch the national costume is still a casual cloth and this is not because of working in tourist industry but their parents and grandparents wore them earlier and they are a part of the culture. In the past the clogs were made of willow wood and they were worn by the Dutch farmers. On these days the wooden shoes are a symbol and an attractive souvenir for tourists.

However you can still sometimes see the farmer in these shoes in a tractor. Today there are about 3 million of clogs produced every year. They are warmer and drier then rubber shoes, that's why they are worn in the villages. The shape and look of the shoes describe which part of the country somebody comes from. The clogs have recently been approved by European Union as the working shoes - cheap, strong and safe.

There are many varietes and tastes of cheese. The names of some of them like Gouda, Edam or Leerdamer come from the names of towns where they are produced. Cheese markets in Gouda or Alkmaar take place in the summer months and they nourish all the traditions connected with the cheese trade. Cheese is sold by auction and a buyer hits cheese with his hand in order to check whether the wholes in the cheese are in the appropriate size.