Speed Skating
The Dutch not only mastered fine paintings and windmills over the course of history, but they also managed to invent some of the most eccentric (albeit practical) forms of footwear, from clunky clogs to ice skates. Holland, with its many canals and waterways that freeze over in winter, was a natural candidate to discover this practical and downright fun means of transport, which dates as far back as the Middle Ages. Eventually it became a competitive sport: the first skating association was set up in 1840, in the northern province of Friesland, and speed skating later became one of the first competitive sports of the Winter Games. To partake in Holland’s strongest Olympic category, you needn’t go further than Amsterdam, where you can easily practice speed skating in one of the city’s many indoor rinks, or learn to pick up the pace at the scenic artificial rink in Dam Square.
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