Netherlands Local Guide
Five years ago I moved from the Netherlands to Denver, Colorado. I came here to be with my beautiful American wife Jasmine. I met her in 2018, she moved to Colorado for work in 2019 and I followed her without even really knowing what this place was like. But I’m so glad I ended up here. This place has really become my home. I have made friends, found work here and I absolutely love having the city with all its activities so close to the Rocky Mountains. It’s definitely a lot more mountainous here than my home country! I go skiing here every winter, I go hiking in the spring and tubing in the summer. The people in Colorado are so friendly and there is a real sense of community at all the different events and markets around the Denver Metro area.
What a lot of Dutch people outside of Colorado are surprised by is the amount of Dutch people and the tight-knit community here. There are hundreds of Dutch people living in Colorado, and we show up during events!
We come together multiple times a year, we follow each other on social media and we take over bars during European Championships or World Cup football (soccer, for all the Americans). This has also materialized in a few shops throughout Colorado that now function as a hub for the Dutch community.
Having places to come together to celebrate New Year's, Dutch King’s Day or even just to grab a coffee, is something that I value a lot. It gives a sense of home, far away from home.
Boonzaaijers Bakery
610 E Fillmore St, Colorado Springs, CO 80907
If you want Dutch pastries: This is the place to be. Boonzaaijers is a renowned name even in the Netherlands. It’s a last name known overseas as a great bakery. Some of the Boonzaaijer family members made the move to the US 2 generations ago and this bakery still sells great pastries. I haven’t found anywhere else in the US that sells anything that reminds me of home as much as this place. The one thing you must absolutely try is the sausage roll (saucijzenbroodje). The flaky outside combined with the spiced sausage is incredible. You can also get a typical almond letter here: A flake pastry filled with almond spice, a Dutch classic mostly eaten around the Sinterklaas holiday (November and early December).
But honestly: This is something I could eat every day. Parking is really easy. You can park next to the building, where you see a big mural of a Dutch windmill. Inside, there’s the bakery with seating, as well as a few shelves with Dutch candies and treats.
Denver Art Museum
100 W 14th Ave. Pkwy., Denver, CO 80204
Until February 2027, the Denver Art Museum has a special gallery of European Art before 1800. As you may or may not know, art from this time has a huge amount of Dutch influences. Vincent van Gogh, Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt van Rijn are all from the Netherlands. In this gallery, you can find paintings from Rembrandt, as well as a portrait of Rembrandt painted by one of his students. If you look around closely, you’ll find a lot more Dutch painters’ work here! Admission varies between $22 and $30, depending on your age and whether you live in Colorado. Street parking can be found all around the 3 buildings that make up the museum.
Dubbel Dutch
4974 Lowell Blvd, Denver, CO 80221
The moment you walk through that door, you feel like you’re transported back to the Netherlands. You see the drop (licorice candy), the beschuit (crispy, fluffy bread) and so much more staring at you. And you hear Dutch being spoken, which is something you don’t hear too often on the streets. This place was started by Eef in 1999, and has since become the go-to place for everything Dutch for all the surrounding States. Everyone knows Eef and we closely follow her updates on seasonal things. For example: Every November, the store gets huge shipments of Sinterklaas candy. I love the chocolate pepernoten, which are little spiced cookies coated in white, milk and dark chocolate.
Even if you hate licorice, you need to try some Dutch drop. If you don’t like the taste, make sure to get the honey drop. If you’re daring, try the extra salty drop! Seriously, Dutch people can’t get enough of this.
If you want to meet a lot of Dutch people, come to the New Year’s Celebration on December 31st! At 4 p.m., we count down until the new year. You know, because the Netherlands is eight hours ahead.
Park along the street or in a side street, and once inside ask Eef what she would recommend you try.