High dikes surround polders where pedigree cattle graze in rich pastures and historic lifting bridges are silhouetted against the clouds just as you remember them in old Dutch paintings. But it's not just the timeless natural beauty and the bracing air that makes Noord Holland so inviting. It is also one of Holland's most culturally rich regions, careful to preserve it's long standing traditions and industries, packed with historic towns and villages, rich in museums and artifacts,