Sinterklaas is on his way to the Netherlands, and the date of his arrival has been set! This is one of the most beloved times of year for families and kids in the Netherlands. If you're wondering who on earth Sinterklaas is and why he gets a big parade in every city, you might want to read this guide to Sinterklaas in the Netherlands.

Sinterklaas arrives in many cities

The national arrival (Landelijke intocht van Sinterklaas), which is broadcast on television each year, will be shown live by the NTR on NPO Zapp (NPO 3) on Saturday, November 14. From Monday, November 9, Het Sinterklaasjournaal (Sinterklaas News) will be broadcast at 6pm each day, also on NPO Zapp (NPO 3), making it perfect for if your children speak Dutch, or indeed for anyone learning Dutch. But of course, Sint will be making regional appearances - horse, Piets and all - in many cities in the Netherlands!

Find out when and where Sinterklaas will be arriving:

Here are the dates of the arrival of Sinterklaas in various Dutch cities:

November 14 - National arrival in Grave

The national arrival of Sinterklaas takes place in Grave, in the municipality of Land van Cuijk in Noord-Brabant, this year. The steamboat will moor at the Loswal on the Maas, on the Maaskade, on Saturday, November 14, and the arrival will start at 12pm. The mayor of Grave, Marieke Moorman, will give Sinterklaas a warm welcome. This is the first time in 26 years that a Brabant municipality has hosted the national arrival. The last one was in Woudrichem in 2000.

November 14 - Arrival in Leiden

The arrival of Sinterklaas in Leiden takes place on November 14. Follow Sinterklaas from his arrival at Beestenmarkt to his destination at Garenmarkt during the day! And that's not all - the kids will be entertained with games, bouncy castles, and more.

November 14 - Arrival in Maastricht

Sinterklaas will be arriving on Saturday, November 14 at 11am, mooring his boat at the landing stage of Rederij Stiphout on the Kesselskade. There will be activities taking place at the Kesselskade, giving a festive air, and Sinterklaas' tour through the city will take him over the Sint Servaasbrug and along streets such as the Wolfstraat and Grote Staat, ending at the Markt. On Sunday, November 15, families with kids can meet Sinterklaas at a meet-and-greet in the Brusselse Poort shopping centre.

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November 14 - Arrival in The Hague

Sinterklaas will sail in via the famous Scheveningen waters at 11.15am to greet all the children from The Hague. Sinterklaas will leave Scheveningen at 12.30pm and take a carriage ride to The Hague, where he will parade through the main shopping streets, typically starting at Keizerstraat and finishing at the Plein.

November 14 - Arrival in Rotterdam

Sinterklaas will sail in via the famous port to greet all the children from Rotterdam at 12.30pm. After a musical welcome, he will begin his journey through the city centre, eventually ending at Grotekerkplein, where there's plenty of fun and games for the kids, including getting their own Piet diplomas!

November 14 - Arrival in Eindhoven

Sinterklaas will greet all the children of Eindhoven at a welcome party on Stadhuisplein. There will be exciting activities for all the children, and you will be able to greet Sinterklaas in the city centre.

November 15 - Arrival in Amsterdam

Sinterklaas will arrive in Amsterdam at around 10am via the Amstel on Sunday, November 15. He will leave his boat behind at the Maritime Museum at 11:30am and spend some time meeting and greeting some lucky children from various organisations, as well as the Mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema. He sets off again at 1pm to do a street tour of the Dutch capital on his horse Amerigo, ending at 3.30pm at Leidseplein so be sure to check where to go if you want to greet him.

November 15 - Arrival in Utrecht

Sinterklaas will enter Utrecht at 11.30am on Sunday, November 15 from the Ledig Erf, and float along the famous and picturesque city canal, the Oudegracht, reaching the Weerdsluis at 1pm, where there will be live music and fun for the whole family. From 2pm, Sinterklass and the Petes will parade via Jacobsstraat, Viestraat and Ouderkerkhof, with activities for children at the Domplein. Sint will arrive at the Domplein at 3pm, and the festivities will start to wrap up at 3.30pm.

November 21 - Arrival in Delft

Sinterklaas' boat can be found in the Delft Oostsingel at noon, after which Sinterklaas and his companions will head to the Markt via a number of streets to greet as many children as possible.

Sinterklaas arriving in your town

Want to know when he will sail into your town or city? The full overview of Sinterklaas arrivals can be found on the Dutch events website!