The barrel organ, or draaiorgel (DRY-orkhel), surely has its detractors in the Netherlands, but it also has lots of enthusiasts, the most diehard of which can be found at the annual Draaiorgel Festival Amsterdam, held each year on Dam Square on the second Saturday in September. The instruments have their music "pinned" - with raised metal pins - onto a series of wooden barrels, which players rotate by means of a crank.

The organs are often intricately carved, complete with sculptures, and feature beautifully vivid color schemes (indeed, to some they are better seen than heard!). Visitors can frequently encounter the organs driven by buskers on busy pedestrian streets, or at events such as this Draaiorgelfestival, where scores of barrel organs convene in an effort to preserve this piece of typical Dutch culture and listen to the festive tunes that blare from their embossed wooden pipes.

For more on the latest festival dates and other information, see the Draaiorgel Festival Amsterdam web site.