Are you looking for your next holiday destination, the Netherlands can make your heart beat faster. The Netherlands is world-famous because of Amsterdam, but it has so much more to offer than just the capital alone. In the Netherlands, you can discover many cozy and beautiful cities. The nature in the Netherlands is amazing, the advantage of the Netherlands is because of the size of the country that you have different types of nature reserves close to each other. If you like art and history, you visit world-class museums in the Netherlands. The Netherlands is an amazing country to discover! In this article, you can read why you should visit the Netherlands on your next holiday.
Visit the metropolis of Amsterdam
Of course, Amsterdam is the number 1 reason to travel to the Netherlands. You are probably curious about what Amsterdam has to offer and why it is so world-famous. Amsterdam is known by everyone only some people have never heard of the Netherlands. In Amsterdam, you can find the best museums in the Netherlands, enjoy the beautiful architecture of different buildings. Especially the old mansions on the canals are beautiful to see. You can make great walks In Amsterdam, every corner of the street has something unique to offer. From beautiful views, canals, and nice boutique shops to impressive squares. It is recommended to stay in Amsterdam for 2 to 3 days. Read this 3 days in Amsterdam itinerary for all detailed information.
Discover the beautiful nature of the Netherlands
Did you know that the Netherlands has different types of nature close to each other. In no other country in Europa is everything so close. The coast has beautiful sandy beaches, the north the islands that are called the Wadden region, in the interior grasslands forests, heathland, fens dunes, and the south the hills with caves. In the Netherlands, you can easily enjoy the beach in the morning and walk through the forest in the afternoon.
There are a lot of national nature parks in the Netherlands, each of which has its advantages. Which is the best is entirely personal. In the interior and the south of the Netherlands, you will find the most beautiful nature parks in the Netherlands. The provinces of Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland are the major cities such as Amsterdam, The Hague, and Rotterdam.
If you have the time, you can travel north to visit the five Wadden Islands. This has been awarded as the most beautiful nature reserve in the Netherlands. It is ideal for travelers who like peace and who love cycling and walking. Our personal favorite is De Hoge Veluwe National Park, this is the largest park where you have the greatest diversity of animals. In this park, you can spot animals by sitting in different huts. If you love water you can visit the National Park De Biesbosch. Here you have many lakes and canals where you animals living in this environment. You can hike, kayak, or try to spot the bald eagle and otter with a whistler boat from the water. In addition to these three parks, De Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park and De Loons en Drunense Duinen National Park are also recommended.
Art & History
Dutch artists are world-famous, so it is a must when you are in the Netherlands to see works by Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Pieter Bruegel, Hieronymus Bosch, and Vincent van Gogh with your own eyes. The Netherlands also has a rich history that is worth exploring.
The best museums are located in Amsterdam, but there are also a couple of great museums outside of Amsterdam. The best museum in the Netherlands is the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam because of its diversity. Here you will find many pieces by different artists, with the absolute highlight being Rembrandt’s Night Watch. If you want to know everything about Van Gogh, you should visit the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. If you want to visit more of a history museum, the Anne Frank house is highly recommended. Not the cozy museum, but an important museum in terms of history. In this museum, you can see how Anne Frank’s family lived during the Second World War. Other museums in Amsterdam that are recommended are the Hermitage and the Nemo museum.
Outside of Amsterdam, you can visit the open-air museum in Arnhem. Here you can walk through the park in the afternoon and see historic buildings of the Netherlands. By visiting this park you get a good idea of what the Netherlands was like before all technology. The railway museum in Utrecht is also recommended. Here you can learn what the railways meant for the Netherlands and the former Dutch colonies.
Bicycles
There is no other country in the world where so many people cycle as in the Netherlands. It is a unique street scene that you can only find here. What could be more fun than to cycle in the Netherlands yourself and to experience it like a local. You can rent a bike in any city and use it all day long. Very easy, because you can move quickly, it saves you a lot of transport costs and you are not dependent on public transport. In addition, you can get the most out of your day.
You can rent a bicycle for € 7.50 at Black-bikes. In Amsterdam, they have 14 spots where you can rent a bicycle.
Charming villages and towns
Besides Amsterdam, there are many beautiful cities in the Netherlands to visit. If you like large cities that are comparable in size to Amsterdam, a visit to Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Maastricht is recommended. Rotterdam is the port city of the Netherlands. The Hague is home to the parliament and here you can see many old buildings. Utrecht is also called small Amsterdam because of the cozy city center and canals that flow through the city. Maastricht is located in the very south of the Netherlands and is the least touristic city and feels like a city from Germany.
Do you want to visit cities that aren’t so massive and where you see fewer tourists than you should visit: Delft, Leiden, Haarlem, Den Bosch, and Eindhoven. Delft is the city of the Netherlands where you can buy porcelain blue. Leiden is a student city so you can visit many nice boutique shops and have great parties. Haarlem is a picturesque city where you can see how the Netherlands looked like 300 years ago. Den Bosch and Eindhoven are two cities in the south of the Netherlands. In Den Bosch you can enjoy shopping, it is above all a pleasant city with beautiful old small streets. From Den Bosch you can visit the National Park de Loons and Drunense Duinen. Eindhoven is a modern city where you see Dutch technology reflected everywhere.
If you want to get a better picture of how the Dutch live and go more locally, you should visit villages. Lisse, Broek in Waterland and Thorn are recommended. In Lisse, you are close to Keukenhof where you can see the beautiful flower fields. In Broek, in Waterland, you can sail with a boat over the water past the houses. Thorn is beautiful for the architecture of the buildings and the many white houses.
The Netherlands and the water
Did you know that if the Netherlands didn’t have dikes and water systems 55% of the country would be underwater. The Netherlands is world-famous for its dikes and water systems, they use their knowledge to help other countries with water problems.
When you are in the Netherlands it is nice to see how the Dutch people deal with living with water. For example, you can go to the Noordoostpolder, this area was created by reclaiming earth. The Nieuwe Maasvlakte is also great to see, the port of Rotterdam had to grow. There was no space inland, so they started to create space in the sea.
If you are interested in everything with water and water sports, it is recommended to go to the province of Zeeland. In this province, you can find beautiful sandy beaches and nice fishing villages. Neeltje Jans is the most impressive delta work to see.
Dutch food
The Netherlands isn’t world-famous for its food, when you think of food countries like Italy and France are better known. Although it isn’t world-famous, you can enjoy fantastic food in the Netherlands. The Netherlands is a country where you have many terraces in villages and cities. There are restaurants and delivery services all over the Netherlands. You can find all types of kitchens in the Netherlands without any problems. Dishes that you should try when you are in the Netherlands are:
- Poffertjes: small pancakes that are delicious during lunch or as a snack;
- Nederlandse nieuwe haring (Dutch new herring): this is raw herring with onions that you can buy at a fish stall, very healthy;
- Pannenkoeken (Pancakes): traditional pancakes, Dutch people use all kinds of toppings on them. In all major cities and villages you have pancake houses where you can eat deliciously;
- Stamppot: a real Dutch dish. A pot with potatoes and vegetables. Stamppot has many versions. One person uses carrots, the other endive, and the other sprouts. A dish that comes from the 15th century. Every Dutch person grew up with the stamppot;
- Oliebollen: these are donuts that you can buy during the winter months, especially during the Christmas period. They are fried in fat and sprinkled with icing sugar. Not a healthy dish, but delicious;
- Erwtensoep (Pea soup): The best soup from the Netherlands is pea soup. Based on peas and vegetables this soup is deliciously filled. An ideal soup to have during lunch.
Everything is well organized
Everything is well organized in the Netherlands. You can get anywhere by public transport. Nowhere in the world is the infrastructure as good as in the Netherlands. You can also travel safely everywhere. If you want to cycle, you can cycle throughout the Netherlands without any problems. You can buy tickets online for all the sights you want to visit in advance. All in all, it is very easy to travel to the Netherlands.
If you looking for an overall site where you kind read in-depth information of the Netherland we recommend visiting holland.
Author Bio
This article was written by Cynthia & Alexander, adventure travel bloggers from Travel your Memories. They travel the world and share all the tips to inspire and help you plan your trips.
Images courtesy © Cynthia & Alexander