Places around and near Amsterdam

Zaanse Schans

The Zaanse Schans is a popular tourist destination near Amsterdam with several well preserved windmills with different functions located in close proximity to each other. This has ensured the Zaanse Schans is one of the more popular attractions in the Netherlands. An interesting note is that in different regions of the Netherlands you can also find different designs of windmills, so the Zaanse Schans has a sense of uniqueness to it. Here you can find several interesting sights, like the only remaining windmill in the world for making paint, a bakery museum, a clock museum, a distillery museum and the well renowned Zaanse museum. It’s a fun place to visit if you wish to spend a day on Dutch culture outside of Amsterdam.

Keukenhof

One of the most impressive and typically Dutch attractions in the Netherlands is the flowerpark the Keukenhof, which is a great place for a romantic stroll. The Netherlands is the biggest flower exporter of the world. And it is here at the Keukenhof where the Dutch floriculture sector exhibits their flowers to show what they have to offer, which results in huge beautifully created flower gardens. Each year you can see over 7 million planted flowers blossoming on over 320.000 square meters or 79 acres of land, located on the land of the Castle Keukenhof which was build in 1642. The Keukenhof is usually open in late March, April and begin May. So if you come visit the Netherlands for Kingsday then the flowers are likely to be in full blossom. The famous tulip fields of the Netherlands are located around the Keukenhof, so you can also take a biking, sailing or even flying tour in the surrounding areas.

Visiting the Keukenhof
Once a year there is a huge flower parade around the Keukenhof called the Bloemencorso. At Meet The Cities we recommend visiting this parade to see the carnival wagons filled with amazing flower creations. This flower parade will be on 20 April 2024.

The flowerpark the Keukenhof itself in all its beauty can be enjoyed for several months each year. In 2024 the Keukenhof will be open from 21 March 2024 until 12 May 2024.

Volendam

Volendam is a Dutch fishers village and a popular tourist destination in the Netherlands. Each region of the Netherlands has it’s own variant of traditional garments, but the traditional folk costumes of Volendam are the ones known world wide. So people come here to see and take pictures of people in traditional Dutch garments, or even wear those garments themselves. Volendam is also renowned for it’s exquisite fish restaurants, with the traditional local delicacy being smoked eel. At the harbor you can also rent a boat and spend a relaxing day sailing on the water. In the Netherlands Volendam is known as a singer’s town, as, despite being a relatively small village, Volendam is known for producing many Dutch folk and pop singers and having it’s own distinctive sound which is very popular in the Netherlands.

Madurodam

If you want to see all cool places in the Netherlands in a day and from a bird’s-eye view then you can in Madurodam. Madurodam is a miniature park that contains most landmarks of the Netherlands. The models in the park are made as accurate as possible and build on a 1:25 scale. The park also has many games for children related to historical events in the Netherlands.

Kinderdijk

The Kinderdijk is one of the most iconic and beautiful pieces of the Netherlands. When you think of the Netherlands, you think of windmills. And nowhere else can you find so many iconic windmills packed and working together as at Kinderdijk. Originally the watermills were build in the 15th century, but the current 19 windmills are mostly from the 18th century, operating together to pump the water upwards from the polders. The Netherlands has been draining land and managing water since the middle ages. The Kinderdijk is an historically important site as you can see how water was managed in the Netherlands from the middle ages up to modern times.

Trip to Brussels or Paris

You can spend weeks in Amsterdam and still discover more fun new things to do. But if you are going on an European city trip you don’t have to confine yourself to one city. Amsterdam is well connected with public transportation. Several high speed trains from Amsterdam go directly to Rotterdam, Brussels and Paris. For as cheap as 35 euros (2018) you can go from Amsterdam to Paris within three and a half hours of travel by train. For the smart tourist it’s certainly worth considering.

Cheese markets

The Netherlands is the country of cheese and home to several centuries old cheese markets. If you wish to taste a piece of Dutch culture and gastronomy then it might be fun to visit one. On set days you can find cheese markets in Alkmaar, Gouda, Edam, Hoorn and Woerden. Going to Alkmaar to a traditional cheese market, eat some cheese and drink some beer on a terrace or while touring the canals is a great way to spend your day. If you’re more curious about where the world renowned Gouda cheese is from then you can visit Gouda and see the typically Dutch cheese maidens at work.

Efteling

The Efteling is the biggest theme park of the Netherlands and one of the oldest theme parks in the world. It started as a fairy tale forest where children stories came to life and over the years it evolved into more of an attraction park with rollercoasters, watercoasters and child friendly indoor amusement rides, such as the Carnival Festival where dolls are dressed up to show cultures from around the world in a funny manner. The Efteling is an enchanting destination for a day trip with your family.

Giethoorn

Giethoorn is a beautiful green village with a 800 year old history in the east of the Netherlands. It’s located next to national park Weerribben-Wieden, which is the largest bog in Western Europe. The old part of the village is known for having no roads. The main form of transportation in this village is by boat, as many houses are build on small Islands which can only be reached by using the waterways or by going on foot or bike over one of the 180 bridges. Giethoorn is a great place for a relaxing boat trip, to sail through in your canoe or to visit for a bicycles tour through Giethoorn and it’s surrounding nature.

Utrecht

Utrecht is a 2000 year old city founded by the Romans. Utrecht is the fourth city of the Netherlands. One of the most characteristic features of Utrecht, which is unique in the world, are the below street level canals with their own wharfs. If you go to the lower street level at the canals you can find many fancy restaurants and Dutch pancake houses to enjoy. As Utrecht arguably has the most stunning canals in the Netherlands it’s fun to rent a pedal boat and go through the canals on water.

The biggest cathedral of the Netherlands, the Dom church, is located in the heart of the city. The 112 meters high gothic church towers over the city. The church is open to visitors if you’re up to the challenge of climbing it’s narrow stairs. The city center also has lots of terraces and cafes where you can enjoy a beer in the sun. This is because Utrecht has the biggest universities of the Netherlands. So there are lots of students who enjoy a pint during the day. It’s no wonder that Utrecht also has a very active nightlife with lots of cozy cafes, cinemas and discotheques.

Utrecht is located in the heart of the Netherlands and is a choke point for public transportation, so if you take the train from Amsterdam you can be there in 30 minutes. It’s great infrastructure and large shopping center has caused Utrecht to become a popular shopping destination. It’s definitely a recommended place to visit.

The Hague

The Hague is the third city of the Netherlands. The Hague known as the international legal capital for it’s many international institutions, like the International Court of Justice in the Peace Palace. While Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, The Hague is actually where the Dutch parliament, supreme court and King are seated. The Hague houses many majestic buildings and museums, like the mind boggling Escher museum. The Hague also has an abundance of statues of influential historical people who changed the course of Dutch history.There are plenty of things to see in the city. On hot summer days Dutch and German people often go to The Hague for a day at the beach in Scheveningen.

Rotterdam

Rotterdam is an industrious port city located at the river Meuse, with the biggest port of Europe. The city really stands out among the Dutch cities for it’s modern and innovating architecture. While other Dutch cities go for a traditional look Rotterdam is the only Dutch city where tall buildings and cutting edge architecture are a common sight. This is partially because the city center of Rotterdam had to be rebuild after the second world war. The center of Rotterdam lends itself for an excellent shopping experience. The best way to reach Rotterdam for a shopping trip is by taking the train from Amsterdam.

Delta Works

The Delta Works (Deltawerken) are one of the seven world wonders of the modern world, as it’s one of the greatest civil engineering achievements of the last century. The Netherlands has been draining water and reclaiming land from the sea since the middle ages, with the organizations in charge of fighting water being older than the country itself. This is why the majority of the Netherlands is below sea level. After the North Sea flood of 1953 the Netherlands decided they would never get flooded again and build a network of impossible dams, levees, storm barriers and other water defenses that would ensure the future of the country. Biking through Zeeland you can see these historic constructions that show how the Dutch keep the ocean in check.

Maastricht

Maastricht is a very historic and romantic city that was founded by the Romans two thousand years ago at the river Meuse. It’s located in the hilly south eastern part of the Netherlands near the German and Belgian border. The city has accumulated a mix of architectural highlights over the centuries, with influences from all neighbouring countries. The city has plenty of cafe’s and restaurants as the people pride themselves on living the good life. Being in the catholic part of the Netherlands carnival is celebrated abundantly in Maastricht.

Flevoland

Flevoland is the largest artificial Island in the world. The Netherlands has build a large dyke, the Afsluitdijk, which cuts off a large bay from the North Sea turning it into the lake IJsselmeer. And in that lake the province Flevoland has been reclaimed from the sea. Flevoland is largely used for agriculture and nature so it has the largest tulip fields of the Netherlands, making it a great place to bike through or even fly over. But shopping in for example the fashion outlet of Batavia Stad is also possible.

Defence Line of Amsterdam

The Netherlands has a tradition of using water to fight invading armies. Across the Netherlands there are water defense lines. If the Netherlands got invaded by a foreign power areas got flooded to halt enemy advances. This has given the Netherlands a decisive advantage in several defensive conflicts. Amsterdam is surrounded by a network of historical fortresses and water lines that can be inundated, almost turning Amsterdam into an Island. Although the water lines around Amsterdam have never been used in a war, it did worry the Germans enough not to invade the Netherlands in the first world war. These days the Defence Line of Amsterdam (Stelling van Amsterdam) mostly serves as a UNESCO world heritage site and is open to visitors.

Fort Bourtange

Fort Bourtange is a centuries old star shaped fortress with star shaped moats originally meant to protect the road from Germany to the city Groningen. The founder of the Netherlands, William of Orange, ordered to build this fortress to cut the lines between Groningen and Germany. Despite several attacks the fortress was never taken by a foreign power. These days it functions as a tourist attraction of historic value with several museums and occasional historical reenactments.

Naarden

Naarden is a star-shaped fortress town. It is one of the most well preserved fortifications in Europe. The fortification has double canals and is part of the Dutch defensive water lines. For the cultural traveler who arrived in Amsterdam by car it might be well worth a visit, due to its close proximity to Amsterdam, so you can walk over it’s double city walls and view the six bastions, for a drink in the city or for a visit to the Netherlands Fortress Museum.

Castle de Haar

Kasteel de Haar is the biggest and arguably the most beautiful castle in the Netherlands. The Neo-Gothic castle with 200 rooms, towers and draw bridges and iconic surroundings are exactly as you’d expect from a dream castle. The castle and the park are open to guided tours where you can truly see the grandeur of the castle and it’s interior. And see the antiques the baron’s family has collected of the years.