Windmills and clogs are probably no longer as prevalent as the traditional stereotypes about the Netherlands would have you believe, but if you visit in Spring, tulips and bicycles probably are. These days the Netherlands is probably just as famous for its liberal politics and open minded approach to, well, to a lot of things! Its land grab from the ocean, its art collections and beautiful canal-lining towns and cities. The Hotel Guru's selection of the best places to stay in the Netherlands are all well situated to make the most of this fascinating country.
The Dutch have a reputation for height and directness, making it easy to ask for directions. They're also more likely to direct you to the coffeehouse serving the best coffee, rather than the kind teenagers on their first trip away from home might be looking for. Most of the stuff stag-dos are keen on is kept to one part of Amsterdam, conveniently located for the train station, while the rest of the city, and the country, is more about art, heritage, beautiful architecture and design, flowers, sailing and cheese - to make totally unfair and limited generalisations.
The landscape here is iconic and crepe flat. More than half of it is actually below sea level, and 20% of the current land of the Netherlands has actually been dredged from the sea. These reclaimed bits are called polders and they’re a fascinating and unique sight. The Netherlands has long been known for windmills but these days it’s not just the ones with the sails which feature on Delftwear and in songs about mice, these days modern windmills sprout too, helping to sustain the country’s agricultural wealth. The flatness might appeal to you if you fancy biking around. And a lot of people do, both for their day to day travel and intercity. And this popularity of bikes means that the facilities for riders is excellent, with more than 32,000kms worth of cycle paths.
As countries go, the Netherlands has one of the world's best art collections. Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Vemeer, Mondrian, Frans Hals, Hieronymus Bosch, there are plenty works by these masters to be seen. Spread across a number of excellent museums. It's not all Dutch Masters either. And the contemporary cultural scene is also well known internationally. The Netherlands is somewhere to be creative in.
It's not just great art this country has produced either, there are a number of architectural wonders, and some of the most spectacular gardens imaginable. The Keukenhof Gardens feature on innumerable bucket lists.
To get a sense of where this country has come from visit Waterland and the the Zaan Region, where you’ll find the typical old Dutch villages of windmills and wooden houses - and clogs. And the Zaanse Schans Open Air Museum.
Amsterdam is wonderful, and worth returning to again and again, but it's also worth taking to the canals, or the bike paths, like the Dutch, and exploring further afield. Visit Edam, for the cheese and the hand-operated drawbridges; modernist Rotterdam, with its world class museums and maritime legacy; Haarlem with its peaceful, canal-side charms; Maastricht for its fantastic museums, the Roman and Spanish ruins and impressive French and Belgian architecture; Vermeer's Delft, with its wonderful old buildings, compact old town and the distinctive blue and white pottery; and Utrecht with its castles and towers. And then there's the famous Den Hague, seat of the Netherland’s parliament and home to the royal family, the embassies and several of the country’s best museums and galleries - but not the capital city.
And those are just the ones we've all heard about. Some of the nicest are really best discovered for yourself, along the canal or tulip-lined bike path.
What not to Miss
- Amsterdam’s canals: It goes without saying that you should take a canal trip - there are many choices, from bespoke tours to a range of companies with generous-sized boats offering the classic tour.
- It also goes without saying that you should visit the flower market and stroll around the inner ring of canals, the Keizersgracht, the Prinsengracht, the Lijnbaansgracht and the Singelgracht. This is where you’ll find many of the charmingly narrow merchant’s houses, the brown cafes and many fantastic boutiques. It also goes without saying that bike hire is a good idea if you want to see beyond the Old Centre and Canal Ring.
- Amsterdam’s museums: The Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum and the Museum het Rembrandthuis are packed with Dutch Masters. While the Stedelijk Museum has the Mondrians and Matisses among other more modern treasures. The Hermitage now has an outpost in Amsterdam and you can also visit the Rembrandt House museum.
- Near the top of Rotterdam’s list of world class museums is the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen which has a superb collection of both Dutch and European old masters. Impressive works from all eras, including many Monets several works each by Gauguin, Van Gogh, Degas, Magritte, Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp and Salvador Dali. In addition there is a city museum, the Rotterdam Museum, two maritime museums and a war museum.
- A small part of Rotterdam did survive the war, the Delftshaven, or seaport for the city of Delft. It’s a bit out of town and the windmill is a reconstruction, but still a wonderful place for a stroll. Packed with little delis and cafes and an outpost of the Rotterdam Museum. American visitors will also be interested in the fact that this is where the Pilgrims tried to leave for America, aboard the vaguely seaworthy Speedwell…
- The Hague’s Plein, which translates to 'square' is one of the old city's most charming, with some of The Hague's most historic buildings, as well as a good selection of outdoor cafes and shopping opportunities. Just northwest of the Plein is the Binnenhof - parliament house - which was once a castle surrounded by a moat. Also nearby is the small but impressive art collection of the Mauritshuis, which includes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring and View of Delft.
- The Hague also has the Escher in Het Paleis (mathematical museum), which houses works by the prominent Dutch artist M.C. Escher who applies mathematics and geometry to his graphic art.
- It’s also worth visiting the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
- Utrecht is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, and has the charm and visitor appeal of being built around a series of split-level canals in the medieval centre.
- The Zaanse Schans Open Air Museum is a wonderful way to see the Netherlands as it once was.
- Schiedam is known for having the world’s tallest windmills.