Delft? Haarlem? the Hague? 5 Days in Holland in March
Mar 6th, 2005, 12:47 PM
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Delft? Haarlem? the Hague? 5 Days in Holland in March
I have five days in mid-March in Holland while on business. I am looking to get out of the touriste Amsterdam and take day trips and see the sights and experiences that most tourists dont. Any ideas?>?>
Mar 11th, 2005, 06:16 AM
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Amsterdam really does have a lot to offer (the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh museum,) so do try to spend some time there.
We spent some time in Delft; much quieter. It has a fantastic market square and the New Church is quite lovely. And of course you can go see the Delft china. I liked Delft and would recommend it as a day trip, but if you are trying to get away from the touristy sites, Delft actually struck me as more tourist-oriented than Amsterdam.
If you enjoy history and architecture I would take a trip to Brugge in Belgium, which is a few hours on the train from Amsterdam. Really a stunning little town; something frozen in history.
We went through the Hague briefly,
We spent some time in Delft; much quieter. It has a fantastic market square and the New Church is quite lovely. And of course you can go see the Delft china. I liked Delft and would recommend it as a day trip, but if you are trying to get away from the touristy sites, Delft actually struck me as more tourist-oriented than Amsterdam.
If you enjoy history and architecture I would take a trip to Brugge in Belgium, which is a few hours on the train from Amsterdam. Really a stunning little town; something frozen in history.
We went through the Hague briefly,
Mar 11th, 2005, 06:36 AM
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I would recommend a side trip (either for the day or overnight) to Delft.
It is a charming town. There is a bike rental right at the train station, so it is easy to pick up a bike and see the town that way. This is the town where Vermeer lived and painted and I believe his studio recently was identified and is being restored. I loved Amsterdam, but our day in Delft was my favorite on our trip to Holland.
It is a charming town. There is a bike rental right at the train station, so it is easy to pick up a bike and see the town that way. This is the town where Vermeer lived and painted and I believe his studio recently was identified and is being restored. I loved Amsterdam, but our day in Delft was my favorite on our trip to Holland.
Mar 11th, 2005, 07:13 AM
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Haarlem is also a gem and just 20 minute train ride from amsterdam. Great town square dominated by Grote Kerk and Frans Hal museum in old abbey - neat little lanes - along with Delft my favorite Dutch regional towns. The Hague is pleasant but large city lacking romantic looks of Delft or Haarlem. buy a daag retour ticket (day return) for trains.
Mar 11th, 2005, 07:14 AM
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Another possibility is the National Museum for mechanical musical instruments (Speelklok tot Pierement) in a converted church in Utrecht. Not as dull as it sounds, as they give you practical demonstrations of a range of different things, some extremely weird, and finish with huge dancehall organs playing boogie-woogie by a dancefloor.
Utrecht itself has some pretty canals too.
To avoid the really touristy parts of Amsterdam, just walk: try walking to the Entrepotdok area near the zoo and the Museum of Resistance through the little canals between the Nieuwmarkt and the Oudeschans, or on the other side, the semi-island community around the Westerdok.
Utrecht itself has some pretty canals too.
To avoid the really touristy parts of Amsterdam, just walk: try walking to the Entrepotdok area near the zoo and the Museum of Resistance through the little canals between the Nieuwmarkt and the Oudeschans, or on the other side, the semi-island community around the Westerdok.
