Best of Holland?
Jul 18th, 2003, 01:43 AM
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The Hague-the Mauritshuis art museum has plenty of masterpieces (Rembrandts galore, Vermeer's "Girl With a Pearl Earring" and is compact, too. One of my favorite museums. Also you can see where the Dutch parliament meets and even sit in their seats in the chamber. The International Court of Justice, where Milosevic and other big baddies are tried, is a little bit of a walk but also worth seeing.
The Keukenhof--if you are in Holland from March through may this is a must see. Take a train to Leiden and pick up a bus there to the Keukenhof. The most beautiful flowers in the world will all be in bloom. Everyone I know, from all ages and backgrounds, who has seen it says it is amazing. It's like walking in a huge field of tulips.
Haarlem--not only is it just a cute town with lots of great shops, it is also where the Jewish people in the book "The Hiding Place" hid from te Nazis. It is fascinating to see the tiny, tiny room where they hid out for 6 days while Nazis sat in the house; the tour is free but comes with an evangelical lecture, not everyone's cup of tea. There is also the Frans Hals museum, and an enormous church.
Delft is another town worth visiting, but I haven't been there yet.
All of these towns are day trips form Amsterdam; the Hague is at most 1 and 1/2 hours from Amsterdam. What's great about them too is that they are much more "stately" than Amsterdam, so that if the--for lack of a better word-- 'seediness' of Amsterdam bothers you these places are a welcome sight.
The Keukenhof--if you are in Holland from March through may this is a must see. Take a train to Leiden and pick up a bus there to the Keukenhof. The most beautiful flowers in the world will all be in bloom. Everyone I know, from all ages and backgrounds, who has seen it says it is amazing. It's like walking in a huge field of tulips.
Haarlem--not only is it just a cute town with lots of great shops, it is also where the Jewish people in the book "The Hiding Place" hid from te Nazis. It is fascinating to see the tiny, tiny room where they hid out for 6 days while Nazis sat in the house; the tour is free but comes with an evangelical lecture, not everyone's cup of tea. There is also the Frans Hals museum, and an enormous church.
Delft is another town worth visiting, but I haven't been there yet.
All of these towns are day trips form Amsterdam; the Hague is at most 1 and 1/2 hours from Amsterdam. What's great about them too is that they are much more "stately" than Amsterdam, so that if the--for lack of a better word-- 'seediness' of Amsterdam bothers you these places are a welcome sight.
Jul 18th, 2003, 02:02 AM
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The Kroeller-Mueller museum in Otterloo, in the national park De Hoge Veluwe - a fabulous museum with sculpture garden in the woods.
Delft on a Thursday or Saturday - a compact, charming town with lots of 17th-century canal houses and a market on the huge main square with flower market along a smaller canal (Thursdays) and an antique/flea market and general market (Saturdays). Climb the tower of the New Church and look over it all!
Leiden - a larger but lovely town built on canals. The Lakenhal museum with a great collection of Dutch impressionist and post-impressionist paintings.
Muiderslot - a restored defensive castle with a star-shaped moat, not far from Amsterdam. Beautiful!
Rotterdam's museums, boat tour of the world's largest port, and modern architecture - check out the 'cube houses'!
The whole province of Limburg, including the city of Maastricht. A different atmosphere: more hilly, more wooded, more 'Belgian'; IMO better food & drink than the rest of the country!
Delft on a Thursday or Saturday - a compact, charming town with lots of 17th-century canal houses and a market on the huge main square with flower market along a smaller canal (Thursdays) and an antique/flea market and general market (Saturdays). Climb the tower of the New Church and look over it all!
Leiden - a larger but lovely town built on canals. The Lakenhal museum with a great collection of Dutch impressionist and post-impressionist paintings.
Muiderslot - a restored defensive castle with a star-shaped moat, not far from Amsterdam. Beautiful!
Rotterdam's museums, boat tour of the world's largest port, and modern architecture - check out the 'cube houses'!
The whole province of Limburg, including the city of Maastricht. A different atmosphere: more hilly, more wooded, more 'Belgian'; IMO better food & drink than the rest of the country!
Jul 18th, 2003, 09:21 AM
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If you are traveling by train, which is the best way to get anywhere in Holland, you'll probably go through Utrecht. Utrecht is a city with the charm of Amsterdam, but not as tourist-flooded. Visit De Dom toren, Neude and shopping center Hoog Catherijne. From Utrecht it is possible to go up north to Leeuwarden and Groningen. These are great cities to visit, and you'll find that this part of The Netherlands is quite different from the south and the west. When traveling from the North back towards Amsterdam, the best way is to go over the Afsluitdijk to Alkmaar, where you can view the cheese-carriers perform. If you are near Maastricht, go by Valkenburg, and if you are near Rotterdam (do the harbor tour!), do see Delft and travel on to Middelburg.
As you can see, there is a lot more to Holland than Amsterdam, you'll have a great time!
As you can see, there is a lot more to Holland than Amsterdam, you'll have a great time!
Jul 22nd, 2003, 03:35 AM
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There have been some fabulous suggestions in this thread. The Mauritshuis is dynamite in a small package - a Must (English tours on Thursdays). You are in The Hague's centre, and it also provides the beautiful old parliamentary buildings right next door and the Knight's Hall, and from there any number of buses or trams will take you straight to the Peace Palace - imho the most elegant building in Holland.
If you can get there efficiently (it's out of the way), the Kroeller-Mueller museum is mind-blowing. You cannot believe how many Van Gogh's (not with the silly hoity-toity "French" pronounciation) there are, right next to Picassos, Monets, etc., and all in a beautiful nature park (hire bicycles on site). If you are Canadian and intend to go to Arnhem, please try to tag this museum onto your agenda.
A Must to do anywhere in Holland - eat a Dutch pancake (my favourite is bacon and ginger) or 'poffertjes'. Don't know the latter? Then give yourself a surprise.
Peter
If you can get there efficiently (it's out of the way), the Kroeller-Mueller museum is mind-blowing. You cannot believe how many Van Gogh's (not with the silly hoity-toity "French" pronounciation) there are, right next to Picassos, Monets, etc., and all in a beautiful nature park (hire bicycles on site). If you are Canadian and intend to go to Arnhem, please try to tag this museum onto your agenda.
A Must to do anywhere in Holland - eat a Dutch pancake (my favourite is bacon and ginger) or 'poffertjes'. Don't know the latter? Then give yourself a surprise.
Peter
Jul 22nd, 2003, 05:56 AM
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Good suggestion about the Kroller Moller; it's often overlooked, and takes you into a different and beautiful part of the Netherlands. The bicycles are included in the entry price to the park; just pick one up near the visitor's centre, and also visit the amazing house of the Kroller Moller's there. While in the area, you may want to consider visiting castle Het Loo too.
Jul 24th, 2003, 02:55 PM
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A timely article from the Boston Globe (reprinted in the Seattle P-I, no registration necessary)...
"Tiny Netherlands is a big attraction for flower lovers"
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/nwgard...holland24.html
"Tiny Netherlands is a big attraction for flower lovers"
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/nwgard...holland24.html
Jul 27th, 2003, 08:32 AM
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Looks like everybody goes to the same place...lol
Nobody talks about the A'dam harbor tours or canal tours by boat. Then in Rotterdam ther's "Madurodam" a miniature city and also the "Euromast" a large tower with shops and restaurant on tops for beautifull views of the Rotterdam Harbor.
There is Vlissingen in the south west a fine city with lots of history specialy regarding the water controle and flooding in the 50's. There's Arnhem a fine city to shop and also known for the WW-II bridge over the Rhine fight.
There's so much more then just Amsterdam and Tulips.
Go to the Waddenzee islands...
actualy there way to much to mention here
Nobody talks about the A'dam harbor tours or canal tours by boat. Then in Rotterdam ther's "Madurodam" a miniature city and also the "Euromast" a large tower with shops and restaurant on tops for beautifull views of the Rotterdam Harbor.
There is Vlissingen in the south west a fine city with lots of history specialy regarding the water controle and flooding in the 50's. There's Arnhem a fine city to shop and also known for the WW-II bridge over the Rhine fight.
There's so much more then just Amsterdam and Tulips.
Go to the Waddenzee islands...
actualy there way to much to mention here
Jul 27th, 2003, 10:39 AM
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How about Maastricht? Absolutely lovely town. And the lakes in Friesland (A province which has a language all of its own; don't bother to learn Dutch when going there). And when you visit with children, go to the Efteling, a theme park based on fairy tales.
Jul 27th, 2003, 12:40 PM
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My wife and I absolutely loved Delft and Leiden. Both are small, historically significant towns that are dissected by canals.
We are seriously considering an all-Netherlands itinerary on our next trip to Europe (after the trip coming up shortly, that is). I am fascinated by the polders and would love to drive across the afsluitdijk, which is the dyke that separates the IJsselmeer from the North Sea. We would also like to visit Kinderdijk and Keukenhof, and spend more time in Amsterdam than the one-day visit that we made a few years ago.
The only problem with the Dutch is that they use words like afsluitdijk.
Jul 28th, 2003, 07:15 AM
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While in The Hague, don't forget to visit the new Escher Museum. The collection is very extensive and includes family photo albums. On the top floor there is a virtual reality exhibit that fits right in with his work.
Aug 14th, 2003, 09:40 AM
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We stayed in a little town called Gouda - made famous for its cheese. I think I liked it more than I would have liked to stay at Amsterdam. There were little things to see there - no traffic - a lot of peace - and of course a lot of varieties of delicious cheese.
