Hi
On a previous trip I went to Rotterdam for 2 nights and was in Amsterdam for 4 nights. So I feel like I've done these towns well. My next trip I will have 6 days in The Neatherlands before I fly out of Amsterdam. Other then the forementioned towns I do not know anything about what there is to see. I'm looking for suggestions. Any town or village that is historic or pretty or interesting. Maybe there is a place that is good for hiking, or known for there flowers. I"m very open. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you for your hlep.
Derick Farmer

When are you going? And how will you get about?
The reason I ask is that these will affect the suggestions I make.

Delft, Aalkmarr and Haarlem are my two most favorite old-world looking canal-laced Dutch regional towns. Leiden and Utrecht are also fascinating and have some excellent museums. Aalsmeer has its very famous and popular old-time Cheese Market every Fri from Apr thru Sep or so - in the morning. delft also has the world-famous Porcelain Fles (sp?) Delftware factory that you can tour - on the outskirts of town.

For flowers i would say go to Haarlem and rent a bike at the station and then ride the about 15-20 flat miles to Leiden, passing thru the heart of the Flower Fields, where IME there are always pulchritudinous waves of flowers blowing in the wind - nice side roads make perfect bike paths.

Or a short bus ride from Amsterdam is Aalsmeer and its week day world-famous flower auction in what is called the largest area under one roof in the world - come before 11am or so to see it at its busiest - many of the world's cut flowers go from the nearby flower fields to here and then wisked away to waiting planes at nearby Schiphol Airport.

Aalsmeer : Information English
Every day Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer sets the world price for flowers and plants. ... This means that Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer has the largest trade building in ...
www.aalsmeer.nl/00004.asp

Like hetismij asks, "When are you going?" It makes a big difference in Holland. E.g., the tulip fields are in bloom from mid-April to mid-May. You don't need to go all the way to Leiden. Go as far as Keukenhof for one of the greatest flower shows on earth.

OTOH, any time of year is good for a visit to Haarlem.

One of the most popular day excursions out of Amsterdamned goes to Marken and Volendam - Marken is on the former Zuider Zee and now inland lake the Ijselmeer - it is practically now part of the mainland with reclamation projects surrounding it.

But Marken is now an open-air museum with its old traditional Dutch buildings, etc. And some locals also like to wear, strictly for sake of tourists it seems, the traditional old Dutch garb you know the one for ladies with high white lace or whatever on their black hats.

then you hop a boat from Marken to cross a bay to Volendam, where the old port part of town is lovely - and ringed by bars, cafes, pancake places, etc. On a weekend Dutch love to flock here to lay back.

You can reach Marken by boat from Amsterdamned or by bus (Marken is now hooked to the mainland by some kind of dyke the bus goes over)

You can return to Amsterdamned directly from Volendam by bus in less than a hour i would think

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Picture of Marken express ferry, Volendam, Holland - Free Pictures ...
Picture of Marken express ferry, Volendam, Holland, the most famous place on the IJsselmeer coast. Volendam means a dam which has been filled.
http://www.freefoto.com/preview/1450...ffid=1450-12-7 - Cached - Similar
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Volendam and Marken Tours
A visit to the picturesque Dutch fishing village of Volendam or to Marken near the coast of the former Zuiderzee.
http://www.hollandtoursschiphol.nl/v...ken_tours.html - Cached - Similar
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Marken and Volendam in Marken
Marken and Volendam. These two small old fishing villages, which are built entirely out of wood, make for wonderful day trips out of Amsterdam. ...
http://www.europe-cities.com/.../mar..._and_volendam/ - Cached - Similar

and for boat info:
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Welkom bij de Marken Express
- [ Translate this page ]
Marken Express, Rederij Veerman en Co verzorgt rondvaarten over het IJsselmeer van Volendam naar oa Marken, Monnickendam en Hoornmarken.
www.markenexpress.nl/

a day trip to Zaanse Schans especially nice on a sunny day is very rewarding.
http://theamsterdamguide.planeteye.c...illage-museum/

The Hague is just one hour away by train and a completely different city than Amsterdam.

http://theamsterdamguide.planeteye.c...-to-the-hague/


If you are in The Hague you might like to go the Madurodam, a miniature city showing all the important sights in the Netherlands.
http://www.madurodam.nl

I've been to some of those "touristic" places mentioned above but unlike some, I actually enjoyed my visit.

A lot of people particularly diss Zaanse Schans in terms of it being somehow "fake" because the buildings were moved there from elsewhere. But it is one place you can actually go inside a working windmill which I thought was pretty fascinating.

I like The Netherlands a LOT but there are some less than spectacular places IMO..toruists usually flock to certain spots for good reason.

You've already gotten some answers but actually in the Netherlands there are so many picturesque towns to visit and you can get places by trains so easily. Definitely must get out of the two cities mentioned...one city The Hague however is worth mentioning. True, Kuekenhof is very special in Spring which we saw this past April. Leiden is a wonderful old city and a prize because of the historic connection to the group who became the Pilgrims eventually relocating to Plymouth Rock...see the Pilgrim House. Other towns we found delightful are Enkuizen up north, Zaanse Schans, Hoorn, Kinderdijk, Schoonhaven, Delft, Veere (and not far away the Delta Works) flood control engineering project). So many more but we skipped touristy Volendam.

Ozarksbill [email protected]

Hi DF,

We liked Haarlem and Gouda

I really enjoyed the Kroller-Muller museum. Google it to take a look. Enjoy, CJ

Here's another vote in favor of Zaanse Schans.

Also liked the Zuider Zee Museum in Enkhuizen.