36 Best Sights in The Randstad, Netherlands

It's corny, even sometimes a little tacky—miniature clogs, anyone?—but no visit to Delft would be complete without stopping at a Delft porcelain factory to see plates and tulip vases being painted by hand and perhaps picking up a souvenir or two. De Porceleyne Fles is the original and most famous home to the popular blue-and-white pottery. Regular demonstrations of molding and painting pottery are given by the artisans. On the bottom of each object is a triple signature: a plump vase topped by a straight line, the stylized letter "F" below it, and the word "Delft." Blue is no longer the only official color: in 1948, a rich red cracked glaze was premiered depicting profuse flowers, graceful birds, and leaping gazelles. There is New Delft, a range of green, gold, and black hues, whose exquisite minuscule figures are drawn to resemble an old Persian tapestry; the Pynacker Delft, borrowing Japanese motifs in rich oranges and golds; and the brighter Polychrome Delft, which can strike a brilliant sunflower-yellow effect.

This former hunting lodge on the market square belonged to the Count of Holland, who permitted it to be transformed into Haarlem's Town Hall in the 14th century. The large main Gravenzaal (Count's Hall) is worth a visit—if you can sneak in between bouts of confetti throwing; a good number of bridal parties ascend its steps on a regular basis—to study its collection of 16th-century paintings amassed by the Count of Holland. If you wish to tour the premises, call in advance to get permission.

At the west end of the Markt, the Town Hall is a gray-stone edifice with picturesque red shutters and lavish detailing, designed in 1618 by Hendrick de Keyser, one of the most prolific architects of the Golden Age. Inside is a grand staircase and Council Chamber with a famous old map of Delft. You can view the interior only by making arrangements through the Delft tourist office, which can also issue you a ticket to visit the torture chamber in Het Steen—this 13th-century tower is all that remains from Delft's original medieval Town Hall.

Just north of the Waag (the Weigh House, built entirely of stone in 1598 and now a pleasant little café), Teylers is housed in a grand 18th-century building with mosaic floors. The best sort of small museum, it is based on the whims of an eccentric private collector, in this case the 18th-century merchant Pieter Teyler van der Hulst. It's the country's oldest museum, founded in 1784, and has a mixture of exhibits: fossils and minerals sit alongside antique scientific instruments, such as a battery of 25 Leiden jars, dating to 1789 and used to store an electric charge. The major artistic attraction is a legendary collection of drawings and prints by Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Raphael, and other Old Masters that once belonged to Queen Christina of Sweden.

Make your way to the central Domplein, where you'll find the one-stop information center for the historic quarter. This is where you can buy tickets for almost everything, as well as book a guided tour or barge trip. There is an excellent range and display of free leaflets, to which you should help yourself.

Zandvoort is only 9 km (5½ miles) from Haarlem and has the area's biggest and best beach (a favorite of sun-starved Amsterdammers). It can get crowded, but if you wander south for 10 minutes, you can find isolated spots among the dunes; after about 20 minutes, you come to the nude (in places, gay) sunbathing beach.