I will fly out of Amsterdam to return to the states Dec.2nd. Before this I have 7 days. I went to Amsterdam on a previous trip and feel i have seen it. I'm looking for suggestion for other places to go in the Neatherlands. Historic towns, pretty towns, fun towns, on the sea towns, any towns where there is good nature. As you can see I"m very open. I'm just looking for ideas
Thank you for your help
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
For a taste of smaller but equally charming Dutch cities, you could go with Delft, Haarlem, or Utrecht. All of these towns are pretty similar, but each has it's own merits. Den Haag (The Hague) is also impressive, but is more grand than charming. I have also enjoyed Maastricht, but it's a little far from Amsterdam for a daytrip. 's Hertgenbosch looked interesting from the train, but I didn't have time to explore further. Rotterdam is one of Europe's largest ports, and hence, has some of the rough fun you would expect in a city that hosts so many sailors. It's a rather hypermodern town, however, and not exactly charming. If you want more nature, head north of Amsterdam into Friesland.
Posted by
Conway
3 posts
My wife and I have stayed at both Harlem and Delft and would gladly retire to either for the rest of our lives. There is an exceptionl art museum at The Hague "Mauritshuis". This is a quick train trip from Delft.
Posted by
Valley Springs, CA, USA
5 posts
If you love tulips, you can make the 45 minute drive to a beautiful place near Lisse, Holland called Keukenhof Gardens. We took a day trip there with the family a couple of years ago and it was wonderful. Here is the link to their web site. ENJOY!!!
http://www.keukenhof.nl/
Rich
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Keukenhof is amazing... but only open in the spring, when the tulips are in bloom.... and I just noticed something about your original post. I don't recommend doing "nature" type daytrips in the winter, especially in NW Europe. Why? Daylight hours are very short (as little as 6 hours), and dense fog is common, particularly on the coast. Stick to the cities in the winter.
Posted by
Elmwood, IL, USA
368 posts
I would recommend Utrecht. The train is right in the center and a quick walk through the mall/station "Hoog Catherine" will get you within a block to the Oude Gracht canal which is bi-level; lower level wharf side has restaurants, small boats, rowing clubs, and paddle boat rentals ; the upper level has shops, cafes, more restaurants ( I believe San Antonio came here for ideas before restoring their river walk). They have good museums, my favorite is the Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum. Flower market on Saturdays on the upper level of the canal, a street organ if you are lucky and he is around town that day. That time of year is damp and cold, but the pea soup is great.