Netherlands

Travel Guide
Leidseplein featuring street scenes, a city and night scenes
Taste acclaimed cheeses, wear wooden shoes and cycle beside canals past quaint villages in this traditional treasure in the heart of Europe.

The Netherlands has a modern capital city in the midst of charming villages and a flat countryside. Endless tulip fields, traditional farmsteads and pretty canals have inspired some of the most iconic painters for centuries. On the northern coast, relax on the beaches and clamber up the dunes.

Among the world’s most progressive and liberal cities, Amsterdam is known for marijuana cafés, legal prostitution and a cycling culture. Take a boat along the labyrinthine canals that meander beneath cobbled lanes and bridges. Go to the Anne Frank House, where a young Jewish girl wrote her famous diary while hiding from the Nazis during World War II.

Visit the Red Light District in the De Wallen neighborhood to see the streets of window displays containing male, female and transgender prostitutes. Learn about the history and culture of the city around the grassy plaza of Museumplein, where you will find some of the city’s best museums. Admire the classic works of art by Rembrandt and van Gogh among other masters in the Rijks Museum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum.

The Hague is the seat of government, with fancy palaces and the majestic Binnenhof or Inner Court. Wander through the pleasant seaside city and view some of the Netherlands’ most important sights. Nearby Rotterdam has a vast river harbor and a thriving nightlife scene. Take a cruise through the port and visit the modern art galleries.

Travel north to the quaint historic town of Zaanse Schans for some of Holland’s most traditional customs. It has windmills, wooden houses, cheese workshops and a clog factory. Notice the charming farms that continue to thrive following old Dutch traditions. A little east is Edam, where you can taste its iconic cheese.

The country lies in the central northern part of mainland Europe, between Germany and Belgium. Fly to the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and get around by rail or car.

The Netherlands is an enchanting country where quaint traditions continue to influence today’s society.

Popular cities in Netherlands

Amsterdam featuring street scenes, heritage architecture and night scenes
Amsterdam
Known for Museums, Biking and Boating
Amsterdam, with its abundance of bars and infamous Red Light District, is known around the world as the premier party city. But the Dutch capital is famous for much more than partying, it’s internationally renowned for its 17th-century canals, its canal houses with beautiful facades, its museums great and small, and, of course, its coffee shop culture.

Reasons to visit

  • Anne Frank House
  • Leidseplein
  • Heineken Experience
Rotterdam which includes cycling, street scenes and a city
Rotterdam
Known for Shopping, Business and Museums
Modernist buildings, fashionable nightlife, river views and many museums and galleries make the Netherlands’ second-biggest city an exciting and lively destination.

Reasons to visit

  • Erasmus Bridge
  • Euromast
  • SS Rotterdam
Beestenmarkt featuring a river or creek and a small town or village as well as a large group of people
The Hague
Known for Dining, Business and Family-friendly
Enjoy stately mansions, palaces and art museums, historic city parks and a long sandy beach in the attractive city that is the seat of the Dutch government.

Reasons to visit

  • Peace Palace
  • Scheveningen Beach
  • Kunstmuseum Den Haag
Maastricht which includes a city, a bridge and night scenes
Maastricht
Known for Art, Cafes and Cathedrals
Filled with ancient fortifications, historic merchant houses, acclaimed restaurants, shops and student bars, this Dutch river city cherishes the past and celebrates the present.

Reasons to visit

  • Vrijthof
  • St. Servaas Church
  • Market
Utrecht showing a house, a small town or village and a river or creek
Utrecht
Known for Dining, Shopping and Business

Reasons to visit

  • Dom Church
  • Utrecht University-USP Uithof
  • Railway Museum

Popular places to visit

Search things to do