10 places to visit when traveling to the Netherlands

I already wrote a lot about my travel stories and today I thought it is time again for something different than writing about other countries than the Netherlands. We also have some international readers on our blog and that is why I came to the idea to write something about my home country the Netherlands. Because, about what can I tell more about than the country where I grew up?

During my 21 years of living, I visited a lot places in the Netherlands. I currently live in the east of the Netherlands, near Germany, and when I was younger, I went often on vacation with my parents to a bungalow park somewhere in the Netherlands. I love to explore new places, even if it is in my own country. When I go to the west of the Netherlands, to the seaside, I feel like I am kind of on holiday, because this part of the Netherlands is very different from the part where I live. In this article I will tell you something about my favourite places in the Netherlands.

Maastricht & Valkenburg
My absolute number one favourite city of the Netherlands is Maastricht. I just love this city. Maastricht is located in the south of the Netherlands, between the countries Belgium, Luxemburg and Germany. You can enjoy a beautiful view over the river the Maas on one of the many bridges the city has, you can do some great shopping or just take a drink at one of the many bars at the square Vrijthof.

A town close to Maastricht is Valkenburg, which is definitely worth the visit.  It is a beautiful old town with a castle ruin and the oldest caves of South Limburg. Furthermore, this town is nice to visit around Christmas, while it has a cosy atmosphere and a lovely Christmas market.

Utrecht
And then my second favourite city of the Netherlands: Utrecht. This city is located in the centre of the Netherlands and is very good to reach from everywhere. It is a great city for shopping, going out and for being a tourist. With her many canals, Utrecht is very photogenic. You can eat or drink something right next to the canals, which gives a nice atmosphere.

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Almere
A very modern city with a beautiful architecture. That is what I can say about Almere, or the city centre of Almere. This is very good to believe, because the new shopping area of the city was opened in 2009, so you can say that the city centre is very new.

Muiden
I have been here a few months ago, which was definitely worth a town to visit. You cannot name it a city, because it is not that big, but it has some traditional Dutch houses and some nice places to sit and drink something. The town is located by the water and with a boat you can go to the tourist attraction ‘Fort Pampus’, which is, like you can read from the name, a fort. Also, you can pay a visit to ‘Muiderslot’, a medieval castle.

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Zaandam
I have to be honest with you about this one: I have not visited this city yet. However, I will choose this city next when I have the time again to travel somewhere in the Netherlands. From photos and stories, I am going to love this city. Especially the ‘Zaanse Schans’ is a place I would like to visit. This is a place that is very popular by the tourists, but also by locals. It is a historical, Dutch, wooden neighbourhood with lots of windmills, traditional houses, museums and crafts.

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The Hague
For a few weeks ago, I went here for the first time. I never really had a good image of The Hague, but after my visit I was very positive. It is a big city with some nice shops and the beach is near the city (Scheveningen), so it is a nice idea to visit both places in one day.

Amsterdam
Of course the capital of the Netherlands cannot miss in my list of favourite cities. It is not my number one favourite, but I always explore new things when I get there, while the city is so big. It is nice to do some touristic things in Amsterdam, but for shopping I would rather go to another city. Also, when people think of the Netherlands, they immediately think about Amsterdam. The real thing is: most places in the Netherlands are way different than Amsterdam, so I can really recommend to go to more places than just Amsterdam when you are visiting the Netherlands. However, Amsterdam is a great city with a lot of beautiful canals, traditional Dutch houses and some great tourist attractions (and of course, do not forget the legal marihuana of Amsterdam 😉 ). It is nice for me to go there when I want to play a tourist in my own country.

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Nijmegen
This is the closest city in the list from my home town and also one of the most historical cities of the Netherlands. This city is located by the Waal (river) where you can sit by at the quay, which gives a nice view. Furthermore, it has some nice places to eat or drink something.

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Rotterdam
I have been here a couple of times and I really love this city. Not only for her nice shopping possibilities, but also for her cosy bars and cafes. It also has some nice places where you can make beautiful photos, so it is a great city for the photographer.

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Breda
My sister have lived here for six months, so I have been here several times. There is one big reason to love this city: the people. Also in other cities in this part of the Netherlands (like Eindhoven, Den Bosch and Tilburg) the people are so kind! I really love it when the atmosphere is already great, but the city itself is also very beautiful. You have a square with lots of nice bars and restaurants and close to the train station, you have a big park where you can enjoy a pick nick or just chill.

These are my favourite places in the Netherlands. Of course I have not visited everything yet, so maybe in the future this list will change for me. Do you have another favourite place or would you like to tell more about your experience during your trip to the Netherlands? Do not hesitate to tell me in the comments!

Author: Tamara

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