Amsterdam Canal Cruise

11 Vacation Spots in Netherlands You Must Visit

The official name of this European kingdom is The Netherlands. The Netherlands is geographically a low-surface country, with approximately 20% of its territory below sea level. This unique fact is enshrined in its name: the Netherlands, which means “low land countries”. The Netherlands has many famous painters. The 17th century, when the Dutch Republic prospered, was the time of the “Dutch Maestros”, for example Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Jan Steen, Jacob van Ruysdael, and many more.

This country’s cuisine is supported by fisheries, and plantation, and animal husbandry activities. Breakfast and lunch are usually breads with other ingredients, while dinner is meat and potatoes, complemented by seasonal vegetables. In terms of climate, the main wind direction in the Netherlands is the southwest, which causes a modest island climate, with cool summers, and mild winters.

Below are some of the destination spots that you need to visit when you are in the Netherlands

1. Kinderdijk Village

Located about 15 km from the city of Rotterdam, Kinderdijk Village is one of the Dutch tourist attractions. The tourists are interested to see the orange country icon more closely wrapped in the natural beauty of Kinderdijk. The existence of Windmills in the village of tourist attractions in the Netherlands began around 1740. There are 19 windmills that function to help polders stay dry. The propeller tower plays an important role for pumping water and flowing it into the reservoir to the river. The wheels are lined up in two opposite rows and form a spectacular view. Visitors who come generally walk along the embankment on foot or ride a bicycle, to see the Dutch icon more closely.

Kinderdijk Village Netherlands
Kinderdijk Village Netherlands (Source : www.telegraph.co.uk)

Visiting the village of tourist attractions in the Netherlands in the summer, will be able to see 19 traditional Dutch-style water pumps in operation. While in winter, visitors can join in ice skating with residents on the surface of the frozen water around the windmills. This world heritage opens every day from 09.00 – 17.30 on March 15 to October 31. While November 1 to December 31, opened at 11:00 to 16:00. Enjoying the panorama of Kinderdijk is free of charge, except for museum admission; the entrance ticket is € 6.50.

2. Amsterdam Canal

Amsterdam is the only city in the world whose altitude is below sea level. This makes water management a very important thing in this city. Part of the surface of the city is a canal with a length of more than 100 km with 90 islands and 1,500 bridges. In the Netherlands, these canals are called canal belts, are semi-circular in shape, and are largely residential. The three main canals of tourist attractions in the Netherlands are Herengracht, Keizergracht Prinsengracht, included by UNESCO on the list of World Heritage Sites.

Amsterdam Canal Cruise
Amsterdam Canal Cruise (www.amsterdam.info)

The other main canal is Singel which is the deepest channel (inner) and Singelgracht which is the outer channel (outer). Because it has many channels like this, Amsterdam is also dubbed the Venice of the North. On the banks of the three main canals in the Netherlands, you can find several interesting attractions such as the Cheese Museum, the Tulip Museum, the old Westerkerk Church and the Anne Frank House. Meanwhile, on the edge of this canal also look beautiful lined floating houses which become permanent residences for the citizens of the Netherlands. This floating house like a normal house is equipped with various rooms, dining areas and so on.

3. Leiden

Leiden, the name of this city is certainly quite familiar. The city of tourist attractions in the Netherlands is one of the cities other than Amsterdam and The Hague which is quite famous. This is reasonable because in the City of Leiden, tourists will be able to enjoy a variety of interesting tourist attractions. One interesting way to see the beauty of the City of Leiden is by boat tour across the canals in the middle of the city. The boating tour starts at the place where parts of the Old Rhine and New Rhine meet.

Leiden Canal Netherlands
Leiden Canal Netherlands (Source : www.holland.com)

When visitors enjoy a boat trip on the canals of the city of Leiden, also offered the experience to try a restaurant that is on a large boat or on the outskirts of the canal. Visiting the city of tourist attractions in the Netherlands is complete without visiting the street market on the side of the road which is directly adjacent to the River New Rhine. The location is very close to the town hall of Leiden. Various items are sold to be sold on small stands of around 3 m x 3 m in size. Here tourists can buy a variety of fruits, fresh cut flowers, Dutch cheese, to typical snacks such as stroopwaffles and sweet and fragrant poffertjes.

4. Peace Palace

The Peace Palace, as the name suggests, is a large building that functions as a judicial center, which is the headquarters of the United Nations International Court of Justice. The building in the city of The Haag or The Hague was first used in 1913 as a courthouse, while the construction was carried out in 1907. Tourist attractions in the Netherlands in the form of a very historic Neo-Renaissance Palace are uniquely filled with various goods or objects that are gifts from several other countries. For example wall carpets from Japan, wood from Indonesia, doors from Belgium, clock towers from Switzerland and so on.

This Neo-Renaissance architectural building was first inaugurated in 1913 as the Permanent Court of Arbitration building. A judicial body established under the Hague Convention in 1899. Aside from being a judicial building, the Peace Palace is also a landmark that is often visited by tourists. In 2014, this building was awarded the European Heritage Label. Tourist attractions in the Netherlands can be visited every Monday to Friday, starting at 10 am to 5 pm

5. De Waag

The Weigh House is a photogenic building resembling a castle in Nieuwmarkt square in the center of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. This building is one of the buildings as well as tourist attractions in the famous Netherlands. De Waag was built in the 15th century (1488) and was once one of the city gates, part of the wall that surrounded the city of Amsterdam in the middle ages. A year after the destruction of the city wall, the area around was changed to Nieuwmarkt, as seen now.

At present the composition of the Waag building looks too short and wide for the size of the city gate let alone the castle. This is due to the fact that some of the tourist attractions in the Netherlands were buried during the construction of Nieuwmarkt, whose surface was somewhat raised. De Waag was restored in the 20th century, and now the building is leased. The top floor is occupied by the Waag Society, while the ground floor is now occupied by the In-Waag restaurant-cafe. As the oldest building in Amsterdam, besides the church, de Waag is one of the historic buildings that are worth a visit. This building has also been designated a Dutch national heritage site since 1970.

6. Dam Square

Dam Square is a square that is often used as a venue for performing arts. The Dam Square area is surrounded by café buildings, bars, restaurants, modern shopping centers and tourist attractions. No wonder Dam Square has become one of the favorite destinations of travelers while in Amsterdam. Dam Square is one of the tourist attractions in the Netherlands located in the historical center of Amsterdam, about 750 meters from the main transportation center of Amsterdam Central station. Dam Square is rectangular in shape, 200 meters from west to east and 100 meters from north to south.

Dam Square Netherlands
Dam Square Netherlands (Source : www.jonesaroundtheworld.com)

This location connects the streets of Damrak and Rokin. To the west of the square is the neo-classical palace of the Royal Palace. This building was founded in 1655 as a city hall which later turned into a royal palace in 1808. Next to this tourist attraction in the Netherlands there is a gothic-style 15th-century church building, Nieuwe Kerk. In addition there is also the Madame Tussaud Wax Museum. There is also a National Monument, white stone pillars to commemorate victims of World War II. Amsterdam city center is also often enlivened by horse-drawn carriages, electric trains, and motor cars to bicycles.

7. Maastricht Vrijthof

Maastricht Vrijthof is a square in the center of Maastricht. This tourist attraction in Netherland is the largest square in the center of the capital city of Limburg. This square grew from an ancient Roman and Frankish cemetery which became a semi-private space belonging to the Church of Collegiate Saint Servatius. This square is famous for its many great works monuments from Servatius Church and Saint Jan’s Cathedral. Vrijthof regularly holds major festivals several times throughout the year, including autumn and winter festivals.

There are 38 historic buildings (rijksmonuments) on Vrijthof, including the Basilica of St. Servatius Roman Gothic Church of Saint John, the ‘Spanish Government House’ most of the 16th century, 18th-century Military Guard House and ‘General’s House’ in the early century -19. Many of the buildings around these tourist attractions in the Netherlands date from the 18th or 19th century. Some large buildings in the square previously belonged to the canon of St. Servatius. The Basilica of St. Servatius is housed in an 11th-century chapel overlooking the Vrijthof square. There is also the aan het Vrijthof Museum, which is a small museum housed in the Spanish Government Building. It has several period spaces and performances by local artists, especially from the 20th century.

8. Rijksmuseum

With a collection of almost one million works of art, the Rijksmuseum is Amsterdam’s main attraction. This tourist spot in the Netherlands is the largest art and history museum in the Netherlands. Every year the Rijksmuseum attracts thousands of visitors. The Rijksmuseum has been established for more than two hundred years. The first time it was opened to the public was 1800, when the museum was still called the Nationale Kunstgallerij or the National Museum of Art and was in The Hague.

The Rijksmuseum is home to 20 of Rembrandt’s best works, including his popular painting De Nachtwacht. Besides Rembrandt, the artists whose works are exhibited there are Vermeer, Hals, Steen, Van Dyck and many more, Many masterpieces from other Dutch artists from the 15th to 19th centuries. In the Museum Tourist attractions in the Netherlands there is also a collection from Indonesia. One of them is a Keris which was given by Sultan Madura Cakra Adiningrat VII to King William I in 1835. This Keris with 117 diamond stones was given as a token of thanks. The museum is open every day of the year for visitors from 9am to 5pm. The price of admission for adults is 17.50 Euros while for children from 18 years and under is free.

9. Keukenhof Flower Garden

Keukenhof is said to be the largest flower garden in the world, with an area of 32 hectares of flower gardens and home to 7 million flowers. In this park there are 800 varieties of tulips. This historic spring garden was built in 1857 as part of the Keukenhof Palace. A total of 50,000 flower seeds are planted in tourist attractions in the Netherlands, Arranged in two layers to bring out romantic floral mosaics. The display of flowers in the Oranje Nassau pavilion is entirely dedicated to romanticism.

Keukenhof Flower Garden
Keukenhof Flower Garden (Source : traveldigg.com)

Here there are actually not only tulips, there are other flowers that are no less beautiful, such as roses, lily, hyacinth, orchid, daffodil, dutch crocus, iris, snowdrop, and many other subtropical flowers. Aside from the stunning flower gardens, Keukenhof also has a magnificent castle. In ancient times this tourist spot in the Netherlands was also used as a source of spices or plants for Jacqueline, a Dutch nobleman who lived in Keukenhof Castle. Apart from the collection of flowers, it turns out Keukenhof also noticed his old style arrangement. Starting from the style of the arrangement of the landscape style of England to Japan is also found in this park. Surely not only consists of two styles of landscape arrangement that is in this park.

10. West Frisian Island

Waddeneilanden as the Dutch call islands stretching from Dutch territory towards Denmark, These islands are also called West Frisian Islands, in English. This tourist spot in the Netherlands is a group of islands that separate the North Sea and the Wadden Sea. In the region of the West Frisian archipelago there are several islands that serve as natural reserve areas such as Griend Island, Rottumerplaat Island, and Rottumeroog.

Visitors to these tourist attractions in the Netherlands can cycle through the paths and routes with distinctive landscapes, camp out, or just relax on the shores of the islands. On Terschelling Island, the Oerol festival is also held every year, which presents a variety of music. Each inhabited island has its own uniqueness due to the characteristics of the population, the tourist attractions presented to visitors, and the landscape. For example, Texel and Terschelling Island, more tourists visit during the summer. The Wadden Sea is a muddy tidal area which is a place to live and migrate for birds. This area is densely populated by birds resting and foraging, also a place to live gray seals.

11. Bloemenmarkt

Bloemenmarkt or Floating Flower Market is a floating flower market in Amsterdam. This market is claimed to be the only floating flower market in the world, and has existed since 1862. Bloemenmarkt is designated as one of UNESCO’s world heritage sites. The floating flower market in Amsterdam is occupied by floating transparent stalls along the edge of the Singel canal between Mint Square and Koningsplein square, Amsterdam. Therefore Bloemenmarkt is also known as Bloemensingel.

At this tourist spot in the Netherlands visitors can find almost all types of flowers, including typical Dutch flowers namely Tulips in various colors. In addition to flowers ready for planting in pots and flowers that have been cut in the form of flower bouquets, this flower market also sells flower seeds. In addition to these flowers, tourist attractions in the Netherlands Floating Market also sell a variety of gardening supplies and also a variety of typical Dutch souvenirs. Nearing Christmas, the flower market also sells various sizes of Christmas trees and various cute Christmas decorations. The Floating Market is open Monday-Saturday, 09.00-17.30, Sunday 11.00-17.30. Entry fee is free.

 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *