It is one of the most popular tourist attractions thanks to unquestionably beautiful landscape including fantastic gardens, romantic village, medieval castles, but also museums housing rich heritage of artists, a tide control system that is listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, cityscapes, 13,800-acre national park.
One of the most interesting things about the Netherlands is that it is a relatively compact area and quite flat the highest point is barely a thousand feet above sea level.
It is the most bike-friendly country in the world with the number of bikes exceeds the population. So that fresh air, less noise, and peace make tourists so comfortable and relaxing while visiting this country. Below is a list of Top tourist attractions in the Netherlands:
Windmills of Kinderdijk
The windmills with 92-foot sails were used to drain the fenlands and are open to the public from April to October, especially are set in motion on Mill Days.
Located on the river between Dordrecht and Rotterdam, the Kinderdijk village was also called Children’s Dike after a child’s cradle had been stranded on the dike during the St. Elizabeth’s Day flood of 1421.
Keukenhof
A trip to Holland could not be complete without admiring the beauty of tulip, the most popular flower in the country. Keukenhof on the outskirts of Lisse is considered as the Garden of Europe is a must thing to do in the Netherlands.
Encompassing more than 70 acres and displaying more than endless colorful rows of 700 varieties of tulips, hyacinths, crocuses, and daffodils which blossom almost year-round.
Canals of Amsterdam
Canals in the Netherlands are an essential part of many cities, especially Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands. In Amsterdam, there are more than one hundred kilometers of canals, about 90 islands, and 1,500 bridges which definitely leaves unforgettable memories.
Walking, biking or taking a boat or water taxi along stunning waterways, lined with great museums, art galleries, and many other things. Built in the early 1600s for house workers and immigrants that came here for religious tolerance, the wonderful neighborhood Jordaan is a highlight of Amsterdam.
Do not miss hidden hofjes, secret courtyard with almshouses around it. Another picturesque neighborhood is the Grachtengordel with quaint 17th-century homes, numerous small bridges, houseboats, gardens, beautiful architecture, cafes, boutique shops.
City Hall of Delft
The historical Delft City Hall is a Renaissance-style building, built in around 1200, originally designed by the Dutch architect Hendrick de Keyser, changed many times, and restored in the 20th century.
Visitors can not only admire the beautiful architecture, including the tower Het Steen that was once used as a prison but also some group portraits.
Delta Works
Built between 1950 and 1997 in the provinces of Zeeland and South Holland and declared one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, Delta Works is a huge engineering project for protecting large areas of land from the sea.
It consists of locks, dikes, dams, sluices, and storm-surge barriers and controls how much water enters the area’s key estuaries from the North Sea in the Netherlands.
Valkenburg
Romantic little Valkenburg city in the picturesque Geul Valley has been a major domestic tourist destination for decades.
It is home to 12th-century castle on Dwingelrots (Castle Rock) – the country’s only hilltop castle, 14th-century St. Nicolaaskerk Basilica, especially Christmas Market that is open from mid-November to December 23rd in the Velvet Caves, the maze of old passageways leading to and from the castle.
Leiden
Leiden the second largest city in the nation is renowned for the birthplace of Rembrandt who is usually regarded as the greatest artist of Holland’s Golden Age, Universiteit Leiden the oldest university in the Netherlands, and wonderful canals.
Enjoying the outstanding beauty of canals, checking out The Wall Poems of Leiden, viewing telescopes and other equipment that is at least a century old in Leiden Observatory, admiring the ancient architecture of Hooglanse Kerk, seeing one of the largest and oldest windmills the Molen Museum de Valk are some of the most popular attractions in the city.
Rijksmuseum
Founded in the Haugue in 1800 and moved to Amsterdam in 1808, the Rijksmuseum or the Dutch National Museum is dedicated to arts and history.
The museum houses a huge collection of 7,000,000 works of art, including some 5,000 paintings in more than 250 rooms, a large library of about 35,000 books, lots of traditional Dutch handicrafts, medieval sculpture, and modern art.
Coming the Rijksmuseum, you can be lost in many rooms containing endless treasures and learn so much about art, history, and culture.
Kasteel De Haar
Built on a spectacular 250-acre park and designed by the famous Dutch architect, PJH Cuypers in the 14th century, restored in 1892, Kasteel De Haar is the largest fortification in the country.
It required so much land so that the entire village of Haarzuilens had to be relocated to accommodate it. Highlights include beautiful gardens and the fairytale looks of the castles. It also houses impressive collections of furniture, paintings, antiques, and tapestries.
West Frisian Islands
The West Frisian Islands also called Waddeneilanden in the North Sea off the Dutch coast. These islands are ruled by mighty tides, which shape everything from their sandy shores to their maritime history.
The islands can be reached by walking on the mudflats during low tides under the supervision of licensed guides. Exploring these islands will make your trip memorable.
Van Gogh Museum
Ranked 35th in the top art museums in the world, Van Gogh Museum is home to one of the world’s largest collection of Van Gogh paintings including more than 500 drawings, 200 paintings, 700 letters, most of which were donated by Van Gogh’s family.
Maastricht Vrijthof
Maastricht Vrijthof is one of the most famous squares in Maastricht city. It features the massive Saint Servatius Church and Saint Jan’s Cathedral. It is also the place where large festivals, including autumn and winter festivals, are organized.
Towns of the Ijsselmeer
Small hamlets along 1100-square-meter Ijsselmeer also called Zuiderzee which is the freshwater lake, resulted from the closing of the sea entrance to Ijsselmeer and also the biggest lake in Holland.
The fishing village of Marken and the seaports of Volendam and Enkhuizen with numerous colorful houses that have become shops and museums.
Volendam houses a collection of colorful old wooden boats. Enkhuizen features preserved buildings, seafaring industries, and the open-air Zuiderzee Museum, related to cultural heritage and maritime history of the old Zuiderzee region.
Hoge Veluwe National Park
Covering approximately 13,800 acres, Hoge Veluwe National Park is the largest continuous nature reserve and one of the most visited attractions in the country.
The park is home to dense woodlands, one of Europe’s largest sculpture gardens, red and roe deer, Rijksmuseum, housing one of the biggest Van Gogh collections in the world and paintings by other artists.
A good place for birdwatching, as well as hiking and biking, is an area of dramatic dunes interrupted in the south and east by moraines up to 100 meters high, interspersed with heath and woodland.
Anne Frank Museum
Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the capital as well as the entire country.
The house’s writer museum and biographical museum dedicated to a Jewish refugee, Anne Frank who hid in this place with her family during WWII and wrote a famous wartime diary that has since been translated into 51 languages.
Opened on 3 May 1960, the museum preserves the hiding place, houses a permanent exhibition on the life and times of Anne Frank, and has an exhibition space about all forms of persecution and discrimination.
Tourism Observer
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