The Netherlands – attractions which you must see and visit
Holidays in the Netherlands Wakacje w Holland can be full of attractions and emotions. The country is packed with beautiful places which are just waiting for your visit. Variety guaranteed!
Windmills like from a painting
The list of the greatest attractions in the Netherlands is ruled by windmills. You must see at least some of them to learn about that popular landmark and valuable element of the Dutch cultural heritage. The picturesque objects played a very useful role for ages, contributing to the country's economic development. Today, they are scattered around all regions of the Netherlands, in some of which they can be seen in big clusters. The most beautiful windmills stand at the Kinderdijk causeway near Rotterdam. Rent a bicycle there and see all 19 of them, admiring the landscape which resembles a Dutch painting. You must also visit Zaanse schans, a beautiful heritage park on the River Zaan. While there, you can watch windmills working (e.g. grinding of the grain), and see a traditional Dutch farm and craftsmen workshops. Don't forget to buy a pair of clogs in the local souvenir shop!
Flowers, flowers and even more flowers!
Dutch love cut flowers. They grow and export them worldwide, but also buy lots of them to decorate their flowers with fresh bouquets. This is why a tulip, existing in countless kinds, is one of the country's symbols. When you happen to visit the Netherlands in spring, you must include the Keukenhof garden in your sightseeing plan. With a surface of 32 ha, it blooms with multitude of colours for a few weeks and is considered – quite rightly! – one of the world's most beautiful gardens. When you love nature and flowers, you will not wish to leave that place. As a souvenir (and consolation, for you will have to leave anyway), you can buy some flower bulbs for your home.
Ideal cities
Big Dutch cities have great Dutch attractions. Amsterdam, also known as the Venice of the North, is a city of canals, splendid townhouses, important historic monuments, art galleries, fine shops, the iconic Red Lights District, an excellently revitalised post-industrial district, parks, bicycles and fantastic parties. You will be up for discovering a metropolis of many faces. Let the charm of that metropolis carry you away. Hague, the seat of the King and numerous important institutions, is dignified and elegant, but also multicultural and very colourful. Rotterdam, almost completely destroyed during the war, became a field of numerous architectural experiments in the post-war years. Its style and character make it unique, and even if you don't like modernity, you should go there to see how fabulous construction projects can be. Have a close look at solutions employed in various Dutch cities, and how convenient they are for their residents!
Meeting with art
The Netherlands is also a country of excellent painters and fine museums, and some of the local artists have managed to make it through to the contemporary pop culture. You must visit the great art galleries of Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and Mauritshuis in Hague. They are so beautifully arranged that you will spend long pleasant hours there. Houses of great masters and museums in smaller towns are just as exquisite. Visit the houses of Vermeer in Delft, Bosch in Hertogenbosch and Mondrian in Amersfoort, among others.
Idyllic, peaceful and leisurely
If you want to discover a different face of the Netherlands than that shown by big cities, visit the country's villages and small towns where life flows in a different rhythm. Here, too, get about on a bicycle, pop into cafés, have a good meal. In Edam and Gouda, try the famous cheeses; in fabulous De Rijp, admire small houses rising straight from canals; and in Veere, see charming architecture typical of Zealand, the country's most tourist region.
Maritime adventure
Holidays in the Netherlands would not be complete without a meeting with the sea. Its cold and rough nature makes it distinctly different from popular southern destinations. You must visit the local towns and feel their slow lifestyle, watch fishermen at work, see small harbours and wharfs, rent water equipment, go sailing! Opportunities are vast, but you can also get true pleasure by having an ordinary walk and contact with nature.
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