1. Canals of Amsterdam
The main attraction of the Netherlands is rightfully considered the canals of Amsterdam. The city has over 100 kilometers of canals, about 90 islands and 1,500 bridges. The three main canals, Herengracht, Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht, were dug back in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age. The canals form concentric belts around the city known as the Grachtengordel. The famous canals were dug to control the waters of the Amstel River. Amsterdam's wealthy merchants soon found the canals to be ideal for showcasing their mansions and trade. It is a masterpiece of hydraulic engineering, urban planning and architecture. The canals of Amsterdam are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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| The canals of Amsterdam the main attraction of the Netherlands |
2. Keukenhof
One of the top attractions in the Netherlands and also the best reason to visit Holland in the spring, Keukenhof is one of those magical places that often earns a reputation for being a must-see. A huge spring garden that is home to over seven million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, the Keukenhof is 32 hectares of color and scent. The gardens have been skillfully and creatively built into the local landscape, scattered among small bodies of water. Keukenhof has a variety of restaurants and cafes, shops and stalls selling souvenirs, garden tools and seeds and bulbs, and numerous pavilions that showcase the latest gardening trends. The main joy of this place, however, is just getting lost in the wonderland of flowers and taking pictures.
The Keukenhof Garden is the largest public park in the world. More than 700 species of tulips grow in the Keukenhof Garden. Spring is the best time to visit the Keukenhof garden, it is at this time that tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, bells and other plants bloom.
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| Keukenhof landmark Holland |
3. Red Light District
A visit to Amsterdam would not be complete without a walk around the infamous Red Light District. Along with Amsterdam's canals and tulips, the Red Light District is a landmark in the Netherlands that most travelers who come to the country know about. De Wallen is Amsterdam's infamous red-light district, designated by the city for legalized prostitution.
The neighborhoods of the area cover several canals and lanes south of the Central Station. More than one hundred one-room apartments are rented to sex workers. And at night you can see naked girls standing in the windows of these apartments. Prostitution is by no means the only attraction in the area. The architecture of the area includes a picturesque mix that dates back to the Middle Ages.
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Red light district in Amsterdam |
4. Dutch National Museum
The Dutch National Museum in Amsterdam is one of the largest museums in Europe. He has been collecting rare art and antiques since 1809. It is not surprising that during this time the museum has acquired an extensive collection of art objects. Today, the museum has a collection of nearly seven million works of art, including 5,000 paintings, and an extensive library of about 35,000 books.
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| Dutch National Museum in Amsterdam |
5. Hoge Veluwe National Park
A relatively small country like the Netherlands boasts one of the most beautiful and well-kept parks in the world. The Hoge Veluwe National Park is located between Arnhem and Apeldoorn, this national park is the largest nature reserve in the country, as well as one of the most popular holiday destinations for locals and tourists.
The Hoge Veluwe National Park is located on the sandy Veluwe soils left by the glacier. In the park, you can see landscapes such as moorlands, coniferous forests and open sands.
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| Hoge Veluwe National Park |
6. Anne Frank Museum
The most visited attraction in Amsterdam is the Anne Frank Museum, which is located along the Prinsengracht Canal . The home where Anne Frank and her family once hid from Nazi authorities during World War II has been regarded as a Holocaust memorial since 1947, when Anne's father published Anne's diary.
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| Anne Frank Museum, Attractions of The Netherlands |
7. Windmills at Kinderdijk
Kinderdijk is a small village just 16 kilometers from Rotterdam and 10 kilometers from one of the oldest cities in Holland, Dordrecht. This village is unique for its 19 windmills dating back to the 15th century. One of the mills is open to visitors during the tourist season. While visiting the windmill, anyone can get a pretty good idea of the mill's operation and the miller's lifestyle.
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| Windmills at Kinderdijk, Attractions of The Netherlands |
8. Van Gogh Museum
Located on the northwest side of Museum Square, the Van Gogh Museum is home to the world's largest collection of paintings and letters by the artist, as well as paintings by his contemporaries. Housed in a building designed by Gerrit Rietveld in 1970, the museum is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the Netherlands.
The museum houses the largest collection of Van Gogh's works in the world, with over 200 paintings, 437 drawings and 31 prints.
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| The Van Gogh Museum is one of the main attractions in the Netherlands. |
9. Castle De Haar
Not far from the everyday hustle and bustle of Utrecht, and only 30 minutes from Amsterdam, is the largest and most majestic castle in the Netherlands. With its towers and turrets, moats and drawbridges, Haar De Castle looks like a true medieval castle, but the walls of this castle date back to the 19th century (it is quite "modern" for Europe), but it was designed and built to be identical medieval ruins of an old castle. Haar De Castle was built on the foundations of a medieval castle owned by the Rothschild family.
The famous architect Pierre Cuipers was hired to restore the castle. He worked on this project for over 20 years (from 1892 to 1912). The castle consists of 200 living rooms and bedrooms and 30 bathrooms, of which only a small room on the ground floor is open for guided tours.
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| Castle De Haar, Attractions of The Netherlands |
10. Valkenburg aan de Geul
The small town of Valkenburg is located in the south of the Netherlands on the Gel River. The main attractions of Valkenburg are castle ruins, fortress gates, caves and Roman catacombs.
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| Valkenburg aan de Geul, Attractions of The Netherlands |
11. National Maritime Museum of the Netherlands
The National Maritime Museum, or Het Scheepvaartmuseum, allows visitors a glimpse into the adventurous world of the past of Dutch explorers and traders through museum exhibits, which showcase antique maps, navigational instruments, paintings and ship models, creating one of the most extensive collections of maritime memorabilia in the entire world. The main attraction is the life-sized ship of the Dutch East India Company called "Amsterdam".
Official website: www.scheepvaartmuseum.nl
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| National Maritime Museum of the Netherlands |
12. Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Contemporary Art, or Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, closely follows the development of art in the second half of the 20th century, showcasing the most impressive collection of contemporary art in Amsterdam. The permanent exhibition focuses on new realism, pop art, color painting and minimalist art, with temporary exhibitions on design and applied art housed in the new wing.
Many of the contemporary art masters are represented here, including works by Cézanne, Chagall, Picasso, Warhol, Pollock and many more.
Official website: www.stedelijk.nl/en
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| Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Attractions of The Netherlands |
13. Alkmaar cheese market
42 kilometers north of Amsterdam, on the North Dutch Canal - and just eight kilometers from the North Sea - lies the charming town of Alkmaar, home to many beautiful monuments and old guild houses from the 16th to 18th centuries. But the highlight of an excursion to this picturesque town in the province of North Holland is the world famous Cheese Market, one of the famous tourist attractions in the Netherlands. The cheese market starts trading every Friday morning, at the entrance to the city, in strict accordance with centuries-old traditions (the first such market was organized back in the 15th century), it is a mesmerizing sight to watch how the square is covered with yellow cheese heads, mostly round Edam cheeses and Gouda. And watch the cheese carriers, clad in white hats and the colors of their guilds.
Official website: www.kaasmarkt.nl
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| Alkmaar Cheese Market, Attractions of The Netherlands |
14. Rembrandt House Museum
This museum provides an insight into the life of the famous Dutch master. Rembrandt lived in this house between 1639 and 1658, at the height of his career. The famous artist went bankrupt in 1656 and a list of his property was drawn up to pay off his debts; this list made it possible to restore exactly the historical interior of the great artist's house. The museum houses a permanent collection of Rembrandt's works (including etchings and sketches, as well as paintings) and a reconstructed 17th-century studio, along with regular temporary exhibitions and a collection of paintings made by his teacher, Peter Latman, as well as some of the work of Rembrandt's pupils...
Official website: www.rembrandthuis.nl
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| Rembrandt House Holland, Attractions of The Netherlands |