On their website, Lonely Planet list their top ten cities in the Netherlands and which I think are the best places to visit if you have never visited the Netherlands before.
- Amsterdam
- Rotterdam
- Utrecht
- Den Haag (The Hague)
- Maastricht
- Groningen
- Haarlem
- Leiden
- Delft
- Leeuwarden
If you have visited all those cities or want to visit somewhere a little different, then here are five more places worth visiting in the Netherlands (in no particular order).
- Arnhem
- Zwolle
- Hoek van Holland
- Deventer
- Garderen
Arnhem:
You may have heard of Arnhem already as it is known for its role during World War Two as being home to one of the bridges across the River Rhine which the Allies attacked to try and end the war early. Unfortunately the operation did not go to plan and the allies were defeated. Today Arnhem is home to a number of museums including one dedicated to water, one to wine and of course an airborne museum highlighting the city’s wartime history.
Another highlight of Arnhem is the Nederlands Openluchtmuseum, Dutch Open Air Museum, located outside the city. This is more of a park than a museum and is large enough that it has its own tram service using prewar trams from the major cities to ferry tourists to points around the park. The park also includes a small old style town with shops that sell gifts and food from the time period it is set in; a water mill that produces paper which can be bought with pictures printed on it; a brewery that also serves as a museum, and many more attractions.
Click the following places for more information:
Wine Museum (In Dutch)
Airborne Museum (In Dutch)
Zwolle:
The city of Zwolle, east of Amsterdam and south of Groningen, is a city that remained mostly untouched by the bombings which destroyed cities like Rotterdam meaning that most of its old style buildings remain intact. The town centre is surrounded by a water filled moat that can be crossed at several points and visitors can even rent a boat to view the city form the water.
At weekends the centre of the city is filled with market stalls selling everything from gadgets and phone cases to vegetables and hand crafted items. Other attractions include the Peperbus tower in the centre of the city and an oddly shaped art museum.
Once a year its Catholic residents also take part in Carnaval, to mark the start of Lent, this is unusual as most northern cities in the Netherlands do not take part in the event as it is more popular in the southern province of Limburg. Carnaval is very similar to the carnivals of Brazil or Saint Patrick’s Day in Ireland as Dutch people dress in strange costumes, take part in parades and party for the day.
Hoek van Holland:
Long before air travel, Hoek van Holland (literally the corner of Holland) was a popular tourist destination for wealthy British people looking for a beach holiday. While nowadays the low cost of air travel has resulted in many tourists travelling to Mediterranean countries, Hoek van Holland is still a viable destination for those looking for sandy beaches and has the benefit of being less busy than the more popular Scheveningen near The Hague.
Aside from beaches Hoek van Holland features remnants of the Netherlands history during World War Two with German fortifications dotting the beaches mentioned above as well as satellite dishes used by the Americans during the cold war, for more information you can also visit a museum dedicated to the fortifications with guided tours taking place at set times, you can visit their website for more details.
Deventer:
East of Zwolle, the city of Deventer is famous for its ice skating as it is home to De Scheg ice rink which is used by professional ice skaters from across the Netherlands. If you want to try ice skating the rink opens from October on, visit their website for more details (site may be in Dutch, Google translate can be a helpful tool).
Garderen:
A small village north-west of Arnhem, Garderen is located in a forested area of Gelderland province and is home to a sand sculpture museum. The museum has an old style town with the sand sculptures depicting a moment in their daily lives. The museum also tells the story of its founder and features a quiz where visitors must try to guess the proverb from the sand sculpture in front of them. For more information visit their website here.
Guide to the Netherlands 