Tourism in the Netherlands is not just a leisure trip, it is a mixture of fun, culture and knowledge, the Netherlands is in the middle of northwestern Europe, also known as the “Kingdom of the Low countries”, and includes three islands in the Caribbean, bordered by the North Sea on two sides and shares borders with Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Traveling to the Netherlands will give you a great opportunity to get to know this country famous for pastures and dairy products, which has an area of about 40,000 km of plains, half of which is located below sea level, in addition to artificial islands that have been reclaimed and cultivated, and many big and small rivers pass through the Dutch territory, the most famous of which is the Rhine River, one of the longest rivers in Europe.
The number of tourists to this distinctive country has reached about 11 million tourists, most of them from its neighboring country, so let’s get to know this beautiful country a little more.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands and its most important city and contains many secrets that it reveals to its visitors throughout the year, running rivers and colorful buildings make tourism in the Netherlands an opportunity to learn about nature and history in this beautiful city, and it is one of the main tourist cities in the Netherlands, the pristine nature and cultural landmarks mix, and you can roam freely in this bustling city full of distinctive tourist attractions.
Top 3 landmarks in Amsterdam:
1- Van Gogh Museum
Located on Museum Square in central Amsterdam, this museum houses more than 500 magnificent paintings by van Gogh, as well as works by many contemporary artists from the Netherlands and beyond. When you travel to the Netherlands, you will learn about many landmarks of the life of the famous artist Van Gogh in a dedicated hall, and you can spend a long time among famous paintings, including the famous poppy flower painting.
2- Rijksmuseum
The number of visitors to this museum is more than one million visitors every year because it includes hundreds of medieval paintings in addition to statues and multiple art forms, and it is important to make a visit to the famous Rijksmuseum on the agenda of the tourism trip in the Netherlands If you are an art lover, you will learn there about the features of modern art, and you can attend many exhibitions that the museum witnesses throughout the year.
3- Vondelpark
The spread of tourist attractions in Amsterdam has increased the number of requests to travel to the Netherlands, including the famous Vondelpark, which is visited by more than 10 million visitors every year, to enjoy nature, flowers, the outdoors and cycling in its many lanes, and many artistic shows are held throughout the day, as well as archaeological landmarks, entertainment venues, restaurants and cafes.
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second biggest city in the Netherlands, with a population approaching one and a half million, and it is the gateway between Eastern and Western Europe, and it is dotted with distinctive tourist attractions that made it one of the most beautiful cities in the Netherlands. This city combines history and modern landmarks in a harmony that distinguishes it, and is spread by many tourist attractions, and also has the famous Port of Rotterdam, which is one of the largest international ports and accounts for the highest percentage of global trade.
Top 3 landmarks in Rotterdam:
1- Rotterdam Zoo (Diergaarde Blijdorp)
One of the oldest zoos in the world, it was established in 1857 and contains rare collections of animals, sea creatures and water turtles, and tourism in the Netherlands is not complete without a distinctive tour of this charming spot where you will find there a huge number of endangered animals that have been created similar environments to their African and Asian natural environment, and you can also enjoy discovering rare trees, open places and distinctive cafes.
2- Euromast Tower
This tower was built in 1960 for observation purposes, and its length is about 185 meters, and through it you can see all the city’s landmarks such as the port and the museum and wander your gaze over the ancient city, and it also includes a space tower at the top of it, the tower also includes many recreational activities for children and adults, and the fun for adventure enthusiasts increases by landing through a rope extending to its base.
3- Cube house
This project, which was designed as a solution to the problem of population density in 1984, became one of the most unique yet famos landmarks of Rotterdam, which is considered one of many important tourist cities in the Netherlands, and these houses are characterized by being in the form of cubes with six faces, and one of the favorite activities for travel and tourism lovers in the Netherlands is to take pictures in the middle of these houses and learn about the idea of building them strange and unique as well, which was carried out by the famous “Bloom House”.
The Hague
The Hague is the “city of peace” as it is called, due to the spread of international organizations affiliated with the United Nations such as Amnesty International and the Court of Human Rights, and it is the top main city in the Netherlands, where the headquarters of the government and central Dutch institutions are located, and when you travel to the Netherlands, you will necessarily pass by it, due to the many tourist and recreational attractions it contains, its presence on the North Sea coast and its containment of many resorts made it a destination for recreation enthusiasts and enjoying calm and comfort.
Top 3 landmarks in The Hague:
1- Scheveningen Pier
This pier is located on the North Sea and is one of the most beautiful tourist spots in the Netherlands suitable for enjoying marine life, sandy beaches, and a giant amusement park, in addition to the presence of The Hague port, and the pier is considered a destination for freedom enthusiasts, where there are open beaches, and giant luxury hotels are spread near it, and you can enjoy cruises, diving, and swimming in its clear waters in the summer and spring.
2- Madurodam Park
The miniature Netherlands you find in this place, which was opened in 1952, and visiting this place attracts about a million visitors every year, and it is among the most important tourist attractions in the Netherlands, where you can see all the landmarks of the country in less than half an hour in an area of no more than two thousand square meters, and you may wonder about this strange idea, but it indicates the keenness of the Dutch people on their civilization and immortalization, the park contains models of the main essential tourist attractions in the Netherlands.
3- Mauritshuis Museum
The museum is located in the heart of The Hague, right next to the government center and includes many distinguished paintings such as: Vermeer with pearl earring, the anatomy lesson of Dr. Nicholas Tulp Rembrandt, and more than two hundred works of leading Dutch artists are displayed, and the museum is characterized by its beautiful design with silk wall covering, sparkling chandeliers and painted ceilings, and also includes paintings by Jean Steen and landscapes by Jacob van Ruisdael, and the museum is a complex of the best Dutch and Flemish paintings in the 17th century.
Maastricht
The city of Maastricht is one of the oldest Dutch cities in terms of history and heritage, and when you decide to travel to the Netherlands, do not be too late to visit this city, which is located on the Meuse River and it is characterized by the presence of a huge number of archaeological buildings and important tourist attractions, as it has a big network of caves that express an important era in the history of Europe, and there is a huge museum of natural history in addition to many different museums.
Top 3 landmarks in Maastricht:
1- Maastricht Caves
The idea of these caves arose in times of ancient wars and to face the siege, and the residents of the city of Maastricht remained committed to building them in the same way with the development of the idea of their implementation, even in World War II the residents of the city used them to protect themselves from raids, shelling and enemy attacks, and it is now one of the main historical tourist attractions of the Netherlands and everyone who thinks of traveling to this country is keen to visit it and learn about its contents and take a tour inside it to feel the impact of time under the supervision of specialized guides.
2- Vrijthof Square
This square, which witnesses many national and recreational events and activities, is located in the Limburg region, and it is a popular place for tourism enthusiasts in the Netherlands, where various restaurants, cafes and clubs are spread, and it is close to many ancient city landmarks such as Market Square and St. Service Bridge on the River Meuses, and the square witnesses every year the Maastricht Carnival.
3- Bonnefantenmuseum
This museum can be described as a museum of art of all times, it contains many works by contemporary and former Dutch and European artists, and the museum overlooks the east bank of the River Meuse, and it also includes many halls, each of which represents an era of ages, there are paintings dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries and others by Italian artists from the 17th century, wooden and metal statues, and many art exhibitions are held to display modern works.
Harlem
20 km from the Dutch capital Amsterdam you will find this amazing city, the city of Haarlem, which overlooks the Sparni River, and this city may not be on your map for tourism in the Netherlands, but we advise you to visit it, as the city contains a large amount of archaeological buildings and paintings painted by many famous Dutch and international artists, and the small city is a great place for shopping enthusiasts due to the variety of products that are displayed in the multiple stores within the city, and the city also has St. Church. The ancient Bavo and next to it is a large square dotted with beautiful cafes and restaurants.
Top 3 landmarks in Haarlem:
1- Teylers Museum
This museum includes many antiquities dating back to the Stone Age, and it is characterized by the magnificence of the way these artifacts are displayed, where you can wander through the museum and see all its contents easily, and as it is the case in all museums in the Netherlands, the artworks of Dutch artists of all times will find a clear place in its sides, and you can see the river water through the windows of the museum that are located next to it.
2- Grote Markt
Tourism in the Netherlands is not without moving between the multiple market squares in all Dutch cities, but the large market square in Haarlem is very different, as it mediates the neighborhoods of the old city and spreads exhibits of all forms, many of which express Dutch and Flemish culture, and you can also enjoy buying the famous Dutch cheese from that square, and you can spend time to rest on the cafes scattered in the square and follow the activities and movement of people in the streets.
3- Amsterdamse Poort Gate
It is a popular shopping area for travel enthusiasts to the Netherlands, located near the train station, the Ajax football club stadium and the Heineken Music Hall, surrounded mainly by office buildings, located near the residential area of Bijelmere, and spread by the brands of the biggest international companies, as well as a few small restaurants and a large daily market, and spread by amusement parks and restaurants that serve their visitors from tourists to spend a good time at night within the city.
Delft
Delft is one of the most beautiful tourist cities in the Netherlands and they call it the City of Knowledge due to the presence of many famous educational and research centers, including Delft University of Technology.
Located between Amsterdam and The Hague, Delft is also famous for its magnificent blue porcelain industry, which is exported to the world. What makes it a destination for tourism enthusiasts in the Netherlands is its great history, from which the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule began in the 16th and 17th centuries, and the royal family in the Netherlands chose it as a burial place for kings and members of the ruling family.
Top 3 landmarks in Delft:
1- Royal Porcelain and Glass Museum
One of the wonderful and strange museums also in the Netherlands, this historical museum is considered one of the main tourist attractions in the Netherlands, as it was established at the beginning of the 19th century, and was renovated at the beginning of the second millennium and took 10 years to master it, and it is a popular place for tourism enthusiasts in the Netherlands because of the presence of thousands of wonderful art pieces that express the development of the art movement not only in the Netherlands but in the whole world, and there are many glass models made of shiny porcelain.
2- Army Museum Het Prinsenhof
A war museum that includes many types of ancient weapons that the Dutch used in their wars, and the museum also includes a special hall for relatively modern weapons that appeared in the 19th and 20th centuries, and you can enjoy a travel trip to the Netherlands if you try horse riding and open carriages that pass by the museum and learn about the sights in the old and modern Netherlands next to the Grand Museum.
3- Old Church and Leaning Tower Oude Kerk & leaning tower
The church is located in the heart of the city, which is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the Netherlands, and the church is surrounded by historical buildings, and near it there is a modern church building, which commemorates the murder of one of the Dutch fighters against Spanish rule in ancient times, “William de Orange”, and near it is the city hall where weddings are held inside the church, from which the city’s celebrations begin with its various occasions.
Leiden
The city of Leiden is located south of Amsterdam and is characterized by its beautiful rural atmosphere with a large spread of famous flower fields and historical buildings dating back to the 17th century, and there is the oldest university in the Netherlands, which makes it a suitable place for knowledge, history and all those wishing to travel to Netherlands. The city is known for its abundant trees, linen industry and rural products, and its mild atmosphere throughout the year.
Top 3 landmarks in Leiden:
1- National Museum of Antiquities Rijksmuseum van Oudheden
This great historical museum, which has been brought many international antiquities, where there are Pharaonic, Roman and Greek statues, and the museum represents a privileged place in the travel trip to the Netherlands for those who wish to see civilized manifestations of different cultures and eras, and the museum is not without European and Dutch antiquities and many landmarks of the Flemish civilization throughout history, and former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat has gifted Nubian antiques to display in the museum.
2- Hortus Botanicus Leiden Botanical Garden
This garden was established in the 17th century, and is considered one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world, as it contains many, many rare species of trees and plants, some of which disappeared from their original habitat, and the vast fields and basins of aromatic plants, including the famous tulips, are spread in it. The park is open from 10 am to 5 pm, and there are various restaurants and cafes, so you can spend quality time inside.
3- Leiden Castle Burcht van Leiden
An ancient historical castle built in the 11th century, located on a high hill overlooking the city, and you can see the famous Dutch windmills as you look from the castle towers, and it is one of the most important tourist attractions in the Netherlands, its huge walls and gate topped by a statue of a lion symbolizing the protection of the city from floods and enemies make it a privileged place to spend a good time.
Utrecht
Utrecht is the city of culture and history, one of the most beautiful tourist cities in the Netherlands, and is characterized by its multiple channels, and it was the main city in the Netherlands until the Middle Ages, and the city is famed by the spread of educational centers, as it has the largest number of students, and there are multiple cultural and cinema centers, and what made it a popular place for travel enthusiasts to the Netherlands is the spread of tourist events in it, as the city center is completely devoid of cars, so you can take a tour of the city center on foot and enjoy its distinguished classic buildings and bright atmosphere.
Top 3 landmarks in Utrecht:
1- Railway Museum
It is a privileged place for those looking for modern history in tourism trips in the Netherlands, since the establishment of the first railway line in the country, the city has been a center for train movement, and the museum is located in the city center and includes a big number of different types of train cars and their components, in addition to many tools that were used in their manufacture, management and operation, in addition to multiple pictures of train tickets old and new.
2- Dom Tower of Utrecht
There is no electric elevator in this tower, visitors must climb more than 480 steps of the ladder to reach the top of the tower, which is 112 meters, and it is a tourist destination in the list of tourist attractions in the Netherlands, and the tower is part of St. Martin’s Church, and by climbing it is on top of the highest tower in the city and tourists find great pleasure to see everything that the city of Utrecht has to offer and enjoy the parties held in it.
3- De Haar Castle
This castle was established in the 13th century, but it was destroyed due to successive wars, but in the 18th century it was rebuilt in the same shape and ancient contents and it is one of the main tourist locations in the Netherlands, and it is characterized by green places and multiple plants that surround its many towers, which carry a unique engineering character with water basins that surround it.
Giethoorn
Do not be surprised at what you will see in this distinguished village, which is devoid of wide streets or cars, as the laws in it require that its visitors walk or ride bicycles only, which made it one of the most unique tourist attractions in the Netherlands, where tourists enjoy its wonderful atmosphere, its poetic calm and clean air without pollutants or Exhausts. Boat tourism within the village is also a great pleasure for those looking for a different tourist trip. It is characterized by its simple houses, multiple waterways and traditional wooden bridges. You will not feel bored while you are in its vibrant nature.
