Why you should skip Amsterdam: Hidden Dutch gems tourists don’t know about
The Netherlands capital has become synonymous with overtourism. These eight alternatives offer historic architecture, canals and windmills – without the hordes.
Maybe the reason Amsterdam has become so busy is that the Dutch don’t want you to know about all the other great places to visit within their borders. Yes, The Netherlands’ capital is a near-perfect matrix of canals, squares and skinny bridges – the sort that travel dreams are made of – but everyone goes there. More than 10 million visitors flood into Amsterdam every year, with the majority seemingly happy to potter around the Rijksmuseum and make do with a squinty-eyed view of a van Gogh. Why add to the headache? Instead, hop on a train from Schiphol Airport to discover an unsung city or town in a part of The Netherlands few others are willing to make the effort to travel to. And on top of time spent away from Amsterdam’s overwhelmed attractions and museums, you’ll be part of the solution, not the problem.
1. Amersfoort
Think of this close sibling to Utrecht as a sort of jumble of the best bits of The Netherlands, with a terrific medieval centre of church towers, water gates, canals and, especially, great art from Piet Mondrian, who grew up in the city (Mondrian House is a must). The very reason Amersfoort thrives is partly because of its post-industrial creativity, which has led to districts evolving and factories now revitalised as galleries, theatres and sustainable start-ups. As well as Kattenbroek, areas such as De Nieuwe Stad and Wagenwerkplaats are as interesting as Amsterdam-Noord, while the national pastime of biking is satisfied by three nature reserves that fringe the city. Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park is for anyone needing a spin around castles and deer-filled estates. For a stay in Amersfoort with plenty of charm and character try Amrath Berghotel Amersfoort, a 122-year-old hotel a 30-minute walk away (or a quick bus ride) from the centre.
2. Dordrecht
Who needs canals, anyway? Dordrecht, the oldest city in South Holland, does a pretty line in inner harbours and quays instead, and the key is the photogenic water towers and merchant houses that provide the backbone to this historic city. Attractions include Dordrecht Grote Kerk, officially the Church of Our Lady, and the mid-19th-century Dordrechts Museum. Add about 1000 monuments and historic buildings, as well as nearby De Biesbosch National Park, and the city unwraps like a pass-the-parcel of surprises. There are 12 lovely guestrooms in the super-central Stadshotel, which has a brilliant bakery for breakfast on the go.
3. Leiden
For many, the attraction of The Netherlands is to step into a quiet landscape of canals, houseboats and working flour mills, almost as if walking into a 18th-century watercolour. That’s the essence of this immensely pretty South Holland city, and the ribbon on top is the lack of other visitors. Through it all runs the story of Rembrandt – the old master was born on the banks of the Rhine in 1606 – and it’s not hard to find echoes of his exceptional life. Begin at the Young Rembrandt Studio, then visit Museum de Lakenhal, Leiden University (founded in 1575), and Hortus Botanicus, the botanic gardens where the young artist dreamt of escaping to Amsterdam. You’d not want to do that today, of course, so hire a bike to see the city from a locals’ perspective, then pause for a frothy beer at Cafe de Vergulde Kruik. This timeworn pub is a gold mine of nostalgia. Opt for a room at the Rembrandt Hotel; it’s a meditative stroll from delightful canals and the Molen De Valk windmill.
4. Gouda
If you’re of the mind that no one else does cheese like the Dutch, then by rights this handsome city is hallowed ground. For starters, what looks like a 17th-century city hall, all ceremonial crests and stone lions, is actually Waag, a former cheese-weighing house turned national monument. Markt, the extraordinary square it looks on to, retains a weekly medieval cheese auction and, at nearby Museum Gouda, the garden cafe serves up afternoon tea albeit with a cheesy twist. Then, consider windmills and canals to spare, plus a countryside spin around the back lanes of the surrounding Cheese Valley, an intricate patchwork of swollen farmlands rich with dairy history. Vegan? Yes, this is a cheesemaking town, but it’s one that’s home to The Netherlands’ signature treat, the caramel stroopwafel, invented at Kamphuisen’s syrup waffle factory and where tours and tastings take place daily. Bed down beside the historic Hoge Gouwe canal at Best Western Plus City Hotel Gouda.
5. Leeuwarden
So far north from Amsterdam and Rotterdam that locals speak another language entirely, Leeuwarden is the capital of Friesland, The Netherlands’ most autonomous province and where even the Dutch get flummoxed by how different it all is. Start with stories of the homegrown mind-bender MC Escher, who grew up on Grote Kerkstraat, then gawp at De Oldehove, the town’s lopsided, half-finished tower that tilts far more than the one in Pisa. There’s the wonderful Fries Museum on Wilhelminaplein; 600-odd monuments; glimpses of fields where Friesian horses gallop; and the barmy Blokhuispoort, a renovated prison with a cultural centre, restaurant, library and cafe (don’t be put off by the barred-up windows). There’s time for one last highlight: nearby Franeker and the Royal Eise Eisinga Planetarium, where you’ll find the world’s oldest working solar system model. Odd, right enough, especially as it dangles from the living room ceiling of a humdrum canal house. Stay at Post-Plaza Hotel & Grand Cafe, once the city’s main post office and decorated with letter trays, mailboxes, brass telephones and a wooden switchboard.
6. The Hague
Silly really, but the rush between Amsterdam and Rotterdam bypasses the glorious seat of the Dutch parliament and a place that rarely features on tourist itineraries. More’s the pity, because The Hague is both a joy to wander and home to one of Europe’s great art galleries, the Mauritshuis. You’ll come for Vermeer’s Girl With a Pearl Earring, but stick around for masterpieces by Rembrandt, Rubens, Steen and Brueghel. With embassies and all the Dutch top brass networking here, there is plenty of great dining too, such as Restaurant Oogst, where Zeeland oysters and salty veg sit alongside quail and fish. The Hague’s architecture is also arresting. As well as political hotspot the Binnenhof, options range from the monumental Peace Palace to the Het Paleis, where the tessellated geometry of MC Escher boggles our minds once again. Book a room at Court Garden Hotel, the first eco-designed boutique property in the country.
7. Volendam
Where northeast Holland bows into the murky Markermeer – the giant man-made reservoir that buffers the country from the sea – this harbour town serves up colourful houses, waterfront restaurants and shockingly good sailing trips. A cruise to Marken should top your to-do list, while cheese fans might prepare to loosen a belt notch for the hop north to nearby Edam. Volendam is primarily a place to amble through the historic quarters of Het Doolhof and Oude Kom and remains an artist’s haven, perhaps because both Picasso and Renoir hung out here. Afterwards, eat fried fish and frietjes by the quayside. Opt for a room overlooking the harbour at Hotel Old Dutch and you’ll wake to views of barges and bobbing sailing vessels.
8. Nijmegen
At the heart of Gelderland, The Netherlands’ oldest city serves up a hybrid of history. From Roman archaeology to castles from the Middle Ages, it’s haunted by ghosts and has plenty of worthy sights to bring the family together. How about Lange Hezelstraat, the country’s oldest shopping street? Or the Velorama, the largest bike museum in the country? A pedal into the riverlands along the German border beyond the city centre also provides the backdrop to the heroics and human sacrifice of Operation Market Garden, one of the largest airborne military undertakings in history. Stop off here to visit museums and memorials to learn stories about Nazi sieges, the Allies’ paratroop landings and the disastrous A Bridge Too Far offensive. Nightly, the city’s De Oversteek Bridge is lit for the Sunset March, a sombre tribute to the soldiers who fought for the liberation of The Netherlands. Stay in Berg en Dal at Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant Erica, once a refugee centre for those who lost their homes in World War II.
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