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Top Attractions in the Netherlands |
Keukenhof Gardens
Visit Keukenhof in Spring to see the vast displays of the
Netherland’s most famous flower – the tulip. The are also
magnificent displays throghout the the year. The Zomerhof (Summer
Garden) is a summer flower exhibition held on the grounds, and in
autumn, Keukenhof also hosts a huge flower bulb market. Visit the
newly opened Japanese Garden with a layout that is more fanciful
than that of traditional Japanese gardens. The garden is a symbol of
the 400-year-long relationship between Japan and Holland.
Hoge Veluwe National Park
The Hoge Veluwe is the Netherland’s biggest national park,
covering over 5,500 hectares. The park is a mixture of forests and
woods, shifting sands and heath moors. The area gives off a strange
sense of isolation which is hard to comprehend, considering it lies
in one of Europe’s most densely populated country. Red deer, wild
boar and mouflon (a Mediterranean sheep) roam wild here. The
Kröller-Müller Museum lies at the edge of the park. Entrance to the
museum, entitles you to roam freely around the national park also.
Hoge Veluwe is accessible by bus from Arnhem, which is one hour's
train ride east of Amsterdam.
The Kröller-Müller Museum
The Kröller-Müller Museum houses a world-famous collection
of fine art, mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries. There are 278
works by Van Gogh, as well as collections of Picasso and Mondrian.
At the back of the museum you can wander through Europe’s largest
sculpture garden, with over 21 hectares accommodating a unique
collection of sculptures. Amongst the sculptors represented here are
Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Richard Serra, Mario
Merz, Jean Dubuffet and Claus Oldenburg.
Anne Frank's House
Visit the house where the young diarist Anne Frank and her
family hid from German occupation during World War II. Over
twenty-five million copies of her diary have been sold worldwide.
Anne’s original diary is on display as part of the House's permanent
exhibition.
The Burgers' Zoo
The Burgers’ Zoo spreads over 18 hectares and houses more
than 3,000 animals. Check out the safari park where giraffes,
zebras, antelopes, rhinoceroses, and a number of African bird
species can be studied and admired. There is also an amazing variety
of realistically constructed habitats including 1.5 hectares of
jungle, a mangrove hall, a living desert consisting of flatlands,
numerous rock masses, canyons, dry riverbeds and an oasis. The
desert is home to all types of exotic animals and insects, as well
as a 100-year-old cacti. The recently opened ocean area is stunning.
See real wave crash onto white coral sand, walk through corridors of
transparent acrylic walls that keep the path dry. This allows you to
admire the underwater world of a shallow coral lagoon on both
sides.
Madurodam
Madurodam is Holland’s most famous miniature city. See the
canal houses of Amsterdam, the Alkmaar cheese market, and parts of
the Delta Works. The whole park has been created in minute detail on
a scale of 1:25. Watch the Windmills turn; the ships sail and see
the world's largest miniature railway. Sand World, the only indoor
sand sculpture show in the world relates the history of the struggle
of the Dutch against the water in spectacular panoramas. Throughout
the year there are various theme weeks and at nightfall the
miniature city is romantically lit with more than 50,000 tiny
lights.
Castle De Haar, Haarzuilens
Castle De Haar rises above a densely wooded park like a
fairytale castle surrounded by old gardens and ponds. The original
14th century house was constructed on high ground along a dead
tributary of the Rhine.
The Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is the largest museum in Holland and
attracts well over a million visitors each year. It is
internationally celebrated for its exhibitions and publications as
well as its scholarships and research. The museum features works by
Rembrandt, Vermeer, Frans Hals, Jan Steen, Breitner, as well as
dolls houses, silver, prints and drawings, delftware, furniture,
weaponry, ship models and Buddhas. The museum is well worth a visit
for the décor alone as it devotes considerable resources to the
design and layout of exhibitions. Cutting edge designers are
regularly commissioned to work on Rijksmuseum projects.
Marken Island, Zuiderzee
Located close to Amsterdam, in the former Zuiderzee (now
the IJsselmeer), Marken Island is now joined to the mainland by a
land bridge. It boasts many wooden houses and you can still see
people wearing local costume. Spend a couple of hours strolling
along the shore, viewing the magical houses - all painted green with
white trim.
The Windmills at Kinderdijk
The Netherlands is world- famous for its windmills. Today
there still over 1,000 mills left in the country but the village of
Kinderdijk is the best place to see them. Built in 1740, the 19
windmills are remarkably well preserved. They drain the excess water
from the Alblasserwaard polders (which are situated below sea-level)
and then the water is sluiced into the river Lek. The mill sails are
incredibly powerful, and are used to force the wind onto large
paddle wheels that scoop up the water. Today the mills are no longer
used to drain the polders and the work is carried out engines. In
1997 the mills of Kinderdijk were put on UNESCO’s World Heritage
List.
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