When is the best time to visit the Netherlands?

The mild climate of the Netherlands makes it a pleasant destination year-round. In July, temperatures average around 63 °F (17 °C), while January dips to an average of 35 °F (2 °C). The average rainfall is highest in summer and autumn and lowest in spring.\nTulip season in the Netherlands typically occurs between mid-March and mid-May, but the summer and fall are also excellent times to visit, given that there are longer daylight hours for sightseeing and the weather is ideal for outdoor activities like cycling and canal tours. In the winter, Amsterdam becomes a magical wonderland, with a Christmas market and a large ice rink set up on the iconic Museumplein.

Are there UNESCO World Heritage Sights in the Netherlands?

There are 13 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Netherlands, including Grachtengordel, the 17th-century canal ring in the center of Amsterdam. The best way to take in this wondrous site is via one of the city’s famous glass-topped canal boats. From the water, you can see some of Amsterdam’s oldest buildings, from narrow-fronted gabled houses to gilded manses from the Dutch Golden Age.\nThe windmills of Kinderdijk are another iconic UNESCO site. Nineteen remarkably preserved 18th-century windmills dot the picturesque Dutch countryside, calling to mind the 1865 novel Hans Brinker , in which a heroic boy plugs his finger into a ruptured dike.

What are the food highlights of the Netherlands?

In Gouda or Edam, you can visit a cheese farm to get an in-depth look at how one of the Netherlands’ top products is made and sample some of the region’s famous cheeses.\nTravelers may also enjoy learning how to make stroopwafel—two wafer cookies bound together with a layer of toffee syrup. You may also try poffertjes , traditional Dutch treats that resemble small, fluffy pancakes.\n Drop is the Dutch national sweet, boasting an annual consumption of 4.5 lbs. per person. It is essentially the Dutch equivalent of licorice, but with a flavor all its own. Be sure to sample some for a true taste of the Netherlands.\nIn Maastrict, visitors may enjoy Bisschopsmolen or Bishop’s Mill. Bisschopsmolen is the oldest working water mill in the Netherlands, dating back to the 11th century. Today, it supplies an ancient grain, Kollenberger spelt, to the adjoining bakery on Stenenbrug Street. Here you can order all kinds of delicious breads, crackers and pastries—all made with organic, local ingredients. The mill also supplies grain to the local Gulpener brewery for its Korenwolf beer. There is a small café here where you can enjoy soups and salads, but do not miss the star attraction: a slice of vlaai , a delicious, sweet tart made with the fresh local fruits of the season.

Aside from Amsterdam, what are some must-see cities in the Netherlands?

Rotterdam is called “Manhattan on the Meuse” for its skyscrapers and innovative modern architecture by masters like Rem Koolhas, Piet Blom and others. The stunning urban landscape is even more impressive when you consider that Rotterdam was nearly totally leveled by the Luftwaffe during World War II.\nThe water-rich city of Dordrecht is nestled on an island where the Beneden Merwede river splits into the Noord and Oude Maas rivers. Dordrecht continues to thrive with liveliness and culture. In fact, just by visiting the city center, you will discover more than 950 monuments, 7 churches and 6 museums. You can explore this charming city in many ways, including cycling paths along the pristine creeks, gliding along the canals by water taxi and of course, by foot.\nFormerly the capital of the Gelderland province, Nijmegen is the oldest city in the Netherlands. Sitting at the heart of the city, the historic Grote Markt has preserved the spirit of European market squares. The central location of the square makes it the perfect base from which to discover and experience the rich cultural offerings of Nijmegen. View the impressive 13th-century Stevenskerk (St. Stephen’s Church) that dominates the cityscape. Or stop in one of the many restaurants and cafés lining the square. Surrounded by striking medieval architecture, you will feel as though you have been transported back in time.\nMaastricht is set where the borders of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany meet. Students from all over Europe flock to its university, and there is a diverse immigrant population. Add to that the fact that people from Maastricht, who speak their own dialect of Dutch, are known to be irreverent, independent and fun-loving, and you can imagine why it is one of the most popular cities for travelers. Start exploring in the city’s two main squares, the Vrijthof and the Markt.

What are some of the best museums in the Netherlands?

One of Amsterdam’s top attractions, the Rijksmuseum is located on the Museumplein alongside the Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum and Concertgebouw. Its extensive collection features works by many prominent Dutch Masters, including Johannes Vermeer, Jan Steen and Rembrandt.\nYou can view the second-largest collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh and a remarkable sculpture garden during a visit to the Kröller-Müller Museum in the small city of Otterlo. The museum also contains works by other impressionist and expressionist painters, including Paul Gauguin, Pablo Picasso, Georges Seurat and Piet Mondrian.\nIf you want to walk in van Gogh’s footsteps, a guided tour of the village of Nuenen is ideal. The town’s Vincentre museum also offers a vivid audiovisual presentation that explores the painter\u0027s prolific time in the village. Afterward, journey to the nearby city of ’s-Hertogenbosch, home of the Noordbrabants Museum. The Noordbrabants contains an extensive collection of Dutch art, chronicling the region’s artistic history from Hieronymous Bosch to van Gogh.\nJust outside Arnhem, you can explore 200 years of Dutch life at the Netherlands Open Air Museum. Traditional farmhouses, linseed mills, bake houses, a drawbridge, sheep-fold, peat house and brewery are among the 80 historic structures you will see. Collected from all regions of the Netherlands, these buildings provide the backdrop for a hands-on experience of Dutch history and everyday life.\nIn Enkhuizen, the Zuiderzee Museum recreates what life was like before the completion of the Afsluitdijk closed off the inlet from the North Sea in 1932. Explore the cobblestone alleyways of the outdoor museum and visit some of the more than 140 buildings on site, including workshops, a fish smokery, a well-preserved home from the 1920s and more.

Discover the cultural gems of the Netherlands

Whether you prefer bustling cities or picturesque countryside—or a mixture of both—the Netherlands is an ideal destination for curious travelers. Read on to learn about a prized Dutch street food, delve into Amsterdam’s bicycle culture and uncover the engineering marvels of the Delta Works.

The Netherlands

Located in northwestern Europe, the Netherlands borders Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and the North Sea to the north and west. It occupies 16,039 sq mi. (41,540 sq km)—roughly twice the size of Wales. The Netherlands has a temperate climate, with mild winters, cool summers and rainfall in every season.

“Netherlands” means low-lying country, which is an appropriate appellation, given that few countries feature so much land below sea level. Roughly half of the country consists of reclaimed land, and an extensive range of sea walls and coastal dunes protect the land from the sea, while levees and dikes along the rivers protect against flooding. Plus, few other countries are as flat as the Netherlands, whose higher lands in the east and south contain only small hills.

The historical name “Holland” comes from “Houtland,” or “Wooded Land.” This name was originally given to one of the medieval regions that later became the modern state of the Netherlands, and the name is still used for two of the country’s twelve provinces, Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland.

Today, the Netherlands is one of the world’s most densely populated countries. While a high percentage of residents are over age 65, Amsterdam remains one of the liveliest centers of international youth culture. The vibrant capital boasts more than 50 museums, including the world-famous Rijksmuseum, and an astonishing 881,000 bicycles, making Amsterdam one of the world’s most bicycle-friendly cities.

The Netherlands is widely known for its independent outlook, which was evident as early as the 16th and 17th centuries when the Dutch took a relatively enlightened view of other cultures, encouraging worldwide trade and the spirit of enterprise. By and large, the Netherlands flourished during this Golden Age, but not all economic ventures were equally successful. During the 1600s, tulips crashed the Dutch economy. The flower became so wildly popular that an economy of trading known as “tulip mania” exploded nearly overnight. Some bulbs sold for more than ten times the annual income of a skilled craftsman. Tulip mania was short-lived, though, and when it crashed, so did the fortunes of many investors. Today, economists consider tulip mania to be the first speculative bubble—one whose effects left a lasting impact on the Dutch population’s level of skepticism when it came to speculative investments.

With its rich history, picturesque scenery and fascinating cultural heritage, the Netherlands is an attractive destination for curious travelers. Some notable landmarks include:

Rembrandt House Museum—Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn (1606–1669) lived and worked in Amsterdam during the height of the Dutch Golden Age. In total, he created approximately 300 paintings, 2,000 drawings and 290 etchings. His legacy has been memorialized in his former residence on Jodenbreestraat, which offers a glimpse into the ingenious mind of this legendary artist.
Keukenhof—For anyone who appreciates the pleasures of beautiful flora, Keukenhof, the world’s largest flower garden, provides 80 acres and 7 million brilliant bulbs’ worth of pure joy and inspiration. Keukenhof began its life in the 15th century as an herb garden for Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut and Holland, hence its name, which means “kitchen garden.” The landscaping was reconceived during the 18th century, and in 1949, the current awe-inspiring garden was established.
Kinderdijk—Kinderdijk is a village community in the Alblasserwaard province best known for its 19 remarkably preserved 18th-century windmills, which have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The charming hamlet is located amid low-lying polders, tracts of land reclaimed from the sea by the power of the windmills and enclosed by embankments, or dikes.
Nijmegen—The origins of this ancient Dutch city date back to the first century BC, when the Romans established a fort here on a strategic hillside overlooking the Waal and Rhine rivers. But the area was already inhabited before then by the Batavian tribes who revolted against Roman occupiers. Nijmegen’s Valkhof Museum on Kelfkensbos square displays many artifacts from the Roman and medieval eras. On Mondays and Saturdays, Nijmegen’s Grote Markt teems with vendors selling everything from stroopwafeln to sunglasses.
Hoorn—Hoorn was built around its horn-shaped harbor on the Zuiderzee (Southern Sea), a former inlet of the North Sea. The city prospered during Holland’s Golden Age but declined due to flooding and exceptionally high tides. In 1920, a bold plan was hatched to construct a 20-mile-long causeway and dike rising 24 feet above sea level—the Afsluitdijk. Completed in 1932, it was the cornerstone of the Zuiderzee Works, the Netherlands’ largest hydraulic engineering program of the 20th century. In addition to creating a source for irrigation and drinking water, this ingenious project transformed dying coastal towns into vibrant, interconnected communities.

The Netherlands Highlights

Immerse yourself in Dutch culture, beauty and tradition on an unforgettable voyage of discovery through the Netherlands. Here are some sample highlights you may experience during a journey to this charming country: