Netherlands
A country where much of the land lies below sea level. The long work of holding back water and making ground is the landscape itself.
Icons
Water, bicycles and painting are what the country is known by.
- Canals drawn in half circlesAmsterdam canal beltAmsterdam
Seventeenth-century canals planned as rings around the centre. You see more from the bridges than from a boat.
- Where the Golden Age paintings areRijksmuseumAmsterdam
The national museum, holding Rembrandt’s Night Watch and works by Vermeer. A cycle path runs straight through the middle of the building.
- A museum for a single painterVan Gogh MuseumAmsterdam
The largest collection of his work anywhere, hung in chronological order. Booking online is effectively required.
- Nineteen windmills in a rowKinderdijkEast of Rotterdam
Eighteenth-century mills built to pump water, still standing in line. Cycling the dyke path is the way to see them.
- A bulb garden open only in springKeukenhofLisse
Millions of tulips shown for about eight weeks, then closed for the year. The surrounding fields stripe with colour at the same time.
- Vast gates that shut out the seaDelta WorksSouthwest coast
Barriers and movable storm gates built after the 1953 flood. Counted among the monuments of modern engineering, and parts can be driven across.
World Heritage
Mostly water engineering and planned towns.
- City canals dug to a planSeventeenth-century canal ring of AmsterdamAmsterdam
Marshland filled in and laid out as semicircular canals with house plots in one design. The houses are narrow and tall because tax was charged on width.
- Polder land drained by windmillsMill Network at Kinderdijk-ElshoutSouth Holland
Listed because the mills, channels and dykes survive as one working system. People still live in some of the mills.
- A grid laid on a drained lakeBeemster PolderNorth Holland
A seventeenth-century lake pumped dry, then ruled into a grid of roads and waterways. From the air it looks drawn with a straightedge.
- Tidal flats you can walk at low waterWadden SeaNorthern coast
The largest tidal flats system in the world, listed together with Germany and Denmark. Guided walks cross the mud to the islands.
Where to go
The cities sit close together; most are within an hour by train.
- AmsterdamThe capitalNorth Holland
Canals and museums concentrated together, and the main international gateway. It gets crowded, so book early in high season.
- RotterdamA city of modern architectureSouth Holland
A port whose centre was lost in the war and rebuilt with experimental buildings. The opposite of Amsterdam in feel.
- UtrechtTerraces below canal levelCentral
Old wharf cellars along the canals converted into cafes at water level. Being central, it is the country’s rail interchange.
- Delft and HaarlemSmall historic townsWest
Delft for its pottery and Vermeer, Haarlem for Frans Hals; each walkable in half a day. Many stay here to avoid Amsterdam prices and crowds.
- The Wadden islandsTexel, Terschelling and othersThe northern sea
Sand islands reached by ferry, given over to cycling and birdwatching. The wind is strong even in summer, so bring a layer.
When to go
Coastal weather: windy, and quick to change.
- SpringMarch to MayNationwide
Tulip fields and Keukenhof draw the biggest crowds of the year. Mornings and evenings stay chilly.
- SummerJune to AugustNationwide
Long days and a full calendar of outdoor events. Heatwaves are rare but showers are frequent.
- AutumnSeptember to NovemberNationwide
Rain and wind increase and prices fall. It suits a trip built around museums.
- WinterDecember to FebruaryNationwide
Rarely deeply cold, but damp and dark. In the years the canals freeze, the country goes skating.
Before you go
The one thing to know is that bicycles come first.
- EntrySchengen short stay, visa-free for Korean passportsNationwide
Up to 90 days in any 180 across the whole Schengen area. The European travel authorisation scheme is being phased in, so check official guidance before you leave.
- BicyclesOften have priority over carsNationwide
Red paving marks a cycle lane, so do not stand in it. Silent, fast bicycles are the most common cause of visitor accidents.
- TrainsThe whole country within an hourNationwide
Intercity services are frequent enough to plan an entire trip around. You need a travel card or a QR ticket.
- MoneyEuro, card firstNationwide
Shops that refuse cash outright are common. Foreign cards are sometimes rejected, so carry more than one contactless option.
- LanguageDutch, with excellent EnglishNationwide
Among the highest rates of English proficiency in Europe. Menus often come in English as a matter of course.
- Emergency number112Nationwide
The pan-European number reaching police, ambulance and fire, with English available. Never walk the tidal flats without a licensed guide.
Opening hours, fares and schedules change from year to year and by season. Check the official guidance for each site and operator before you travel.