Holidays to the Netherlands

Netherlands Activities

Physical activity for visitors to the Netherlands generally centres on walking or cycling. You can also take four person pedal boats along the canals or, on sufficiently cold days in winter, go ice skating on them, as captured in the paintings of Hendrick Avercamp. Many people choose to go sailing, either off the coast or on one of the country's many lakes.

Netherlands Food & Drink

Due to their cosmopolitan nature, the Netherlands' cities are places where you will find food from all over the world, making this one of the best destinations for curious gourmets. The country does have its own specialities and you'll find these in cities and small towns alike. Firstly, there are its famous cheeses - Edam, Gouda, Leerdammer and so on. It might sound odd to describe a cheese as tasting 'fresh' but you won't find them tasting this good or this tender anywhere else. There are some delicious local breads to eat them with and rye bread is especially popular in the north, where you'll also find many different varieties of smoked sausages. When it comes to desserts, pastries are the main option, incorporating fruit, custard or cream in various combinations. Good beer is everywhere, including some excellent local bitters.

Netherlands Attractions

There's almost an unending supply of great things to see in Amsterdam; from the Rijksmuseum with its splendid collection of old masters to the diamond merchants where you can watch raw stones being cut, the ever-popular sex museums and red light district, the Van Gogh Museum and the house where Anne Frank wrote her famous diary. Less well known are the attractions to be found elsewhere. The Hague also has a splendid collection of museums and is worth visiting for its architecture alone, whilst Hertogenbosch has a simply stunning cathedral. If you want to get away from it all, head out to the Frisian Islands to relax among tall dunes on beautiful open beaches.