5 Outstanding Places to Visit in the Netherlands Outside of Amsterdam

Lovely and historic Amsterdam is one of Europe's great capital cities. Visitors from around the globe travel here to experience its extensive canal system, ornate 17th-century architecture, and world-class museums.

Many don't realize there's much more to see outside the city confines. If you're considering a vacation in the Netherlands, consider adding some of these off-the-beaten-path destinations to your itinerary:

Texel Island

This beach lover's paradise is the largest island in the North Sea. Best known for its 18+ mile-long stretch of sandy beaches, Texel is also home to unique nature reserves. De Slufter's beautiful salt marsh landscape serves as an enormous bird sanctuary, and De Geul is home to the country's largest colony of spoonbills. A large variety of orchids thrive in the dune meadows of De Muy.

Climb the 150-year old red Texel Lighthouse for expansive views of the sea, visit the porpoises and seals in Ecomare, and hunt for souvenirs in Den Burg.

Autos and pedestrians can take the ferry from Den Helder to Texel. The ferry runs at least hourly, and the crossing takes 20 minutes.

Rotterdam

Just an hour south of Amsterdam, the bustling port city of Rotterdam is an old town with a spectacular modern skyline. The Maas River and the harbor serve as a focal point for residents and tourists alike.

Visitors can explore the port by bike or take a guided tour to learn about the city's maritime history. Modernists will embrace Rotterdam's ultra-contemporary skyline, which arose after the city lost most of its buildings to WWII airstrikes.

Cruise enthusiasts should plan to spend a night on the ss Rotterdam, the largest passenger ship ever built on Dutch soil and the former flagship of the Holland America line.

Kinderdijk

Visitors to Rotterdamshould must make a stop in nearby Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kinderdijk sits below sea level and has struggled for centuries to stay dry. Nineteen enormous windmills, built around 1740, have helped manage water levels and prevent floods for nearly three centuries.

Thorn

The picturesque "white village" of Thorn in the south of Holland looks very different from the red-brick canal houses found in many Dutch towns. Founded as a monastery for noblewomen during the 10th century, the estate grew into a small, independent country with its own currency and legal system.

The noblewomen ruled this area for 800 years but eventually fled Thorn to evade the Napolean and the French in the 18th century. A large number of poor people then came to live in the town.

Because the French rulers calculated taxes based on the numbers and size of windows in each house, the impoverished residents bricked up the windows and whitewashed the buildings to camouflage the new bricks.

Visitors will want to visit Abdijkerk Thorn, the striking 10th Gothic church with a Baroque-style interior and remarkable stained glass windows. The crypt contains numerous burial niches and relics and an early 17th-century mummy.

The village is full of historical monuments and beautiful chapels worth seeking out, especially the Chapel under the Linden, also known as the Loreto Chapel.

Eindhoven

The bustling city of Eindhoven is known as the design capital of Holland. The "city of light" is where Philips Co, the lightbulb and electronics company, was founded in 1891.

This technology hub also offers exceptional shopping and cuisine. The Stratumseind boasts the longest nightlife street in Holland, with 54 restaurants and cafes. Wilhelminaplein's traditional "brown pubs" are ideal for relaxing afternoons on the terrace or dancing to live music in the evenings.

We can help you plan a vacation full of off-the-beaten-path surprises along with iconic, must-see sights. Contact us today to get started.