Looking for places to see in the Netherlands beyond Amsterdam? In this guide, we highlight 10 must-visit places to see in the Netherlands, including small towns and lively cities, perfect for your next adventure.
Don’t limit your visit to the Netherlands to just Amsterdam and the Keukenhof gardens during spring. Having lived in the Netherlands for three years and explored many parts of the country, we can confidently say that there is so much more to see in the Netherlands. Read on to discover places to see in the Netherlands, where you can enjoy charming narrow streets, canals lined with green trees, weekend markets in town centers, historical buildings, cozy cafes and restaurants, iconic windmills, and a variety of museums and art exhibitions.
1. Rotterdam
Let’s start with Rotterdam, the second largest city in the Netherlands after Amsterdam. Visit Rotterdam to see its quirky architecture and sample Dutch food at the renowned Market Hall. Explore one of the Cube Houses, visit the Maritime Museum, or take a boat tour to Europort – one of the largest and busiest ports in the world.
Read the full post on what to see in Rotterdam: The Best of Rotterdam in a Day.
2. Gouda
Next, visit one of the most famous (at least by its name) small town in the Netherlands – Gouda.
Gouda is a town in the South Holland region of the Netherlands. It’s home to the world’s most popular cheese (Gouda), traditional Dutch syrup waffles (Stroopwafels), the beautiful 15th century Sint-Jan Church, famous for its stained glass windows, and one of the oldest Gothic buildings in the Netherlands – Gouda’s Town Hall.
If you visit Gouda between April and August, don’t miss the Gouda Cheese Market, held every Thursday. You can also experience and learn about Gouda cheese traditions by visiting the Cheese Museum in the De Goudse Waag, a 17th century historical building.
Read full post here: Visit Gouda – a Charming Dutch Town.
3. Leiden
Leiden is conveniently located between Amsterdam and The Hague and is home to the country’s oldest university – Leiden University. It’s a pleasant small town, perfect for walking to admire its old architecture, streets and canals. If you enjoy museums, Leiden is a must visit. There are the National Museum of Ethnology with exhibitions from around the world, National Museum of Antiquities – a national archaeology museum with collections of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman artefacts, the Naturalis Biodiversity Center – a natural history museum; and many more.
Did you know that the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Research and Technology Center is located near Leiden? Be sure to visit their ESA Museum and Space Expo – a very cool place to explore, especially if you’re travelling with children.
Read full post: Visit Leiden – canals, history and museums.
4. Utrecht
Utrecht is a Dutch city known for its history, medieval city center, and the largest university in the Netherlands. With its charming canals, historical buildings, compact city center, and its location practically in the heart of the Netherlands, it would make a perfect one- to two-day visit during your travels.
Read our guide to the city that has been our home during our stay in the Netherlands: Best Things to Do in Utrecht in One Day.
5. Amersfoort
Amersfoort, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated Dutch towns. We lived just 20 minutes by train away from Amersfoort and visited it few times. It has a well preserved medieval town center with cobbled narrow streets, canals, and stone bridges. The charming and walkable old town features many historical buildings, the picturesque medieval gate Koppelpoort, and central square, the Hof. The Hof, with its tall 15th century church tower, the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwetoren, is home to many cafes and hosts a farmers’ market on Fridays and Saturdays.
Apart from the few museums in the town itself, I would recommend visiting the National Military Museum, located not far from Amersfoort. And of course, don’t miss DierenPark Amersfoort – a spacious zoo home to hundreds of animals.
Read full post: Visit Amersfoort – medieval streets, canals and a small town charm.
6. The Hague
The Hague, a Dutch city on the North Sea, serves as the seat of the Dutch government, the residence of the Dutch royal family, and the hub for numerous international organizations. You can explore the Binnenhof, the historic Dutch parliament building, admire masterpieces by famous artists at the Mauritshuis museum, discover miniature replicas of Dutch cities and landmarks at Madurodam, or enjoy a ride on the Ferris wheel at Scheveningen beach.
Read more about things to see and do in one of my favourite Dutch cities: One day in The Hague.
7. Delft
One of the most popular small Dutch towns to visit is Delft. Delft is famous for its Delft Blue pottery, for being the hometown of the painter Johannes Vermeer, and for its connection to the Dutch Royal family.
When in Delft, be sure to visit one of the Delftware factories and learn about the history and process of Delftware production. Don’t miss Het Prinsenhof – the historical residence of Prince Willian of Orange. Visit the Vermeer Center Delft to learn about one of the Netherland’s most renowned artists – Johannes Vermeer.
Read full post about Delft: Visit Delft – the city of Dutch Royal family and Delftware.
8. Maastricht
Maastricht is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands. It’s located in the far south of the country, on a narrow strip of land between Belgium and Germany. Maastricht is well known as the birthplace of the European Union and the euro currency.
In Maastricht, you can visit a bookshop housed in the historic 13th century church, Dominicanenkerk. Take a walk across the oldest bridge in the Netherlands, Sint Servaasbrug, and admire the oldest city gate in the country, Helpoort. Enjoy a meal at one of the many cafes and restaurants in Maastricht’s old town, or dine at Vrijthof – Maastricht’s town square, surrounded by many historical buildings.
Read full post about Maastricht: Visit Maastricht – One of the Oldest Dutch Towns.
9. Baarle-Nassau
Visit the Dutch town of Baarle-Nassau for a truly unique experience of crossing multiple country borders in a single day.
Baarle is a town in the southern part of the Netherlands that contains Belgian territories within it. The town is crisscrossed by multiple Belgium-Netherlands borders, that divide city’s streets and even buildings.
Read all about it in our post Visiting Baarle – a town split by Belgium–Netherlands borders.
10. Zaandam
Last but not least on our ’10 Places to See in the Netherlands’ list is Zaandam. Zaandam is a small town just north of Amsterdam, often regarded as one of the best day trips from Amsterdam.
Zaandam is best known for Zaanse Schans – a recreated village with iconic Dutch windmills and traditional wooden houses. But don’t head straight to Zaanse Schans upon arriving in Zaandam. Spend some time in the town center exploring its colorful and quirky houses, trying freshly made herring on the central street, and visiting Tsar Peter House.
Read full post about Zaandam and Zaanse Schans: Visiting Zaandam and Zaanse Schans on a day trip from Amsterdam.
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True, we’re those travelers who went to the Netherlands but only saw Amsterdam… I regret not going to Zaanse Schans. Also I never considered that Gouda was an actual town you could visit…
Now you know where to go next time you are in the Netherlands! 😉
As soon as I read Gouda, the cheese came into my mind. Now I know, Gouda cheese from the lovely village of Gouda! I’m curious to see the bookshop in Maastricht. I’m sold exploring these villages 😉
Ah second times the charm. I would love to see Delft, it does look like a gorgeous place. We visited Zaanse Schans but didn’t really see Zaandam. Nice little list.
So many beautiful small Dutch towns. The bookshop in Maastricht would be top of my list and I know our daughters would want to visit Gouda (one of their favourite cheese).
A few years ago, I planned to spend some time in the Netherlands and go around to all the small towns actually… but plans changed. My Dutch friend actually told me- you know you’ll be done with your full Netherlands tour in about 2 hours hahaha. Boy was he wrong.
Of course, who doesn’t love Gouda! but I also really wanted to visit Delft for the ceramics and connection to Vermeer. Ok, time to proceed with my original plan. You can’t let anyone talk you out of it!!
Funny thing – when we lived in the Netherlands we travelled much more than many locals did. Sometimes I was telling about our travels and discoveries to my Dutch colleagues at work and they were surprised as they didn’t know some of the attractions we went to and didn’t know some of the cities were worth visiting! So, it’s not always the case that “locals know better” 🙂 Sometimes it’s us, tourists and travelers, who tend to explore more than locals in their own country. 😉
I have just been to Amsterdam and now I need to go to these towns as well. Brilliant reviews!