North Holland
This captivating museum consists of two sections, 300m apart: open-air Buitenmuseum, with more than 130 rebuilt and relocated dwellings and workshops, and…
Must-see attractions in North Holland
Texel
The patchwork of dune-scape running along the western coast of the island is a prime reason for visiting Texel. Salt fens and heath alternate with velvety…
Texel
Initially created as a refuge for sick seals retrieved from the Waddenzee, Ecomare has expanded into an impressive nature centre devoted to the…
North Holland
The waterlogged area north of Alkmaar was once home to 15,000 tiny, yet productive, farms, each one an island, whose farmers tended their crops by rowboat…
North Holland
The working, inhabited village Zaanse Schans functions as a windmill gallery on the Zaan river. You can explore the authentic windmills at your own pace,…
North Holland
Built in 1280 by Count Floris V, son of Willem II, the exceptionally preserved moated fortress Muiderslot is equipped with round towers, a French…
Haarlem
A must for anyone interested in the Dutch Masters, this superb museum is located in the poorhouse where Hals spent his final years. The collection focuses…
Kaap Skil Museum Van Jutters & Zeelui
Texel
A stunning slatted-timber-encased reception building made from recycled materials frames the superb Maritime and Beachcombers Museum. Its extraordinary…
Haarlem
Topped by a towering 50m-high steeple, the Gothic Grote Kerk van St Bavo contains some fine Renaissance artworks, but the star attraction is its stunning…
North Holland
Housed in the former seat of the Staten-College (States' Council), the body that once governed seven towns in Noord-Holland, this absorbing museum has a…
North Holland
The Stedelijk Museum's collection of oil paintings by Dutch Masters, including impressive life-sized portraits of Alkmaar nobles, is alone worth the entry…
Texel
Wineries across the Netherlands are few, so it's especially worth dropping in to De Kroon, a small but international medal-winning estate. One-hour tours …
Zuid-Kennemerland National Park
Haarlem
Some 3800 hectares of classic Dutch coastal dunes are being restored in this oasis less than 5km west of Haarlem. Trails snake through hilltop copses of…
North Holland
Aalsmeer is home to the world’s biggest bloemenveiling (flower auction), run by vast flower conglomerate Royal FloraHolland. Get to the viewing gallery…
Texel
Battered by storms and war, Texel's resilient crimson-coloured lighthouse was built in 1864 and stands 35m high. Climb its 153 steps for sweeping views…
North Holland
Off the coast of Muiden lies a derelict fort on the island of Pampus. This massive 19th-century bunker was a key member of the Stelling van Amsterdam …
Haarlem
The Frans Hals Museum's modern and contemporary-art branch occupies two historic ‘halls’: the 17th-century Dutch Renaissance Vleeshal, a former meat…
North Holland
Pint-sized Kasteel Radboud was built by Count Floris V in the 13th century and served as a prison before a 19th-century remodelling by Pierre Cuypers, who…
Haarlem
Dating from 1778, Teylers is the country's oldest continuously operating museum. Its array of whizz-bang inventions includes an 18th-century electrostatic…
Haarlem
Covering 60 hectares, Haarlemmerhout is the Netherlands' oldest public park. It was first mapped in 1539, by which time it was already well established,…
North Holland
Furnishings, porcelain and silverware spread over three cramped floors of Edam's oldest building, dating from 1540. Its floating cellar is a remarkable…
North Holland
Monnickendam's trademark building is the 15th-century Speeltoren, an elegant, Italianate clock tower and former town hall. The tower's 17th-century…
Texel
At this 3-hectare farm's orchards and fields, you can pick your own fruit (eg apples, strawberries, blueberries and grapes), vegetables (such as capsicums…
North Holland
Ever wondered what drove the Industrial Revolution? Part of the answer lies at the Stoommachine Museum, in the old pump station outside Medemblik. Thirty…
North Holland
On Friday mornings in season, waxed rounds of kaas (cheese) are ceremoniously stacked on the main square. Soon, porters appear in colourful cheese-guild…
North Holland
In the vast former armoury of the Dutch Royal Navy, which still owns the building today, displays at the Marine Museum cover naval history mainly after…
Haarlem
Known as 'the hiding place', the Corrie ten Boom House is named for the matriarch of a family who lived in the house during WWII. Using a secret…
North Holland
The 17th-century Czech educational reformer, Jan Amos Komensky (Comenius), is buried in the Waalse Kapel (Walloon Chapel) of the fortress's former…
North Holland
Built under Napoleon's orders in 1811 to accommodate 1400 soldiers, this hulking hilltop fortress (originally called Fort Morland) now houses a military…
North Holland
Hoorn's heyday as a shipping centre is long gone, but the imposing statue of Jan Peterzoon Coen, founder of the Dutch East India Company, still watches…
North Holland
Alkmaar's Grote Kerk is renowned for its organs. The most famous is the little 'Swallow Organ' (1511) in the north ambulatory. The 17th-century organ…
North Holland
Built as a chapel in the 14th century, the Waaggebouw was pressed into service as a weigh house two centuries later. This handsome building houses the…
North Holland
In the vast former prison on Oostereiland, south of the Hoofdtoren, this entertaining museum is devoted to household goods and modern inventions. Among…
North Holland
A row of eel-smoking houses in the Kerkbuurt area have been converted into the Marker Museum, which delves into Marken's history and includes the re…
North Holland
Housed in the atmospheric old De Boom brewery, the Nationaal Biermuseum has a decent collection of beer-making equipment and wax dummies showing how the…
North Holland
The 15th-century Grote Kerk bears witness to the vagaries of Dutch weather. Its 32 dazzling stained-glass windows bearing coats of arms and historical…
North Holland
It's easy to spot the tall tower of the fort's central Grote Kerk, a Gothic basilica with stunning 16th-century vault paintings of biblical scenes. You…
North Holland
The Gothic Grote Kerk, on the southern outskirts of town, is renowned for its triple nave, tower galleries and a dazzling oak choir screen dating from the…
Texel
See beer being made at the island's brewery, housed in a former dairy, on an informative 45-minute guided tour (in English and Dutch). Tour prices include…
North Holland
Along Westerstraat you'll spot the remarkable Westerkerk, a 15th-century Gothic church with a removable wooden belfry. The ornate choir screen and…
