Must-see attractions in North Holland & Flevoland

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…

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…

Along Westerstraat you'll spot the remarkable Westerkerk, a 15th-century Gothic church with a removable wooden belfry. The ornate choir screen and…

The Vestingmuseum brings context to the vast star-shaped fortress, which is the only one in Europe featuring a buffer of two walls and two moats. You can…

The impressive Zaans Museum traces windmill history from the very first mills and covers Dutch culture and costume; there's also a painting by Monet, who…

The visitor centre of the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park has nature displays and is a good source of information, with a range of detailed walking and…

Almost as tiny as the boats in its collection, this enchanting museum contains an astonishing collection of ships in bottles carved by seamen through the…

Urk's 18.5m-high lighthouse was built in 1845, replacing a small stone tower where a coal fire guided ships into port. Climb 295 steps to the top for…

This small dairy between Den Hoorn and Den Burg is a terrific place to taste and buy rounds produced from the local cows, sheep and goats. A glass viewing…

Off Grote Houtstraat southwest of the Grote Markt is one of Haarlem's prettiest buildings, the Proveniershuis. It started life as a hofje (almshouse) and…

Built in red brick between 1423 and 1458, the Zuiderkerk's copper-capped bell tower was added in 1524. Highlights include its 16th-century organ, and the…

Overshadowing surrounding historic buildings, the massive defensive gate Hoofdtoren (1532), topped by a tiny belfry, now houses an atmospheric restaurant.

The emphasis at this beach immediately west of De Koog is on lounging with good food and drink while watching kite-surfers in action.

Sample 30 different cheeses at the wonderful and barely commercial Gestam, a warehouse for regional producers established in 1916.

Texel's party beach, 3km south of De Koog, has lots of day- and night-time activities, including wind-surfing and kite-surfing.

Located between the Buitenhaven and the Oude Haven, the Drommedaris was built as a defence tower as part of the 16th-century town walls. Once a formidable…

In the 16th century Willem van Oranje bestowed on Edam the right to hold a Kaasmarkt, which was the town's economic anchor right through to the 1920s. At…

Opposite the church by the water's edge you'll spot the Vissersmonument, a lonely statue of a woman in a billowing dress gazing seaward where her loved…

Inside the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park, the WWII cemetery Erebegraafplaats Bloemendaal is the resting place of 372 members of the Dutch Resistance…

Local culture is covered at Volendam's history museum with traditional costumes, prints, paintings of harbour scenes and even a cramped ship’s sleeping…