Must see attractions in 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…

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…

Initially created as a refuge for sick seals retrieved from the Waddenzee, Ecomare has expanded into an impressive nature centre devoted to the…

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…

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,…

Built in 1280 by Count Floris V, son of Willem II, the exceptionally preserved moated fortress Muiderslot is equipped with round towers, a French…

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…

A stunning slatted-timber-encased reception building made from recycled materials frames the superb Maritime and Beachcombers Museum. Its extraordinary…

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…

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…

The Stedelijk Museum's collection of oil paintings by Dutch Masters, including impressive life-sized portraits of Alkmaar nobles, is alone worth the entry…

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 …

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…

Aalsmeer is home to the world’s biggest bloemenveiling (flower auction), run by vast flower conglomerate Royal FloraHolland. Get to the viewing gallery…

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…

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 …

The Frans Hals Museum's modern and contemporary-art branch occupies two historic ‘halls’: the 17th-century Dutch Renaissance Vleeshal, a former meat…

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…

Dating from 1778, Teylers is the country's oldest continuously operating museum. Its array of whizz-bang inventions includes an 18th-century electrostatic…

Covering 60 hectares, Haarlemmerhout is the Netherlands' oldest public park. It was first mapped in 1539, by which time it was already well established,…