Rotterdam
Anyone who isn't convinced by Rotterdam's claim to the status of one of the world's most interesting cities of architecture need only check out the brach…
Must-see attractions in South Holland & Zeeland
Rotterdam
Landscaped in English-garden style, this park was established in 1852 and is much loved by locals, who come here to jog, picnic, barbecue, cycle, kick…
Den Haag
Originally the reception and party hall of a 13th-century hunting lodge built by the the Count of Holland, the Knights Hall is the oldest part of the…
Delft
Off the usual tourist radar, this museum is the former studio and home of 19th-century Dutch artist Paul Tetar van Elven, who lived and worked here from…
Rotterdam
Geared predominantly towards children, the collection at this small museum focuses on delivering facts in a fun way. The 'Uitslovers' ('Show-offs')…
Delft
William of Orange (William the Silent) was assassinated in this former convent in 1584 (the bullet hole in the wall is preserved), becoming the world's…
Leiden
Founded by the University of Leiden in 1590, this is one of Europe's oldest botanical gardens (the oldest was created in Padua, Italy, in 1545). The…
Den Haag
One of the contemporary wings of the neighbouring Gemeentemuseum, this fine art museum shares a building with the Fotomuseum Den Haag and stages a…
Rotterdam
This national institution has a collection of over five million photographic images, and its upstairs gallery highlights curated selections from this…
Delft
Founded c 1246, the Oude Kerk is a surreal sight: its 75m-high tower, which was erected c 1350, leans nearly 2m from the vertical due to subsidence caused…
Den Haag
Dating from 1450, the Great Church has a fine pulpit that was constructed in the following century. If you're here outside its limited visitor season …
Leiden
Built on the Hoge Land (High Land) of Leiden, this church was consecrated in 1366 as the collegiate church of St Pancras and was extended in stages…
Rotterdam
Legendary Bauhaus architect Marcel Breuer worked with Amsterdam-based architect Abraham Elzas on the design of this department store, which opened in 1957…
Leiden American Pilgrim Museum
Leiden
This museum is a fascinating restoration of a one-room house occupied around 1610 by the soon-to-be Pilgrims. The house itself dates from 1365–70 (check…
Rotterdam
A late-1950s office building now housing design studios, the Schieblock is topped by the pioneering DakAkker harvestable roof with its Op Het Dak cafe and…
Den Haag
Adjoining the Gemeentemuseum and sharing a building with GEM, Den Haag's excellent photography museum mounts several major exhibitions a year. The ground…
Rotterdam
Picasso's sandblasted concrete sculpture Sylvette (1970), which he designed with Norwegian artist Carl Nesjar, depicts the great artist's model and muse…
Rotterdam
Rotterdam's City Stories Centre is dedicated to collecting, studying and exhibiting intangible heritage. Changing exhibitions and oral history…
Rotterdam
Here, you'll be able to get a feel for what it's like to live in one of Rotterdam's most famous buildings, the 45-degree-tilted, cube-shaped apartments in…
Delft
This long-operating Delftware factory north of the city centre offers free short guided tours in which the production process is explained. These start…
Rotterdam
Commissioned as the Dutch headquarters of Deloitte, the 165m Maastoren was designed by Dam & Partners and was the tallest building in the Netherlands when…
Rotterdam
Much of the Holland-America Line infrastructure in Rotterdam was destroyed during the 1940s bombings, and replaced directly after the war. This terminal…
Rotterdam
A tribute to the original De Stijl building designed by JJP Oud and built in 1924, this cafe features the bright colours that are forever associated with…
Rotterdam
Designed by OMA, the 'Carpenter's House' (2009–15) incorporates apartments, shops, restaurants and Museum Rotterdam. Often described as a 'floating cloud'…
Leiden
Leiden's landmark tower windmill – built in 1743 and now a museum – is considered one of the best examples of its kind. Its arms still occasionally rotate…
Rotterdam
One of the few city-centre buildings to emerge unscathed after the WWII bombardments, this grandiose building designed by HJ Evers was constructed between…
Rotterdam
Designed by celebrated architect Renzo Piano and opened in 2000, the bizarre KPN Telecom headquarters building leans at a sharp angle, seemingly resting…
Rotterdam
The most used – and quite possibly best loved – building in Rotterdam, Centraal Station was designed by Benthem Crouwel, MVSA and West 8. Built between…
Leiden
Built in 1667 by Willem van der Helm, this grand stone edifice at Leiden's eastern edge is one of only two surviving city gates (there were originally…
Den Haag
Designed by US architect Richard Meier and completed in 1995, this often-maligned, huge, blindingly white building is usually referred to as the 'Ice…
Rotterdam
Designed by Hugh Maaskant and Willem van Tijen in the post-war reconstruction period and completed in 1952, this building has recently been restored and…
Leiden
This 11th-century citadel on a motte (raised earthwork) surrendered its protective function as the city grew around it and subsequently fell into…
Leiden
This museum houses the first T-Rex skeleton in Europe. Its sections span botany, geology, entomology (insects), invertebrates, vertebrates and…
Rotterdam
Dating from 1897–98, Europe's first 'skyscraper', the 11-storey, 45m-high Witte Huis, was designed by Willem Molenbroek in art-nouveau style using load…
Leiden
The Netherlands' oldest university was a gift to Leiden from Willem the Silent in 1575 for withstanding two Spanish sieges in 1573 and 1574. The campus…
Leiden
One of two still-standing historic city gates (there were originally eight), the Morspoort was built in 1669 to a design by Willem van der Helm, who also…
Leiden
Leiden's most famous son is celebrated at this 17th-century house where he learned his craft between 1606 and 1630, studying in the studio of Jacob van…
Delft
One of the largest historic market squares in Europe, the rectangular Markt was first paved in the late 15th century. It is edged by the town hall, Nieuwe…
Den Haag
The king's and queen's official quarters at Paleis Noordeinde is not open to the public. The Renaissance formality of the structure is fittingly regal,…
Den Haag
The long sandy beach at Scheveningen attracts nine million visitors per year. Though the water and sand are clean, the beach is heavily developed, with…
