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South Holland

Home to two of the country's major cities – Rotterdam and Den Haag – and to many of its prettiest and most historic towns, Zuid-Holland (South Holland) is popular with domestic and international tourists alike. Along with the provinces of Noord-Holland (North Holland) and Utrecht, it is part of the Randstad, the economic and population heart of the Netherlands. Known for its architecture, museums, sandy beaches and bird-filled national parks, it is a region that richly rewards those who visit.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout South Holland.

  • See

    Van Nelle Fabriek

    Designed and built between 1925 and 1931, this modernist World Heritage–listed factory northwest of the city centre is an icon of 20th-century industrial architecture. Often described as a 'glass palace' (it's largely constructed of steel and glass), it functioned as a state-of-the-art coffee, tea and tobacco factory until the 1990s and now houses creative industries. Though closed to the public, the factory sometimes offers guided tours on weekends at 1pm (adult/child under 13 years €8.50/5); check the factory website for details. Urban Guides also runs one-hour guided tours (€15 per person) at noon on most Saturdays and Sundays (book ahead). The Urban Guides tours have access to some, but not all, parts of the factory, peeking into the management building and then crossing to the factory's electricity plant (the second built in Rotterdam) on one of the building's distinctive diagonal bridges. The tour ends in the tobacco factory, which has light-drenched spaces where workers toiled, twin stairways (one each for male and female workers, so as to prevent fraternisation) and a large cafeteria. At the time of research, architecture-focused De Rotterdam Tours was considering adding a dedicated tour of the factory to its program. An on-site information centre at the factory is scheduled to open in November 2018. The orange-and-blue low bunker to the east of the factory is the De Schie Penitentiary, designed by CJM Weeber and constructed between 1985 and 1989. Its startlingly vivid colour scheme is in stark contrast to its dark function.

  • See

    Mauritshuis

    Offering a wonderful introduction to Dutch and Flemish art, this splendid museum is set in a 17th-century mansion built for wealthy sugar trader Johan Maurits. It became a museum housing the Royal Picture Collection in 1822, and acquired a swish modern wing in 2012–14. The 800-strong collection of paintings focuses on works created between the 15th and 18th centuries. It includes masterpieces such as Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring (c1665) and Rembrandt's intriguing The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp (1632). The list of artists represented in the collection is formidable: in addition to works by Vermeer and Rembrandt, there are multiple pieces by Anthony van Dyke, Rubens, Jan Brueghel I, Hans Holbein II, Hals and Steen. Don't miss Van der Weyden's The Lamentation of Christ (c1460–64), Fabritius' The Goldfinch (1654) and Vermeer's View of Delft (c1660–61), the most famous cityscape of the Dutch Golden Age. Audiotour hire costs €3.50, but there is also a free multimedia smart tour downloadable through the Apple Store and Google Play. The cafe and gift shop in the new wing are both very good. Your ticket includes entry to Galerij Prins Willem V.

  • See

    Museum Boijmans van Beuningen

    The roll-call of artists represented in the collection of Rotterdam's pre-eminent fine-arts museum is stellar and spans multiple periods and movements: Rubens, Rembrandt, Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, Picasso, Degas, Miró, Bacon and many other luminaries are represented. Highlights include Jan van Eyck's The Three Marys at the Tomb (1425–35), Hieronymus Bosch's The Pedlar (c1500), Lucas Cranach's Portrait of Desiderius Erasmus (c1530–36) and Pieter Brueghel the Elder's Tower of Babel (c1568). The design galleries on the ground floor are well worth browsing, too. The museum's Babel Restaurant occupies a glass pavilion overlooking the sculpture garden and is an excellent place to enjoy lunch. There's also an espresso bar near the entrance.

  • See

    Escher in Het Paleis

    Once home to members of the Dutch royal family, the 18th-century Lange Voorhout Palace now houses a collection of the work of Dutch graphic artist MC Escher (1898–1972). The permanent exhibition features notes, letters, photos and plenty of woodcuts and lithographs from various points of his career, including everything from the early realism to the later phantasmagoria. All are fascinating exercises in the blending of different perspectives, and the conjunction of mathematical rules and artistic subject matter. A video presentation about the artist and his work gives useful context, and there are a number of multimedia exhibits including the (paid) opportunity to be photographed in Escher simulations. Note that the Museumkaart is not accepted here.

  • See

    Huis Sonneveld

    When company director Albertus Sonneveld decided to commission an architect to design a contemporary home for his family, the obvious choice was Leendert van der Vlugt, who had designed the magnificent Van Nelle Factory. Working with Johannes Brinkman, Van der Vlugt designed a streamlined, state-of-the-art building that was hailed as an outstanding example of Dutch Functionalism as soon as its construction was completed in 1933. Replete with original fittings and furniture, it can now be visited with a fascinating audiotour. This is an impressive house museum enhanced by an extremely informative multilanguage audiotour that discusses the history of the building and its occupants, and offers plenty of opportunities to drill down into facts about furnishings, appliances and building techniques. Walking through the house, it is easy to imagine what life must have been like for the Sonneveld family and their servants. Tickets include entry to the nearby Het Nieuwe Instituut (and vice versa).

  • See

    Museum Rotterdam '40-'45 NU

    Good things often come in small packages, and so it is with this small but excellent museum sheltered under a bridge on the Coolhaven. An eight-minute immersive multimedia experience outlines the terror and destruction caused by the bombing of Rotterdam on 14 May 1940, when 54 German aircraft dropped 1300 bombs on the city over a 13-minute period. Artefact-driven displays focus on all aspects of the wartime experience, interspersing tales of optimism and bravery among many sad stories. Topics addressed in the well-labelled displays include the great fire that followed the bombing, the treatment of Rotterdam's Jewish community, the equally destructive Allied bombings of 1943 and the liberation of the city by Canadian troops on 8 May 1945. A thought-provoking and depressing display in the foyer reminds visitors that many other cities have undergone experiences such as Rotterdam's in recent times. During Dutch school holidays, the museum is open 10am to 5pm Tuesday to Friday as well as weekends; check the website for holiday dates.

  • See

    Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

    Home to the Rijksmuseum's collection of Greek, Etruscan, Roman and Egyptian artefacts, this museum is best known for its Egyptian halls, which include the reconstructed Temple of Taffeh, a gift from Anwar Sadat to the Netherlands for helping to save ancient Egyptian monuments from flood. Other Egyptian exhibits include mastabas from Saqqara and a room of mummy cases. First-floor galleries are replete with Greek, Etruscan and Roman statuary and vases, as well as treasures from the ancient Near East. Second-floor galleries profile the Netherlands during Roman times and give an overview of 300,000 years of Dutch archaeological history. An English-language sound-and-light show is staged at the Temple of Taffeh daily at 1.30pm.

  • See

    Museum De Lakenhal

    Leiden's foremost museum reopened in 2019 following a three-year renovation. Its 1640-built premises (a former cloth warehouse) again displays its exceptional permanent art and history collection. Adjoining it, a striking new building hosts temporary exhibitions. The museum's masterpieces include The Spectacles Pedlar by the city's native son Rembrandt, The Astronomer by Gerrit Dou (Rembrandt's first student), Playing Couple by Jan Steen, and The Last Judgement by Lucas van Leyden, Hour-long guided tours in English at 2pm on Sundays are free.

  • See

    Museum Volkenkunde

    Cultural achievements by civilisations worldwide are showcased at this splendid museum, which has a collection of more than 300,000 artefacts from across the globe. Permanent galleries are dedicated to the cultures of Africa, the Arctic and North America, Asia, Central and South America, China, Indonesia, Japan and Korea, and Oceania. Highlights include the atmospherically lit Buddha Room next to the Japan and Korea section and the 'Mountain of the Immortals' carving in the China section. Temporary exhibitions are also impressive.