Four fantastic cities to visit in The Netherlands

Our driving route in The Netherlands was inspired by a river cruise route

We are not ready for a river cruise and we want to see some of the smaller towns in Holland so we decided to drive part of the route on our way to Luxemburg parallel to the river route.

Our arrival was through Belgium. We had collected our car in Paris and made our way through northwestern France, Belgium and into The Netherlands for six days.

Not wanting to spend all our time in the bigger cities, we had researched some smaller towns to stop and spend time in:

• Kinderdijk
• Amersfoort
• Thorn; and
• Maastricht

Kinderdijk

Kinderdijk arrived on our list while we were deciding our first stop on the way to Amsterdam. A dull day was instantly brightened by the pretty towns and villages of southern Holland. Doorsteps were brimming pots filled with colourful flowers, as were the gardens.

Cyclists were ambling along the bicycle paths along the banks of waterways and along trails among the dykes. A small space in between some houses gave us our first glimpse. Not one, but half a dozen traditional windmills dotted around the countryside.

Rounding the corner past the village that we saw the extent of the complex. Nineteen working windmills set a typical postcard scene of the Dutch countryside.

On a cloudy afternoon, there were many visitors like us at the UNESCO World Heritage site. There are now pathways to walk or cycle for a close up look at the windmills and learn how the Netherlands has used them to drain their soil for habitation and cultivation for over a thousand years and the important part they still play today in a country where so much of the land is below sea level.

We recommend a visit to see these icons whether it be a day trip from Amsterdam or Rotterdam. Kinderdijk is 100km from Amsterdam and 25km from Rotterdam.

Amersfoort

Amersfoort in central Holland has a quaint Old Town. Surrounded by a circular network of canals, we found the Old Town full of medieval buildings, small canals and alleyways opening into squares. It was easy to walk around and relatively people free during our visit. After the maddening crowds of Amsterdam, it was pleasant to take ourselves away from the tourist track and step back in time. There are several significant museums in the city, however, we were happy to wander and take in the atmosphere of the Old Town at our leisure.

Make a stop if you are driving from Amsterdam to Utrecht or further on.

Thorn

Located in southern Holland, many come to see the extraordinary little “white town” of Thorn and to bicycle along the canals and around the town’s countryside. It was a sunny day, which made the whitewashed houses of Thorn even more impressive.

Most of the visitors were Dutch which made it even more special for us. Not a tour bus or group in sight. We were chuffed to have found this exclusive place which wasn’t overcrowded with tourists.

The town is not just scenic. It has a rich history back to the 10^th century and, there is a story about why the houses are white. A beautiful abbey, established as a monastery for noblewomen is a centre point for the town and a wander down a tree-lined path at the end of the town takes you past country homes to a waterway lookout.

Maastricht

We added Maastricht to our itinerary in the early stages of planning. The city appears on a number of river cruise itineraries.

Not only does the city have a history which dates back to the Neanderthals, but it also holds a place in modern history; the signing of the Maastricht Treaty in the city in 1992 lead to the creation of the European Union.

We put aside a couple of full days to stay and explore. The city was easy to walk around, we did not see any tour buses or groups during our stay and, not a riverboat came into sight on our walks along the riverbanks. We strolled through the town, along the narrow streets and squares on both sides of the Maas River while locals went about the daily business. There was plenty of people-watching and a walking tour with a local Greeter provided us with an insight into the history behind the churches, historic buildings and life in one of the oldest cities in Holland.

It was definitely worth stopping to stay than merely passing through on a day visit.

Interested in including one or more of these cities on your itinerary? Look for more in-depth blogs on each city with our recommendations on what to see and do. Coming soon.