Netherlands

Places in Netherlands

• 's-Hertogenbosch

  Den Bosch is a charming medieval city with a well-preserved centre, Saint John's Cathedral, and unique subterranean canal boat tours. It offers a more relaxed alternative to Amsterdam's crowds, with excellent shopping, dining, and nearby natural areas.

  Atlas entry

• Alkmaar

  Alkmaar is a historic city in the Province of North Holland, about 10 km inland from the coast, and 40 km north-west of Amsterdam. The city center preserves the 17th-century pattern of canals and narrow streets, and has many historic buildings.

  Atlas entry

• Almere

  Almere is the largest city in the Netherlands' youngest province, Flevoland, built on reclaimed land. It lacks historic buildings but offers affordable housing near Amsterdam, a youthful population, and modern architecture from a blank canvas.

  Atlas entry

• Alphen aan den Rijn

  Alphen aan den Rijn is a historic Dutch town on the Old Rhine with 2000 years of continuous habitation. The town is situated in the Green Heart of the Randstad, within a half-hour drive of Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, and The Hague, making it an accessible side trip for those exploring the western Netherlands.

  Atlas entry

• Ameland

  Ameland is the most easterly of the inhabited West Frisian Islands off the Netherlands coast, offering 22 km of sandy beaches, historic lighthouses, and a slower pace of life. About 3,600 permanent residents work largely in tourism, creating a welcoming atmosphere.

  Atlas entry

• Amersfoort

  Amersfoort is a medieval city east of Amsterdam and Utrecht, offering a well-preserved historic centre full of historic buildings and streets. It is less crowded than the capital, with accessible forests to the west and south, making it a pleasant base for exploring the region.

  Atlas entry

• Amstelveen

  Amstelveen is a green suburb of Amsterdam, named 'Most attractive city of the Netherlands' in 2003 for its safety, accessibility, and cultural richness. The town offers museums like the Cobra Museum of Modern Art, the vast Amsterdamse Bos forest, and windmill restaurants — all while being just a 30-minute tram ride from Amsterdam Centraal.

  Atlas entry

• Amsterdam

  Amsterdam combines canals and distinctive architecture with museums and art galleries. Its red light district adds another side to the Dutch capital.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$169

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Apeldoorn

  Apeldoorn is a city with a royal touch, famous for its palace and beautiful gardens. It lies on the edge of National Park the Veluwe, and is an excellent base to explore this region's lush natural surroundings.

  Atlas entry

• Appingedam

  Appingedam is a charming small city in Groningen province with just over 12,000 inhabitants. It is one of the main tourist destinations in the northern Netherlands, known for its remarkable medieval façades and the famous 'hanging kitchens' protruding from buildings above the Damsterdiep canal.

  Atlas entry

• Arnhem

  Arnhem, capital of Gelderland, sits on the Nederrijn and Sint-Jansbeek rivers. It offers a mix of World War II history (Battle of Arnhem), world-class museums like Burgers' Zoo and the Openluchtmuseum, and easy access to the Hoge Veluwe National Park.

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• Asten

  Asten is a small town in the Peel Region of North Brabant, Netherlands. It serves as a quiet local center with the Museum Klok & Peel showcasing regional heritage.

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• Baarle

  Baarle is one of the world's most complex border puzzles: a village of 9,200 people split between Belgium and the Netherlands, with 22 Belgian enclaves scattered across Dutch territory—and inside those enclaves, 7 more Dutch enclaves. The border runs through houses, cafes, and even the Cultural Centre.

  Atlas entry

• Barneveld

  Barneveld is a modest market town in the Veluwe region of Gelderland, known throughout the Netherlands for its poultry farming and egg production. The town lends its name to the Barnevelder chicken breed, a docile bird famous for laying dark brown eggs.

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• Bergen op Zoom

  Bergen op Zoom is a historic city of about 66,000 inhabitants in North Brabant, positioned between Rotterdam and Antwerp. The city is known for its monumental architecture, including the only remaining medieval city gate in the Netherlands, the Gevangenpoort, and Hotel De Draak—claimed to be the oldest hotel in the country.

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• Bergen, North Holland

  Bergen is an artist village and upper-income suburb in North Holland, popular among travellers for its seaside beaches and dunes. The village has been known as an artists colony since 1900, and in the 1920s-1930s the Bergen School of painters developed here.

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• Biesbosch National Park

  The Biesbosch is one of the last remaining freshwater tide wetlands in Europe, a rare habitat where rivers and creeks weave through reed fields, willow forests, and moist grasslands. The park is a sanctuary for waterfowl, migrating geese, and a thriving beaver population reintroduced between 1988 and 1992.

  Atlas entry

• Bourtange

  Bourtange is one of Europe's best-preserved star forts, a five-sided bastion built in 1592 during William I of Orange's campaign against Spanish control of Groningen. The entire village sits within the fort walls and has been meticulously restored to its mid-18th century appearance, making it feel frozen in 1782.

  Atlas entry

• Breda

  Breda is a city of 190,000 people in the Dutch province of North Brabant, with a long history as a military stronghold. The Dutch Military Academy resides in the Castle of Breda in the centre of the old town.

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• Brielle

  Brielle is one of the best-preserved fortified towns in the Netherlands, with its star-shaped defensive walls and canals changing little since their construction in 1713. The town played a crucial role in the Eighty Years' War—the Capture of Brielle by the Watergeuzen (Sea Beggars) on April 1, 1572, sparked the massive Dutch uprising against Spain.

  Atlas entry

• Bronckhorst

  Bronckhorst is a spacious rural municipality in the Achterhoek region of Gelderland, created in 2005 by merging five former municipalities. While the municipality itself is young, its component villages like Bronkhorst (the smallest city in the Netherlands), Laag-Keppel, Vorden, Hummelo, and Zelhem offer centuries of history, historic castles, and traditional Dutch countryside landscapes.

  Atlas entry

• Bunnik

  Bunnik is a small town in the southeast of Utrecht province, population 15,000 (2019), offering a slower pace than nearby Utrecht city. The main draws are its surrounding nature—forests, farmlands, and the Kromme Rijn river—and the fortresses of the Hollandic Water Line: Fort bij Vechten and Fort bij Rhijnauwen.

  Atlas entry

• Cuijk

  Cuijk is a modest town along the Maas (Meuse) River in North Brabant, offering a handful of historic churches, a former monastery complex, and small-scale museums. The surrounding Peel region provides nature reserves and lakes for day-trippers seeking quiet outdoor time away from larger Dutch cities.

  Atlas entry

• Culemborg

  Culemborg is a compact historic town in the Rivierenland region of Gelderland, granted city rights in 1315. The town sits on the border between Gelderland and Utrecht provinces, just south of the river Lek.

  Atlas entry

• Delft

  Canals, bicycles and traditional architecture shape a visit to Delft. Its blue-and-white ceramics provide a distinctive thread for exploring local craft.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$109

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Delfzijl

  Delfzijl is a small harbour city in the northeastern Groningen Province with about 20,000 residents. It's not a major tourist destination in normal years, but it comes alive during the quinquennial DelfSail festival when almost a million visitors flock to see historic and modern ships from around the world.

  Atlas entry

• Deurne

  Deurne is a modest Dutch town in eastern North Brabant with around 32,000 residents. It serves as a gateway to the Peel (Peel) nature reserves, offering a slower pace than major Dutch cities.

  Atlas entry

• Deventer

  Deventer is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, a former Hanseatic League member on the river IJssel. It boasts a rich collection of heritage including the country's oldest brick house (1130 AD), the oldest park (De Worp), and the oldest academic library.

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• Doesburg

  Doesburg is one of the seven Dutch Hanseatic cities along the river IJssel, offering a compact, well-preserved historic center. The city gained city rights in 1237 and was once the economic capital of the Doesburg Quarter.

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• Doetinchem

  Doetinchem is a mid-sized Dutch city of 45,000 people in the Achterhoek region of Gelderland, positioned along the Oude IJssel river. The city offers a compact historic centre with surviving buildings from pre-WWII, several museums, two castles, and a functioning windmill.

  Atlas entry

• Dordrecht

  Dordrecht is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, growing wealthy on its strategic position at a river confluence with important commercial, military and private boat building. It hosted the historic Synod of Dordrecht and escaped much of the WWII destruction that devastated other Dutch cities.

  Atlas entry

• Drenthse Veenkoloniën

  The Drenthse Veenkoloniën (Drenthe Peat Colonies) offer a rare window into an early 19th-century social experiment. The Society for Benevolence (Maatschappij voor Weldadigheid) founded these colonies between 1818 and 1911 to resettle impoverished Dutch families on orderly plots of land.

  Atlas entry

• Dronten

  Dronten is a rural municipality in Flevoland province, offering a peaceful counterpoint to the nearby Randstad cities. Families can enjoy Walibi Holland theme park, while history enthusiasts can explore the Swifterbant culture artifacts dating to 5300-3400 BC.

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• Edam

  Edam is a small historic Dutch town of about 7,500 inhabitants in North Holland, chartered since 1357, renowned worldwide for its namesake cheese. Located 20 km northeast of Amsterdam on the IJsselmeer, it offers a charming canalside center with monumental houses, historic churches, and a traditional weekly cheese market held July-August on Wednesdays.

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• Ede

  Ede serves as an ideal base for exploring the Veluwe region, particularly Hoge Veluwe National Park, which begins at a stone's throw from town. The town itself is a mid-sized Dutch settlement of 116,000 people (2019) surrounded by forests and farmlands dotted with villages.

  Atlas entry

• Efteling

  Efteling is the largest theme park in the Benelux and one of Europe's most-visited, drawing four million visitors annually to its fairy tale-themed attractions. Unlike purely thrill-focused parks, Efteling appeals to all ages with its cultural, romantic, and nostalgic atmosphere rooted in artist Anton Pieck's distinctive Dutch style.

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• Eindhoven

  Eindhoven is a major city in North Brabant, Netherlands' fifth-largest. Its history is dominated by Philips and DAF, now a technology hub and design capital.

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• Elburg

  Elburg is a small fortified city rebuilt between 1292 and 1296 in Gelderland, retaining its original straight street plan, moat, and city wall—a rare example of medieval urban planning in the Netherlands. Its compact historic center makes it walkable in an hour, but the museums and waterfront harbor reward a half-day visit.

  Atlas entry

• Emmen

  Emmen is the largest city in Drenthe province, though it坦白承认not a particularly interesting destination for most travellers. Its primary claim to fame is Wildlands zoo, the biggest in the Northern Netherlands, which draws families from across the region.

  Atlas entry

• Enkhuizen

  Enkhuizen is one of the best-preserved historic Dutch harbour towns from the Golden Age, with 370 listed heritage buildings in a town of just 18,500 residents. The city gained city rights in 1355 and flourished as a major VOC trading harbour, reaching a peak population of 25,000 around 1650 before declining due to wars with England, silting of its waters, and the rise of Amsterdam.

  Atlas entry

• Enschede

  Enschede is the largest city in the Twente region of Overijssel, a former textile hub that has reinvented itself after a devastating fireworks disaster in 2000. Today it boasts striking contemporary architecture—especially in the Roombeek neighborhood—alongside a lively nightlife around Oude Markt, extensive shopping, and easy access to nature.

  Atlas entry

• Epen

  Epen draws visitors seeking South Limburg's finest scenery—rolling meadows, dense forests, and the winding river Geul. The village's 740 residents (1,120 including surroundings) maintain a charming core of timber-framed houses, many listed as national monuments.

  Atlas entry

• Franeker

  Franeker is a compact historic city in Friesland, best known for housing the world's oldest still-operational planetarium. Its old centre is surrounded by canals dating to medieval times, with a handful of small museums and a quaint provincial atmosphere.

  Atlas entry

• Geldrop

  Geldrop is a town of 29,000 people in North Brabant, Netherlands, located at easy biking distance from Eindhoven but mostly surrounded by heathlands and forest. With over 280,000 overnight stays annually, it hosts far more visitors than expected for its size.

  Atlas entry

• Geleen

  Geleen is one of the major towns in South Limburg, but the article explicitly states it is mostly an industrial city with limited interest to average travelers. Its appeal lies primarily in its proximity to more attractive destinations like Sittard, Maastricht, and the German and Belgian borders.

  Atlas entry

• Goes

  Goes is a modest city of 38,000 in Zeeland province, the only urban center on the former island of Zuid-Beveland. It offers a relaxed alternative to the larger Dutch cities—walkable streets, a compact historic core around the Grote Markt, and access to cycling routes through the flat Zeeland countryside.

  Atlas entry

• Gorinchem

  Gorinchem is a small fortified town in South Holland's Groene Hart region that has largely escaped mass tourism. The historic town center retains its 14th-century character with seven gates and 23 towers, while the surrounding flat polder landscape offers excellent cycling through windmill-dotted countryside of rivers and dikes.

  Atlas entry

• Gouda

  Gouda is known for cheese and syrup waffles. Candles and clay pipes add a craft tradition to its food identity.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$123

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Grave

  Grave is a compact fortified city along the Meuse River in North Brabant,pronounce d as an 'ah' sound. It stands out for its exceptional density of Rijksmonumenten (National monuments) — roughly 43 per square kilometer across its 3 km² area — making it rewarding for heritage enthusiasts.

  Atlas entry

• Groningen

  Groningen pairs a lively student atmosphere with historic heritage. Bike-friendly streets lead through a city known for the Martini Tower.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$116

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Gulpen

  Gulpen has a small centre that is easy to explore on foot. A bike or car helps you reach the surrounding hill country.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$113

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Haaksbergen

  Haaksbergen is a small historic town in the Achterhoek region of Overijssel, offering a glimpse into Dutch rural life away from major tourist routes. The town dates to 800 AD and was historically connected to Hanseatic cities.

  Atlas entry

• Haarlem

  Haarlem offers historic Dutch charm at a slower pace than Amsterdam. It is an alternative for travelers seeking a quieter city stay.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$137

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Harderwijk

  Harderwijk is a small historic Dutch town on the Veluwemeer lake, most famous for housing the Dolfinarium, the largest marine mammal park in Europe. The town makes for an easy day trip from Amsterdam or as a stopover when exploring the Veluwe region, offering a glimpse into Dutch medieval history as a former Hanseatic League member.

  Atlas entry

• Harlingen

  Harlingen is one of the eleven Frisian cities but the least Frisian in character—few residents speak Frisian as their mother tongue. This quaint port town gained its fortune through fishing and trade, and today commercial boating routes still leave for Scandinavia.

  Atlas entry

• Heerenveen

  Heerenveen is the sports capital of the Northern Netherlands, best known for the Thialf stadium — the largest indoor ice skating arena in the country and host to major international tournaments. Beyond sports, the town offers historic canals, scenic cycling routes through the Frisian Lakes district, and regional shopping.

  Atlas entry

• Heerlen

  Heerlen is a city in South Limburg in the southeast of the Netherlands. In Roman times, it was a settlement named Coriovallum, which hosted a bathhouse, now the Thermenmuseum.

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• Helmond

  Helmond is the fifth-largest city in North Brabant, offering a quieter alternative to Eindhoven or Den Bosch. The city is notable for its industrial heritage in metal and textiles, distinctive cube houses designed by Piet Blom, and the well-preserved 14th-century Helmond Castle.

  Atlas entry

• Hilversum

  Hilversum is a green city on hilly sand soil between Amsterdam and Utrecht, offering forests, heathland, and modern architecture. It's known as the 'media city' and is a relaxing day off from urban mayhem.

  Atlas entry

• Hindeloopen

  Hindeloopen is one of the eleven historic Frisian cities, granted city rights in 1225. The small town of 900 residents preserves colorful captain houses from its 17th-18th century golden age as a Hanseatic trading port.

  Atlas entry

• Hoensbroek

  Hoensbroek exists primarily as a showcase for one of the Netherlands' most impressive castles. Kasteel Hoensbroek, with its towers and water-filled moat, dates to the mid-13th century and offers museum tours, sword-fighting workshops, and seasonal sand sculpture festivals.

  Atlas entry

• Hoge Veluwe National Park

  Hoge Veluwe National Park covers 55 km² of Dutch heathland, sand dunes, and forests, making it one of the Netherlands' largest and most diverse protected areas. The park stands out for its free White Bikes (Witte Fietsen), the exceptional Kröller-Müller Museum with the world's second-largest Van Gogh collection, and architecturally significant St.

  Atlas entry

• Hoorn

  Hoorn is a compact historic Dutch city that served as a major trading hub during the 16th and 17th centuries, rivaling Amsterdam in its heyday as part of the Dutch East India Company. The old city centre features well-preserved merchant houses dating from the Dutch Golden Age, with ornate gables and step-gabled facades lining the harbour.

  Atlas entry

• Hulst

  Hulst is one of the finest and best-preserved historic fortified cities in the Netherlands, with entirely intact fortifications and a moat surrounding the old town. The city promotes itself as the 'most Flemish city' in the Netherlands due to its proximity to Belgium (just 3 km away), and Flemish flags can be seen around town.

  Atlas entry

• IJsselstein

  IJsselstein is a compact historic city in Utrecht province that makes for an easy half-day or full-day excursion from Utrecht. The city centers on the remains of IJsselstein Castle, features a protected old town with a moat-like canal called the Stadsgracht, and includes a rare 18th-century windmill.

  Atlas entry

• Katwijk

  Katwijk is a small Dutch seaside town on the North Sea coast where day-trippers from Leiden and The Hague come for the beach. The municipality merges five districts — Katwijk aan Zee (the beachfront fisherman's town), Katwijk aan den Rijn (the agricultural inland side), Valkenburg, Rijnsburg, and Katwijk-Noord — into one community of roughly 65,000 people.

  Atlas entry

• Kerkrade

  Kerkrade is a former coal mining town in South Limburg that has reinvented itself with cultural attractions. The 900-year-old Rolduc Abbey and Gaia Park zoo draw visitors, while the city's location near Dutch, German, and Belgian borders makes it a gateway to tri-national exploration.

  Atlas entry

• Landgraaf

  Landgraaf is a Dutch city of 38,000 people in South Limburg, famous for hosting Pinkpop, claimed to be the world's longest-running pop festival. Its main claim to fame is Snowworld, one of the largest indoor ski resorts in Europe, allowing visitors to ski year-round regardless of weather.

  Atlas entry

• Leeuwarden

  Leeuwarden is the capital of Friesland province in the north of the Netherlands, often overlooked by visitors despite being just a 90-minute drive from Amsterdam via the Afsluitdijk. The city was honoured as a European Capital of Culture in 2018 alongside Valletta, giving it a refreshed cultural infrastructure.

  Atlas entry

• Leiden

  Leiden is a university town with a strong student presence. Its university, founded in 1575, anchors the city's identity.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$145

  Best months

  Apr–Sep

• Leidschendam-Voorburg

  Leidschendam-Voorburg serves as a quieter, more affordable suburban alternative to The Hague, with two distinct historic centers connected by the scenic De Vliet canal. Visitors seeking a break from capital-city intensity can explore 17th-century architecture, relaxed parks like Rust en Vreugd, and bird-watching at the Starrevaart vogelplas without tourist crowds.

  Atlas entry

• Lelystad

  Lelystad is a young city—its land was ocean floor at the bottom of the Zuiderzee until the 20th century. While the town centre is considered unremarkable compared to Almere, the outskirts hold surprisingly worthwhile attractions: the Aviodrome aviation museum, the Bataviawerf replica 17th-century shipyard, and vast wetlands for birdwatching.

  Atlas entry

• Lisse

  Lisse is a small Dutch town in the Bollenstreek region of South Holland, famous worldwide for hosting the Keukenhof flower exhibition. The park spreads over 32 hectares showcasing not just tulips but also hyacinths, daffodils, and other spring flowers.

  Atlas entry

• Lochem

  Lochem is one of the oldest settlements in the Achterhoek region, with documented church presence dating to 900 AD and city status since 1233. The historic centre features houses from the 1630s and remnants of medieval fortifications including two moats and a city wall.

  Atlas entry

• Maassluis

  Maassluis is a preserved Dutch port town in South Holland whose city centre has barely changed in over a century. Founded around 1340 at a lock on the Meuse River (Maas-sluis means lock on the Meuse), the town retains its maritime character through historic canals, the Groote Kerk church, and the Nationaal Sleepvaartmuseum showcasing its towing heritage.

  Atlas entry

• Maastricht

  The Maas runs through Maastricht beside a historic cobblestoned centre. Cathedrals and old buildings give city walks an architectural focus.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$109

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Meppel

  Meppel is a compact Dutch city of 32,000 residents in southern Drenthe, offering a rare combination of working harbour access and peaceful rural landscapes. The city draws visitors primarily for its annual Grachtenfestival and Donderdag Meppeldagen events, as well as its role as a gateway to the canal village of Giethoorn.

  Atlas entry

• Middelburg, Zeeland

  Middelburg served as one of the most important trading cities in the Dutch Golden Age and retains over 1100 national monuments, making it a top-ten Dutch heritage site. The city is encircled by a 16th-century star-shaped canal ring lined with boats and cycleways, centered on the ornate former Town Hall overlooking Market Square.

  Atlas entry

• Monnickendam

  Monnickendam is a small historic town of about 10,000 inhabitants in the Zaanstreek-Waterland region of North Holland, located just 20 km northeast of Amsterdam. The town received city rights in 1355 and prospered during the 16th century through cheese production, fish smoking, and shipbuilding.

  Atlas entry

• Muiden

  Muiden is a compact historic Dutch town of approximately 7,200 people on the IJmeer at the mouth of the Vecht river. The town is best known for the Muiderslot, a 13th-century castle that can be toured, and its yacht harbour where boats pass through the historic sea lock.

  Atlas entry

• Naarden

  Naarden is one of Europe’s best-preserved fortified towns, famous for its spectacular star-shaped 17th-century bastions visible from the air and on satellite imagery. The historic walled town centre has retained its original character with monumental buildings and Dutch heritage.

  Atlas entry

• Nijmegen

  Nijmegen stakes a claim as the oldest city in the Netherlands, with roots stretching back to 2005 when it celebrated its 2000th birthday. The city draws hiking enthusiasts from around the world with its annual International Four Day Marches, the largest multi-day walking event globally, attracting over 42,000 participants and a million visitors.

  Atlas entry

• Noordwijk

  Noordwijk is a coastal resort town of 44,000 people in South Holland, split between touristy Noordwijk aan Zee with its beaches and shopping, and historic Noordwijk Binnen inland. The town offers wide North Sea beaches, sand dunes for cycling, and serves as a quieter alternative to busier Dutch coastal destinations like Zandvoort.

  Atlas entry

• Oosterbeek

  Oosterbeek is a small Dutch town that serves as a living memorial to Operation Market Garden and the Battle of Arnhem (1944). Just west of Arnhem, it offers the Airborne Museum in the former British headquarters, one of the Netherlands' largest WWII military cemeteries, and access to forested estates perfect for hiking and cycling.

  Atlas entry

• Oss

  Oss is a working Dutch city in North Brabant that offers a window into provincial Netherlands away from tourist crowds. The city has a remarkable 2,000-year history, with castle ruins from 1375 and city rights dating to 1399.

  Atlas entry

• Oudewater

  Oudewater is a compact, picturesque Dutch town with 120 registered monuments and a rich rope-making heritage from the 16th-17th centuries. Located in the "Green Heart" between Utrecht and Gouda, it offers a peaceful alternative to larger cities, with wandering around the market square and historic streets being the main attractions.

  Atlas entry

• Partij-Wittem

  Partij-Wittem is a tiny village with two hamlets straddling the river Geul in South Limburg's southernmost reaches. Its main draws are the 13th-century Wittem Castle (now an upscale hotel) and the Redemptorist monastery, a pilgrimage destination honoring Saint Gerard Majella where the monks brew their own Gerardus Kloosterbier.

  Atlas entry

• Rhenen

  Rhenen is a compact city of 20,000 people in Utrecht province, best known for Ouwehands Dierenpark—one of the Netherlands' most popular zoos—and the solemn Grebbeberg military war cemetery. The city offers a quieter, more manageable alternative to larger Dutch cities while still delivering major attractions, including Europe's largest barnacle aquarium and two giant pandas on loan from China since 2017.

  Atlas entry

• Roermond

  Roermond attracts 3.75 million visitors annually to its McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Centre with 120 shops, making it the second most visited attraction in the Netherlands. The protected city centre preserves monuments from its 1231 city charter and 1559 diocese establishment, featuring churches, historic city hall, and monumental houses.

  Atlas entry

• Rotterdam

  Rotterdam is a showcase for daring modern architecture. Its working-port atmosphere gives city exploration a maritime edge.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$131

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park

  The Sallandse Heuvelrug is one of the few places in the flat Netherlands where the horizon breaks from a straight line. At up to 75.5m above sea level, these hills provide a rare sense of elevation in a country famous for its flatness.

  Atlas entry

• Schagen

  Schagen offers a taste of authentic North Holland life away from the tourist crowds of Amsterdam. The municipality includes Callantsoog, a beach-side town with wide sandy beaches.

  Atlas entry

• Schiedam

  Schiedam is a historic Dutch city in South-Holland, part of the Rotterdam metropolitan area, best known for its jenever (Dutch gin), charming canals, and the world's tallest old windmills. The compact historic centre offers a slower pace than Rotterdam while being just minutes away by metro.

  Atlas entry

• Schiermonnikoog

  Schiermonnikoog is the smallest and least populated of the West Frisian Islands, with fewer than 1,000 permanent inhabitants. What it lacks in size it makes up for in tranquility: over half the island is a national park, cars are completely banned, and the main sounds are wind, bird calls, and bike bells.

  Atlas entry

• Simpelveld

  Simpelveld is a base for heritage steam-train rides through South Limburg. Its monastery museum adds another strand to the town's history.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$126

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Sittard

  Sittard is a compact city in the southernmost Dutch province of Limburg, offering a slower pace than major Dutch cities with a charming historic center filled with churches, half-timbered houses, and remnants of medieval city walls. The city makes an ideal stop for travelers moving between the Netherlands and Germany, or as a base for exploring the rolling hills of South Limburg.

  Atlas entry

• Sluis

  Sluis is a small historic city in Zeelandic Flanders that makes for an ideal day trip from nearby Bruges or as a stop between the Netherlands and Belgium. Despite being largely destroyed by Allied bombs at the end of WWII, the city was nicely rebuilt and retains its medieval belfry (the only one in the Netherlands), a 1739 windmill called De Brak right in the centre, and historic ramparts.

  Atlas entry

• Sneek

  Sneek is a pleasant city in the heart of the Frisian Lakes district with some 34,000 inhabitants, known for water sports, historic canals, and monumental architecture. It hosts the annual Sneekweek, a major water sports event, and is one of the eleven cities in the famous Elfstedentocht ice skating tour.

  Atlas entry

• Someren

  Someren is a small village in North Brabant's Peel Region, offering a peaceful Dutch countryside experience away from busier tourist routes. The village features a historic windmill with museum Den Evert and several traditional restaurants.

  Atlas entry

• Spijkenisse

  Spijkenisse is a practical stop on the Dutch delta, connected to Rotterdam's metro system yet retaining a historic centre around the Voorstraat dike. The town is best used as a base for exploring the Delta Works, Brielle's Eighty Years War history, or the Hook of Holland beach, all reachable as day trips via metro and bus.

  Atlas entry

• Terschelling

  Terschelling is one of the five inhabited West Frisian Islands in the Dutch Wadden Sea, offering a slower pace of life and rural island atmosphere that contrasts sharply with mainland Netherlands. The island draws visitors with its large dune landscapes, extensive beaches, and over 200 km of hiking paths.

  Atlas entry

• Texel

  Texel is the largest and most accessible of the West Frisian Islands, offering diverse landscapes within a single landmass: dunes and beaches along the western coast, flat polders in the east, hilly terrain in the center around the Hoge Berg, and wetlands like The Slufter. The island attracts both tourists and migratory birds, with the Duinen van Texel National Park protecting unique dune ecosystems.

  Atlas entry

• The Hague

  The Hague pairs government landmarks and art museums with the coast at Scheveningen. Indonesian restaurants add a distinctive food tradition to a city stay.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$149

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Tholen

  Tholen is a small historical town on a double peninsula in the Dutch province of Zeeland, offering a peaceful alternative to more tourist-heavy destinations. The town is partly surrounded by a moat and bordered by a harbor for fishing boats and yachts, giving it a charming maritime character.

  Atlas entry

• Thorn

  Thorn is a miniature former microstate in Dutch Limburg, retaining the charm of a tiny independent principality that once existed within the Holy Roman Empire. The town is famous as the 'Little white city' for its distinctive whitewashed buildings—a legacy of French occupation when a window tax forced residents to brick up and chalk over their windows.

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• Tiel

  Tiel is one of those largely unknown historic cities in the Eastern Netherlands. The old centre still holds monumental buildings from former glory days, and the city is famous for its fruits production.

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• Tilburg

  Tilburg is the Netherlands' self-styled 'wool city', a working-class industrial town turned university hub with about 215,000 inhabitants. Unlike tourist-heavy Amsterdam, Tilburg offers an authentic Dutch urban experience with a strong college-town atmosphere (8% of 13,000 students are foreign), lively nightlife, and cultural venues like the 013 concert hall.

  Atlas entry

• Urk

  Urk is a rare window into old Dutch rural life, preserved on what was an island until the 20th century. The town has its own dialect, folk costumes, and a tightly-knit fishing community that resisted modernization.

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• Utrecht

  Utrecht combines a medieval centre with canal wharves and the Dom Tower. Cafés beside the Oudegracht make an inviting pause between walks through the old streets.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$131

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Vaals

  Vaals sits at the exact point where Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands meet, at the Drielandenpunt. The town is surrounded by South Limburg's famous rolling hills, making it a popular holiday destination for Dutch domestic tourists who call it 'a piece of abroad in the Netherlands'.

  Atlas entry

• Valkenburg aan de Geul

  Valkenburg aan de Geul brings together castle ruins and underground marlstone caves. Thermal spas, bars and restaurants round out a stay.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$125

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Venlo

  Venlo sits directly on the Dutch-German border, making it a practical stop for cross-border exploration or a quiet alternative to larger Dutch cities. The town centre, though damaged in World War II, retains notable Renaissance and Gothic architecture, while the surrounding Limburg region offers natural areas and rose gardens.

  Atlas entry

• Vlaardingen

  Vlaardingen is the self-proclaimed herring city of the Netherlands, a working-class port town on the Nieuwe Maas (New Meuse) with historic harbors and a rich fishing heritage dating to the 18th century. While not a primary destination, it offers an authentic Dutch port atmosphere with museum exhibits on its maritime history, making it a good side trip from Rotterdam.

  Atlas entry

• Vlieland

  Vlieland is the second of the West Frisian Islands, a car-free sanctuary with about 1,100 residents and stunning natural landscapes. The island offers beautiful North Sea beaches, the vast Vliehors desert plain in the west used for military exercises, and excellent birdwatching opportunities.

  Atlas entry

• Vlissingen

  Vlissingen (historically Flushing) is a port town in the Dutch province of Zeeland, sitting on the northern bank of the Western Scheldt where it meets the North Sea. The town has 45,381 inhabitants and an industrial maritime character, yet it draws crowds in summer to its 2.6-km-long boulevard.

  Atlas entry

• Volendam

  Volendam is a picture-perfect Dutch fishing village 20 km north of Amsterdam, often called the pearl of the Zuiderzee. It delivers classic Dutch imagery—wooden clogs, traditional Volendam costumes, and a bustling harbour full of fishing boats—without requiring a full day to reach.

  Atlas entry

• Wageningen

  Wageningen is a small Dutch university town of about 39,000 residents (2019), with an unusually international character—students from 152 different countries call it home. The town is famous for Wageningen University, a world-renowned Life Sciences institution, which keeps the town lively far beyond what its size would suggest.

  Atlas entry

• Weerribben-Wieden National Park

  Weerribben-Wieden is a quieter, smaller national park in the Eastern Netherlands offering excellent canoeing and boat trips through a unique landscape of water, peat and bog. It's less crowded than other Dutch parks and gives access to the largest bog in northwestern Europe.

  Atlas entry

• Weert

  Weert is a small Dutch town of nearly 50,000 people at the border triangle of the Netherlands, Belgium, and North Brabant. It is nicknamed 'The gate of Limburg' and has been voted the greenest city in the Netherlands.

  Atlas entry

• Weesp

  Weesp is a small historic fortified town of about 18,000 inhabitants on the river Vecht, located in North Holland southeast of Amsterdam. Part of the Amsterdam municipality since 2022, it has retained a distinct identity while being only 3 km from the end of the Amsterdam metro.

  Atlas entry

• Westerbork

  Westerbork holds an indelible place in Dutch memory as the site of the WWII transit camp where 102,000 Jews and Roma were deported to their deaths. A museum, reconstructed buildings, and monuments create a humbling memorial experience.

  Atlas entry

• Westkapelle

  Westkapelle is a small, relatively quiet coastal town at the far western tip of the Walcheren peninsula in Zeeland. The town offers sandy Blue Flag beaches, a prominent historic sea dike, and WWII heritage sites including a Sherman tank memorial and the flooded Kreek lake.

  Atlas entry

• Wijchen

  Wijchen is a modest Dutch town in the province of Gelderland, notable primarily for its historic Wijchen Castle (Kasteel Wijchen). The town has existed since the Stone Age and was a small agricultural settlement before Romans arrived around 400 CE.

  Atlas entry

• Wijk bij Duurstede

  Wijk bij Duurstede preserves the site of medieval Dorestad, once one of the most important international trade posts in the Low Countries before Viking raids destroyed it in the 9th century. The town is famous for Jakob Isaackszoon van Ruisdael's 1670 painting depicting the Crooked Rhine landscape with dikes and windmills.

  Atlas entry

• Willemstad

  Willemstad is one of the Netherlands' best-preserved fortified cities, its seven-pointed star of bastions largely intact due to retaining its military designation longer than comparable cities like Naarden. The town offers a remarkably authentic glimpse of 16th-17th century Dutch military architecture without the crowds of more famous destinations.

  Atlas entry

• Winterswijk

  Winterswijk is a small city in the Achterhoek region of Gelderland, Netherlands, best known as the birthplace where Piet Mondrian spent his formative years (1880–1892) before becoming a pioneer of abstract art. The town offers a quieter alternative to major Dutch tourist destinations, with a compact historic center, several museums, and access to natural reserves.

  Atlas entry

• Woerden

  Woerden offers a taste of authentic Dutch provincial life without the crowds of Amsterdam or Utrecht. The compact, mostly car-free city centre is easy to explore on foot, with a medieval ring road layout, a 1410 castle, and several historic churches.

  Atlas entry

• Zaandam

  Zaandam is a 12-minute train ride from Amsterdam Centraal, making it an ideal day trip for travelers wanting to escape the capital's crowds. The town sits in the Zaan Region, potentially the oldest industrial area in the world, where windmills and wooden houses survive alongside green pastures.

  Atlas entry

• Zeewolde

  Zeewolde is the least densely populated municipality in the already sparse Flevoland province, offering vast expanses of farmland, undisturbed nature, and landscape art. Its 50 km long coastline along the IJsselmeer provides beach access, while the Horsterworld claims to be the largest man-made broadleaf forest in Europe.

  Atlas entry

• Zierikzee

  Zierikzee is a historic town on the Eastern Scheldt with 568 official monuments, a unique medieval street pattern, and the oldest still-playing carillon in the Netherlands. During high season it is crowded with visitors, mainly Dutch and German.

  Atlas entry

• Zoetermeer

  Zoetermeer is a peaceful residential city in South Holland that makes a convenient transit stop or day trip from The Hague (20 minutes by Randstadrail). While not a major tourist destination in itself, it offers a charming old village centre with boutique shops and one of Europe's largest indoor ski facilities at Snowworld.

  Atlas entry

• Zutphen

  Zutphen is one of the oldest medieval cities in the Netherlands, receiving city rights in 1190. Its untouched historic city center was voted 'best city center of The Netherlands' for small cities in 2006, offering tower-topped streets and a medieval atmosphere that feels centuries removed from modern life.

  Atlas entry

• Zwolle

  Zwolle is a compact, walkable Dutch city of about 120,000 people serving as the capital of Overijssel province. It's nicknamed the "green city" for its many parks and sustainable municipal practices, sitting at a meeting point of different rivers and ecological zones.

  Atlas entry