Netherlands Landscape views of water colours and tulips
Polders, canals, dykes and windmills: this unique infrastructure has fascinated artists and visitors for centuries. Why is it all here? Water, and the Dutch are masters at controlling it. They have to be given that over a quarter of their country is below sea level – hence the name Nether-lands, or literally ‘lower lands’. From the historic urban waterways in Amsterdam to the cycle paths along inland rural channels, you’re never far from the water in Holland.
Where it is
Western Europe
When to go
All year
Why go there
Art treasures
Cycling holidays
Floral delights
What to see
Amsterdam
Windmills
Tulips
A city for cyclists
There’s no better (or Dutch-er) way to explore Amsterdam than by bike, jangling your way along the canals and stopping off in cosy cafés.
Want to see more of Amsterdam?
The world’s best flower gardens
You want tulips? We’ll give you tulips, thousands of them plus daffodils and hyacinths too. In the Keukenhof Gardens seven million bulbs flower each spring.
The windmills of Holland
What’s more Dutch than a windmill? Only 19 historic ones together. The Kinderdijk windmills in wetlands near Rotterdam can be visited by land or water.
A Dutch art attack
Rembrandt, Vermeer, Van Gogh. Some of art’s biggest names are Dutch and with grand collections like the Rijksmuseum, this is the place to get artistic.
Travel in Netherlands
Netherlands is about the same size as Switzerland but so much flatter, making it great for exploring by bicycle. No wonder there are 32,000km of bike paths across the whole country. But there’s also a good train network so tell us how you want to get around, and what you’d like to see and we’ll create the ultimate Dutch itinerary for you. Tulips and cheese are optional but both are definitely worth including.
Netherlands facts
Let’s start with the basics: this is not Holland. Or at least not only Holland. That’s actually two provinces beside the North Sea containing cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. With almost 18 million squeezed in, Netherlands is one of the most densely-populated countries in the world. Once part of the Habsburg Empire, it became a republic with colonies in Indonesia, New Amsterdam (now New York) and South Africa. Today it’s a monarchy and member of the EU.
Time zone
UTC +1
Flight time
1.5 hours’ flight from Switzerland or by train
Local currency
Euro
Dialling code
+31
