The capital of the Netherlands, spoiled by tourists of all kinds, attracts them with an extraordinary spirit of freedom, supported at times by paradoxical laws. But it is not the notorious freedom that attracts masses of people here - the beauty of "Dutch Venice", its canals, monuments, the museum of the most eccentric artist on the planet Van Gogh, the famous tulips fascinate everyone, as this country once mesmerized Peter I. A trip to Amsterdam gives an opportunity to get acquainted with other interesting cities and towns in the Netherlands. This recommendation article suggests where to go from Amsterdam for 1 day on your own.
Zaandam
This unusually picturesque green town, spread out on the banks of the river. Zan, falls in love with himself at first sight with his lubok houses and houses. The special architecture of the buildings, which is different from other cities, makes its appearance uniquely charming. It’s hard to believe right away that here in the 17-19th century. a fair share of the country's industry was built, everything here is neat, clean and touchingly cute. Peter I visited here disguised as a carpenter, improving his knowledge of shipbuilding, whose memory is embodied in the house-museum named after him. There is a monument to him in the city square, from which painted traces lead to the house. The Museum named after the Russian Tsar is an attractive place for tourists from different countries.
The Fishline rock music café is also worth a visit, and the atmospheric Black Kuznets pub, located in the former smithy's premises, will not be superfluous. The road to Zaandam from the Central Station will take 10-17 minutes. on the Amserdam Central - Kooq Zaanndijk trains. They leave every half hour, and a round-trip ticket costs 5.8 €. If you wish, you can go by buses Konnexxion N 92, N94, departing from the bus station (to the left of the railway station). Of course, if you are financially wealthy, you can comfortably take a taxi.
Amsterdam city card for 24, 48, 72 or 96 hours - from 60 €
Holland Pass: Amsterdam and Holland - 40 €
Villages and suburbs by hop-on hop-off bus - 28 €
Zaanse Schans
An authentic village, the Zaanse Schans Open Air Museum, evokes delight and emotion. From afar, old mills - “windmills”, used not as monuments of antiquity, but as actively functioning production facilities, will “wave their wings” at you. With their help, they are engaged in the production of flour, oils, various spices and dyes (the process can be seen clearly). Neat green-painted houses (there are 30 of them) hospitably “open” the doors for you (some for a fee, others for free), “inviting” you to see the life of the Dutch of the 17-18th century.
You should go to the museum of the first store in Holland, Albert Heijn. These are several authentic shops offering antique handicrafts. You can come by the same train Amserdam Central - Kooq Zaanndijk, only get off not in Zaandam, but after 2 stops from it. It will take 5-6 minutes. + 3.5 €. If you have the desire and financial ability to make a romantic voyage on the water on a boat to the Zaanse Schans, you can hire it for 55-60 € per hour. There is a direct bus service N 91 from the bus station.
Bus tickets for Zaanse Schans & Zaanstreek - 11.50 €
Delft - The Hague
It is very interesting to get into the atmosphere of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and a trip to the city of Dutch porcelain - Delft - will make an indelible impression on you. Getting to Delft is not a problem - there every 10 minutes. Intercity trains run from Central Station and will take you 57 minutes. (round trip cost 23.4 €). At the Delft station, you can take bus N 40 to the stop. Royal Delft and visit the blue-and-white porcelain museum-factory with a rich collection of unique items from the 17th century. and an exclusive by the contemporary designer M. Vander.
In the historical part of the city (the same bus will bring you), go to the New Church, with the Royal Tomb, where the remains of V. Orange (the founder of the state) are buried. Here you will like everything: lovely houses, streets decorated with flowers, canals green from duckweed. Dedicate the remaining half day to The Hague, where you can quickly (10 minutes) get by tram N1 from Delft station, paying € 1.50, or by intercity train (11 minutes). Take a tram to the final stop and find yourself on the famous Scheveningen beach - a wide strip of golden sand - the picture is impressive.
After walking along the beach, take the tram N 9, which costs 1 € for 10 minutes. takes you to Madurodam, a stunning park of miniatures of famous Dutch landmarks put together. Take tram N 8 or N 9 to the city center, see the famous Peace Palace, Hoffeyver pond (Queen Beatrice's favorite place), visit Mauritshuis - the center of artistic masterpieces. You can end your stay in the city with a dinner in one of the many restaurants or cafes in a cozy atmosphere. Return to Amsterdam by train Intercity Den Haaq HS - Amsterdam Centraal (47 min, 10.4 €).
Utrecht
A trip to a cute corner of Dutch antiquity - Utrecht will give you new impressions. From Amsterdam Central Station take the Intercity train (departures every 10-15 minutes), and in 27 minutes. find yourself in Utrecht (13.6 € round trip) In this cozy, charming student town, where 2-tier canals from 13 centuries have been preserved, the gray past harmoniously coexists with the perky modernity. After all, it is here that the oldest university in Europe is located, where you can visit a museum that presents a picture of the medieval education of students. There are many of them here today, and not only the Dutch.
Climbing the tower of St. Martin on 465 steps! (as part of a group), you will see an enchanting panorama of the surroundings. Looking at its Gothic calm, arched vaults, you are transported to the Middle Ages. Ride the authentic canals on a modern boat, sail along the cobbled sidewalks, bike stands, antique lanterns entwined with flower garlands, and the soul will be filled with the charm of the past.
If you will not regret your time, take bus N 127 from the city bus station (runs every hour) to De Haar Castle - a masterpiece of medieval architecture surrounded by a beautiful park. Like the Phoenix bird, the castle was destroyed several times, but in 1890, thanks to Baroness Rothschild, it acquired a luxurious neo-Gothic appearance. Inside, interiors and household items are preserved as accurately as possible.
Volendam - Edam - Monnickendam - Marken
To the north of Amsterdam are absolutely idyllic, tiny towns, which embodied the provincial life of many generations of the Dutch, who have preserved ancient traditions and special flavor. Having visited them, you will forever be enchanted by the atmosphere of rural Holland. Having decided to visit Volendam, go to the left entrance of the Central Station, cross it along its entire length, go upstairs - there is bus 118: it runs on the route Volendam - Edam - Monnickendam - Marken every 20 minutes. You can buy a daily ticket for 10 € (saving money) and travel around Little Holland.
Each of these towns has its own unique charm. Edam, despite its scanty limits, is known to the world for its cheese fairs. Next to a picturesque pond, there is an equally famous bakery with incredibly delicious pastries. And you can only admire its wonderful streets and buildings. The cute look of Volendam, adorned with charming fishermen's houses, a forest of boat masts near the coast, and amusing cast sculptures has its own "zest". It is famous for smoked eel, delicious herring, delicious pickles.
Volendam Marken Boat Cruise & One Day bus ticket - 23.50 €
From Amsterdam: train Volendam, Edam and Zaanse Schans - 49 €
Monnickendam (Amsterdam in miniature) - the focus of attractions is famous for smoking herring and eel (the latter is bred here) It is impossible not to admire the green lawns, ponds and canals, the cleanliness of streets and sidewalks, the beauty of ancient architectural monuments. An ethnographic museum has been opened in the Speltoren tower, miraculously preserved after the severe fires of the 14th century. The impressive church of St. Nicholas, an ancient drawbridge made of wood, thrown across the harbor.
Marken, a peninsular settlement connected by a dam, can be safely called an open-air museum. The kingdom of all kinds of sea vessels and small boats, pastoral landscapes touches to the depths of the soul, to tears of admiration. Paradise silence around, unhurriedness, green and black houses on stilts, well-groomed courtyards and streets, freshwater lake IJsselmeer will remain in the memory for a long time.
Rotterdam
Probably, many are familiar with the name of the Renaissance scientist Erasmus of Rotterdam, who did not accidentally take the name of the second largest Dutch city as a pseudonym. Back in the 14th century. Rotterdam was a major port and a well-known European city. Although there are few authentic medieval monuments preserved here (due to shelling during the Second World War), the appearance of the current city is very interesting with modern architectural structures. Dutch Railways leave from Amsterdam Central Station every half hour - in 41 minutes. they arrive in Rotterdam. Ticket prices range from € 9 to € 35.
First of all, it is worth visiting the district of Deltshaven (old port), which has best preserved its medieval features: narrow cobbled streets, authentic waterways, medieval buildings, windmills; the first "swallow" among European skyscrapers - Het Witte Hayes (1898) The building of the financial and business center in the Art Nouveau style Van Nellefabrik, included in the UNESCO list, will be of undoubted interest. In the center of Rotterdam, it is worth visiting the Prince Hendrikas Maritime Museum, where you will be impressed by the symbolic bronze monument "The Scream" (commemorating World War II).
You will be impressed by a visit to the Historical Museum (17th century Kunsthal Palace), where works by artists of the 19th and 20th centuries are exhibited. The culmination of the tour will be a visit to the painting museum of B. van Beuningen with a magnificent collection of works by Flemish masters of the Renaissance.
Zandvoort
To see the amazing North Sea coastline, you can take a trip to the seaside resort of Zandvoort. From the Central Station they go there every 30 minutes. direct trains, a round-trip ticket costs 10.12 €. There are also transit trains of the NS "Sprinter" and "Intercity" railway companies with an interval of 15 minutes. If you find yourself here especially during the warm season, then the golden beaches and cool waters of the North Sea will seem to you the best in the world, the fabulously beautiful resort town - a magical place. It is no coincidence that there are always a lot of creative personalities here: artists, poets, photographers love these wonderful places.
Everything on the beaches is equipped with maximum comfort: bike tracks, jogging tracks, recreation areas with elegant benches, many lovely cafes and restaurants. The town itself captivates with some kind of candy beauty - amazing-looking bright houses with an original variety of facades drowning in flowers; streets shining with sterile cleanliness - there is a Dutch charm in everything. Here you can spend the whole day without boredom, walk and admire the enchanting pictures of resort life. Zandvoort is good for viewing at any time of the year.
Harlem - Leiden
A fascinating 1-day trip to Haarlem and Leiden is an opportunity to see firsthand the magnificent architectural masterpieces of the past, to feel the spirit of atmospheric Dutch towns and to conquer their unique beauty forever. The road to Haarlem will not take long - intercity trains Amsterdam - Haarlem, departing every 8 minutes, will take you in 16 minutes. From the first steps you will be enchanted by the grandiose building of the station, surrounding picturesque streets, numerous canals. St. Jaanstrat - a focus of unique 17th century buildings - will amaze your imagination with an authentic 500-year-old courtyard, Bavo Church and other attractions.
After enjoying the Haarlem experiences, depart from the local station by train Haarlem-Leiden and in 19 minutes. come to Leiden (round trip ticket - € 10.6) The birthplace of Rembrandt, Leiden cheese, old mills conquers with its wide canals with boats gliding along them, clear rows of typical Dutch houses, an abundance of bicycles on stone sidewalks. The youth of old Leiden is personified by students who come to study at the local university from all over the world. A visit to the university and the Botanical Garden will be a great pleasure. In this "hotbed of international students" you will be flattered that on the walls of many buildings poetic lines of Russian classics Blok, Akhmatova, Tsvetaeva are printed.
Horn - Medemblik - Enkhuizen
A trip along the above route will bring a lot of new discoveries about the Netherlands, will allow you to see the most interesting objects of the past and present. The train to Horn takes 34 minutes and costs 7.4 €. Upon arrival in Horn (city of 613 monuments), you need to go to Stoomtram (steam train station). At the box office, buy a ticket to Medemblik for a steam locomotive, which will take you to a wonderful patriarchal town, with a yacht club, old ships and mills. The castle of the 13th century makes an indelible impression here. Radbaud. The rectangular and round towers and the interior of the castle have been preserved in their original form.
From Medemblik, continue your journey on a small boat to the town of Enkhuizen, in the vicinity of which there is an open-air ethnographic museum - a fishing village of the last century Zuiderzeemuzeum. Here, in 1983, the life and life of the families of Dutch fishermen were reproduced for certain: they brought houses from the fishing villages, the corresponding props and created a village.
Cozy courtyards, houses under the tiles, carts, bundles of dried fish here and there, children in old clothes - a nostalgic picture. You can buy herring or eel right from the smokehouses, watch the process at the local smithy, and enjoy cheese at the cheese dairy. Entrance to the museum - 14.5 €. Return to Enkhuizen, and from there to Amsterdam - by train (on the way -59 min., 5.5 €).
Maastricht
The city, bordering immediately with 3 states (Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium), arose on the site of a settlement that was known even in the days of the Romans. The latter built a bridge here over the river. Maas, contributing to the development of Maastricht. The city of students and active cultural life differs from other Dutch cities in its Belgian architectural appearance. Belgians and Germans love to come here, discovering a special atmosphere and flavor. A deep navigable river divides Maastricht into 2 parts - Old and New Towns, where there is something to see. Intercity trains run from Amsterdam (Central Station) every hour to Maastricht (on the way - 2 hours 27 minutes, ticket 24 € - 45 €).
In the city, where 1,500 monuments have been built in the old center, it is worth visiting the Armory Square, on which there are magnificent religious monuments - the Basilica of St. Servas and the church of St. Yanskerka. The main attraction of the historical center is the oldest building in the city - a true masterpiece of Romanesque architecture - the Onze Live Frauwekerk church (380 g) Walking along the Sint-Servasbrug bridge and the underground labyrinth (10 km long) are popular among tourists - old underground shelters built by local residents as a shelter from war. No less interesting will be a visit to the Market Square with the old Town Hall, authentic houses and shopping pavilions. Here you can have a snack in one of the cozy cafes. Back by train to Amsterdam.
Kinderdijk
Would you like to travel from the avant-garde Amsterdam to the atmospheric corner of South Holland, so that your delight will not end? Then go to Kinderdijk, where the incredible hard work, skill and resilience of the Dutch who are forced to reclaim land from the sea are embodied in its ancient mills.It is a small village famous for its 19 windmills from the 18th century, which were built to combat flooding (they are on the UNESCO list).
They are located 15 km from Rotterdam, so from Amsterdam you come to Rotterdam. From there, either by ferry (line 20, sail 27 minutes, ticket 190-280 rubles), or by bus (line 90, 46 minutes on the way, 250 - 360 rubles) go to Kinderdijk. You will not regret spending about 3 hours on the road. It is difficult to describe in words the charm of this place, cut by canals, along which the "enemies of Don Quixote", set on green lawns, flap their wings. Inspecting them, you can sail on a boat along the canal or walk along a smooth path under the rustle of wildly overgrown grasses, reeds, and admire water lilies.
Or you can rent bicycles and go around all the surroundings of the amazing "park of mills" - these toilers who became the basis of the life of rural Dutch people: they not only pumped out water, but also grinded grain, sawed wood, squeezed oil from seeds. In one of the mills, the entrance is open to the public, some are still inhabited by people. Filled with idyllic experiences, you will return to Amsterdam on the same route.
Keukenhof park
A unique landscape miracle - the Keukenhof Royal Flower Park, created in the 40s of the 20th century, is located 30 km from Amsterdam. A shuttle bus leaves from the center of the capital 6 times a day to Keukenhof (ticket price 39 € includes a visit to the park). This is the most comfortable way to travel to the park. You can go with a change at Schiphol airport: take bus N 397 from Amsterdam, in Schiphol change to N 858, which goes to the park entrance. You can also get to Schiphol by train (9.4 € round trip) and change to bus N 858, purchasing a combi ticket for 29.5 €, which includes a round trip and entrance to the park.
On 32 hectares, among lakes, ponds, canals, 90 species of trees and 7 million bulbous ones grow: tulips, crocuses, hyacinths, muscari, daffodils, blooming from the second half of March to the end of May. The excitement that grips tourists as they enter the landscape artwork only intensifies with every step. The legendary Dutch tulips (there are more than 700 species) amaze with a variety of colors and shapes: white, purple, scarlet, pink, yellow and even black.
Framed by crocuses, blue muscars, white hyacinths, they create picturesque floral carpets, the beauty of which is impossible to resist. The ruins of a medieval castle and an old mill, brought here specifically to enhance the entourage, give the park a special charm.
Alkmaar
The city, which has been producing another symbol of Holland - cheese for a long time - conquers with its authenticity and famous cheese fairs, which take place here from April to October. Alkmaar in translation means "surrounded by water", as it is located at the intersection of waterways, through it passes the navigable channel Nordholland (1824). Here you will enjoy not only great cheese, but plunge into the glorious past of Alkmaar and feel the pulse of modern enthusiasm and activity.
The Intercity train departs every hour from Amsterdam Central Station, the ticket costs from 7 to 13 €, on the way - 37 minutes. If you wish, you can make a 2-3-hour trip on rented bicycles (there are special paths along the tracks). You can start your tour from the historical Kasandra square, where there is a beautiful architectural monument of the 16th century. - the Grotekerk church, where visitors listen to the ancient organ.
Walking along the street. Langestrat, step out onto the Weight Square with the magnificent Town Hall and authentic houses. Check out the National Beer Museum and the Beatles Museum and sample Dutch cuisine in one of the taverns. In the center of the city there is a legendary house of the 16th century, which was hit by the cannonball of a Spanish cannon, which did not cause any damage and remained in it forever. To conclude your visit, take a boat ride along the picturesque canal and experience the beauty of the city from the outside.
Gouda
An ancient town founded in the 13th century. the Van der Gaude family, who built a fortifying castle on the banks of the Gauve River, is now famous all over the world for its Thursday cheese fairs. Initially, the sprawling city was surrounded by swamps, but the painstaking efforts of local residents ennobled these places, digging out a canal and curbing the mouth of the river that spilled over the surroundings.
A calm, measured rhythm of life, beautiful architectural monuments, an abundance of greenery on the streets create an attractive appearance of a cheese town. Coming to Gouda from Amsterdam (70 km) is not a problem: from the Amsterdam Central station every 10-20 minutes. there are trains (from 4 a.m. to 1 a.m.), 55 minutes on the way, 1st class ticket - 19, 2 €, 2nd class - 11, 3 €.
Usually tourists come to the Market Square, where they admire the building of the old Town Hall (15th century), which resembles an incredibly beautiful fairytale tower with many cute turrets, scalloped decorations and spiers on the facade. Equally beautiful are the expressive statues embodying loyalty and wisdom, sculptural images of dukes and duchesses (17th century). An equally significant national monument is the Waag (chamber of scales), in which various goods (including cheese) were weighed when determining the amount of duties. The Cheese Museum is now open in Vaag.
The longest church in Holland, the Grote Kerk (St. John), is worth seeing, famous for its unique stained glass windows. Sea lovers will be interested in visiting the Old Harbor, where ancient ships are moored. A visit to Gouda will be a bright touch in the kaleidoscope of impressions from your stay in the Netherlands.
