There’s no better way to celebrate spring than surrounding yourself with picturesque countryside and flowers. And there’s no better place to surround yourself with picturesque countryside and flowers than the Netherlands! Having just been to Amsterdam about a month prior, we wanted to go back at the peak of tulip season to see what else the country had to offer. We based ourselves in Haarlem (a small city 15 minutes west of Amsterdam) for nine days and rented a car so that we could get around to see as much as possible (though I should note the rail and bus systems are fantastic).

Kinderdijk

The first thing we did after landing in Rotterdam (a pleasant 45-minute flight from London!) and grabbing our car was drive to nearby Kinderdijk, home to a collection of over a dozen old windmills dating back to the 18th century. We were quickly introduced to Dutch ingenuity and charm when on the ride there we encountered what looked like a bridge on the GPS but ended up being a really short car, bicycle and pedestrian ferry! We paid the fare (something like 3€) and sat giddy in the car as we made the 60-second journey to the other side of the canal. Not soon thereafter we arrived to Kinderdijk. There are a series of paths along the canals from which to enjoy the views of the windmills and the expansive farmland surrounding the site. We had seen pictures of this place but we didn’t realize quite how large it really is. Even more surprising to us was that people live in some of the windmills!

The Netherlands: Dutch Countryside and Villages | Part 01 | Sea of Atlas

Keukenhof

Another can’t-miss sight, at least during tulip season, is one of the world’s largest flower gardens. Keukenhof, which is only open from March to May, houses a collection of tulip fields, thoughtfully-designed flower beds and other flower-based displays. In order to enjoy the experience, it’s crucial to arrive early. We got in right as it opened and for the first hour or so more or less had the place to ourselves; by the second hour the crowds had grown significantly and the main entrance gate looked like a scene out of mid-summer Disney World. As if the millions of flower aren’t enough, Keukenhof also hosts a working windmill, a handful of buildings and greenhouses, fountains, a maze, and, most exciting to us, a petting zoo! We spent far too long (or not long enough!?) hanging out with the baby goats.

The beach is a 10-minute drive from Keukenhof, so we made our way to the coast to decompress after fighting through the crowds to get out of the park. We walked along the beach at Noordwijk which was basically empty, but for those looking for something a bit more action-packed, the big beach resort of Zandvoort is only 7 or 8 miles north. We enjoyed our walk along the water and grabbed some seashells to take home with us. Unfortunately, we were out of 1€ coins so we had to skip out on driving the coin-operated bumper car back toward the parking lot. We can only imagine how hopping this place must be during summer!

Giethoorn

While it’s a bit out of the way (a two-hour drive from our home base in Haarlem and not really near anything else of interest), the fairytale village of Giethoorn was one of the main inspirations for our trip to the Netherlands. We had seen pictures of it years ago and knew we had to see it with our own eyes someday. The town has no roads and the primary mode of transportation is boats along the canals; as such, it claims, along with Amsterdam, the title of “Venice of the North.” Especially charming is the thatched-roof style houses and the various wooden bridges from which to appreciate it all. As is always the case with places like this, the charm draws big crowds. We didn’t get there until early afternoon which is high time for big bus tourism and it was a bit overwhelming for such an otherwise peaceful village with an infrastructure not quite built for so many people (the canals were absolutely packed with tourist-rented boats!). We grabbed lunch at Ristorante Fratelli (bread with garlic butter and a pineapple pizza) which was surprisingly good given the limited choice of restaurants, wandered around a bit more and then jumped in the car for the long ride back to Haarlem.

It didn’t take long for us to fall in love with the Netherlands.

The peninsula of North Holland jutting north from Amsterdam is packed with picturesque countryside and charming seaside towns. We visited Enkhuizen, Hoorn, Edam and Marken, small towns, all with their own unique appeal, on a one-hours’-drive-long strip along the east coast. Any visitor to Amsterdam would be doing themselves a disservice if they missed the opportunity to get out of the city and see some of these towns—it’s only a 30-minute drive or bus ride from the capital to either Edam or Marken!

Enkhuizen

With its sailboat-filled harbor and laid back pace, Enkhuizen reminded us quite a bit of some of the lazy port towns back home in New England. From outside the distinctive 16th century Drommedaris, we watched the adjacent bridge raise to let a series of boats out into the harbor and open sea, each one larger than the next. We set off to make a loop through the town, starting at the east end of Westerstraat (the main drag) and slowly making our way west. Echte Bakker 't Broodhuys served as a perfect stopping point where we perused the selection of baked goods and snacks. We settled on the almond sugar cookies and fruit slices (to be enjoyed later!) and continued on our way. We made our way around Oude Gracht and back toward the harbor, but not before walking through Snouck van Loosenpark. The park was beautiful, but most surprising to us was that people lived in houses right on the park grounds! Maybe we should stop being surprised by things like this… Before jumping back in the car we took a seat on a bench overlooking the harbor to enjoy our snack and let the warm early summer sun beat down on us.

Hoorn

Hoorn was a similar, but busier seaside town. We spotted some absolutely beautiful boats in the harbor and even caught a wedding photo shoot in action, which speaks to the splendor of the setting. From the harbor we headed toward Oosterpoort, a bridge guarded by a an attractive stone building which was also beautiful enough to be included in the photo shoot’s itinerary! We walked west to Oosterkerk which is noteworthy in its architecture; one marked difference between Enkhuizen and Hoorn was that Hoorn seemed to have a wealth of traditional Dutch architecture. Further down was the old town’s main square—Roode Steen is flanked by interesting buildings on all sides and is watched over at its center by a statue of Jan Pieterszoon Coen, an important figure of the 17th century’s Dutch East India Company who was born there.

Edam

Our original plan included visiting Edam, but on our drive from Hoorn to Edam we made the decision to skip it and go straight to Marken instead. Regret immediately came over us as we got a glimpse of the town while we passed it on the highway. After a couple of miles of driving in silence, Rico, who was at the wheel, used one of the motorways’ many roundabouts as an opportunity to make an executive decision and turn around to see what Edam had to offer! We were not disappointed. The town, famous for its cheese, is laced with canals and crowned in its center by a steeply-constructed bridge on the Damplein. We spent quite a bit of time wandering through the canals and appreciating the architecture and small-town feel—there’s not too much to do otherwise. We grabbed gelato at Banketbakkerij Mastenbroek and enjoyed it while lounging on a bench on the Damplein. It’s easy to get caught up in packed agendas and busy cities when traveling and that lazy gelato was just what we needed at the time to recharge our batteries!

Marken

Marken is on an island connected to the mainland by a short bridge. Though only 30 minutes from Amsterdam, this place feels worlds away and even the architecture is notably different. Covered in deep green houses and charming little white pedestrian bridges (each with a name proudly displayed on its tower), Marken can’t be missed. Given its small size and popularity, it is quite crowded, especially at the harbor, but it doesn’t take much to find some peace and quiet. We spent our time strolling the side streets and walking along the canals that snake their way through the town. We were surprised when, around a corner, a group of young boys playfully sprayed us with squirt guns—we didn’t mind given the midday heat!

While the Netherlands is certainly noteworthy for its countryside and small towns, what really draws people is its cities. And Amsterdam is not the only one! Next up, we’ll cover the cities we visited on our trip, which other than Amsterdam includes Utrecht, Haarlem, Leiden and Delft.

When it comes to cities, the Netherlands has much more to offer than just Amsterdam. The Randstad is the stretch of land in the northwest of the country encompassing its largest cities (Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague and Rotterdam) and is one of the most densely populated areas in Europe. We didn’t get to The Hague or Rotterdam on this trip, but we did get to see some other cities in the Randstad (Haarlem, Leiden and Delft) and they all had unique draws.

Amsterdam

We visited Amsterdam for a 4-day weekend a month prior to this trip, so check out our other post for details on that. We were inspired to visit again not only because it was a convenient 15-minute train ride from our home base Haarlem but also because we wanted to see the city in bloom (and we needed to have some more cake from Corner Bakery!). We were not disappointed as we were blessed with another day of great spring weather. From Centraal station we wandered down Oudezijds Achterburgwal, the little sister of central Amsterdam’s primary canal Oudezijds Voorburgwal. While the latter is absolutely packed with visitors, the former is much more relaxed and charming. We made our way south to the Canal District, one of the most exclusive (and picturesque...and expensive) neighborhoods in the city, where the best thing to do is zig-zag through the canals and side streets. We zig-zagged northwest to Jordaan, another picturesque, canal-laced neighborhood that served as our home base during our previous visit.

Westerpark is a short ride on the tram (a very convenient and inexpensive method of transport in the city) and we wanted to check it out as we did not get to it last time. Our visit to Amsterdam inadvertently fell on Liberation Day, celebrating the liberation of the Netherlands from Nazi Germany, so the park was absolutely packed and buzzing with music and events. There was a collection of food stands in the center of the park which worked out well as it was approaching lunch time! We grabbed some food (a pulled pork sandwich for Rico and a falafel wrap for Britt) and took a seat on a dock by the water to enjoy our meal. While our hunger for food was satisfied, our hunger for more time in the park was not, so we switched venues and grabbed a tram to the jewel in Amsterdam’s park crown—Vondelpark. We took a big loop through the park, appreciating how much more green and alive it felt this time around. We wrapped up our visit with apple pie and carrot cake at Corner Bakery (which still holds the title of best cake of our lives) before hopping on the train back to Haarlem.

Utrecht

Utrecht is the home of the Netherlands’ largest university and is considered by many to have the best of what Amsterdam has to offer (culture and canals) without the worst (hordes of tourists and irresponsible visitors). The Domtoren and Domkerk tower majestically over the city’s Domplein. The 465 steps of the bell tower can be climbed for a panoramic view of the city and its environs, but only under supervision of a tour guide—we made the mistake of not booking ahead, so unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for our feet) we missed out. Our favorite part of our visit was walking down the canals (creatively named Oudegracht and Niewegracht) and the side streets toward the south of the city (especially around Geertekerk). Our lunch at TALUD9, an eatery tucked neatly in a row of small buildings along the old canal, was also noteworthy (salami, goat cheese and pesto sandwich for Rico and tuna and apple sandwich for Britt). We had hoped to visit the Rietveld Schröder House as well, but we made another mistake by not pre-booking…Oh well, we’ll just have to go back!

Before heading back to Haarlem from Utrecht, Rico wanted to surprise Brittany with a small detour. Theehuis Rhijnauwen is a pannenkoeken house within an expanse of countryside only a couple of miles southeast of the center of Utrecht. Rico didn’t know too much about it but had read a recommendation for it online the night before that sang the praises of the location. We took the car, but what’s incredible about this place is how easy it is to reach without a car—it’s a straightforward 20-minute bike ride from Utrecht and some people arrived via the canal that encircles the area. The pancake house is tucked away amongst trees, fields and walking paths and it didn’t take long for us to fall in love. Before sitting down for a bite we wandered around the premises which also includes walking paths through farmland where you can pet and play with sheep. When we eventually did sit down to eat, we snagged some Adirondack chairs outside right by the canal. The setting was absolutely serene. We had apple and cinnamon and sugar and butter pancakes and just sat there enjoying the nice weather and fresh air. We loved it so much that we made time in our schedule the next day to come back even though it was completely out of the way from Haarlem. There are no words to describe how utterly perfect it was. To this day, when feeling down or like we want an escape from the city, we look at each other and longingly ask “teahouse?”

Haarlem

As mentioned earlier, we based ourselves in the small city of Haarlem for our week-long trip to the Netherlands. The city is large enough to offer things to do and see, small enough to be quiet at night and offers ample car parking and train connections. We had a car for the week, so we took advantage of the parking (it’s worth noting the parking is fairly expensive). It didn’t take long for us to fall in love with Haarlem, especially when we had the time to wander its back streets and soak up the energy in the main square.

We stayed a short walk south of the main square (Grote Markt) in tangled mess of tree-lined streets just north of Kampersingel. When we first got the chance to explore the area, we stumbled on some very cute streets (Popelingstraat), hopping commercial areas (Kleine Houtstraat) and smaller squares (Nieuwe Kerksplein). Haarlem is also host to a series of canals, our favorite of which was Bakenessergracht—if you follow the canal north, it will eventually land you near the city’s famous windmill, De Adriaan (sadly the original windmill burned down in the 1930s but was rebuilt in the early 2000s). Most stunning to us was St. Bavo’s Cathedral on Grote Markt. We both agree it is the most beautiful church we’ve ever visited, though its beauty is in simplicity and elegance, which combined with the intricate natural wood ceiling made for a serene and reflective setting.

Having spent a week based in Haarlem, we also got the chance to try lots of good food. We really enjoyed visiting the health-food market Marqt and picking up snacks (stroopwafel and Tony’s Chocolonely chocolate bars were both big hits) or dinner to make back in our Airbnb (pasta, fresh bread, homemade sauce). Native is a can’t-miss lunch spot with good food and even better service (Rico had the labneh, pomegranate seed and radish sandwich while Britt enjoyed the avocado and beet salsa sandwich). We had heard good things about the pizzeria Woodstone, but we weren’t very impressed. Luckily Crostino Gelateria & Cafe is right next door and we made sure to grab some Bueno and mocha gelato, which was especially refreshing on the unseasonably warm nights that week!

Leiden

Leiden, another one of the Netherlands’ university cities, is a 40-minute drive (or even shorter train ride) from Haarlem and a perfect day trip. We were hungry upon arrival so we grabbed apple cinnamon and sugar pannenkoeken at Oudt Leyden and bought some stroopwafel in thoughtfully designed tins to take back home and give to friends and family as gifts. The best way to get moving after a heavy lunch was to stroll through the city’s botanical gardens, one of the oldest in the world. The gardens are surrounded on two sides by Witte Singel and there are plenty of benches around to take a seat and relax (which we did!). We walked back toward the city center, past Pieterskerk toward Burcht van Leiden, a fortification built 1,000 years ago. These days it serves as a public park where people can relax and take in the 360-degree views of the city.

Delft

One of the first day trips we made on our trip was to The Hague suburb of Delft, famous for its blue and white pottery. The roads between Haarlem and Delft offer some of the best views of tulip fields, with N206 and N208 being particularly colorful. Our first stop was the Royal Delft Factory which is a bit far from the center but very worth a visit. The audio tour was a bit corny but informative nonetheless and it was quite a sight to watch each stage of the creation of Delftware throughout the factory. We even grabbed a souvenir (an authentic small blue and white clog)! Once we got to the center of the town we split a delicious Arab-spiced chicken avocado sandwich and mango smoothie at hip coffee shop Kek and made our way to Beestenmarkt, a picturesque and buzzing secondary square. Delft’s main square, Markt, was absolutely bustling—there were carnival rides set up, vendors selling knick knacks and food and families out and about enjoying themselves, all watched over by Nieuwe Kerk’s massive bell tower, dwarfed only by Utrecht’s Domtoren in the whole of the Netherlands. Much quieter, at the confluence of a handful of canals southeast of the city center lies the attractive 15th century Oostpoort, the only city gate remaining in Delft (which apparently partially serves as a private residence now—how do I sign up!?).

Our visit to the Netherlands was dynamic, ranging from bustling cities to serene parks and quiet seaside towns to expanses of colorful tulip fields. We are so glad to have visited during tulip season—there is something magical about it. While we’ll miss our time there, something tells us we’ll be back someday!