1. Jordaan and Amsterdam’s Canals

The Jordaan is a district in the citycenter of Amsterdam, known for its beautiful houses, nice restaurants and original shops. When in Amsterdam, it is a must to stroll through the little streets and canals.

On the many bridges over the canals, you can take beautiful pictures and see why Amsterdam is called the Venice of the North. Popular streets in the Jordaan are the Prinsengracht, the Westerstraat, Haarlemmerstraat and the ‘9 straatjes’ (nine little streets).

The Jordaan was built in the early 17th century to house working class and immigrants. A large stream of refugees from France, England, Spain, Portugal and other countries came to Amsterdam in the 17th and 18th century, seeking freedom. Amsterdam was known for its tolerance towards other political and religious beliefs.

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2. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is one of sixteen national museums in the Netherlands. The collection offers an overview of Dutch art and history, including works by 17th-century Dutch masters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer and Hals.

Address: Museumstraat 1, 1071 XX Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: www.rijksmuseum.nl

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3. Historic Binnenhof, The Hague

The Binnenhof is a complex of buildings in the city centre of The Hague, Netherlands, next to the Hofvijver lake. It houses the meeting place of both houses of the States General of the Netherlands, as well as the Ministry of General Affairs and the office of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands.

Built primarily in the 13th century, the Gothic castle originally functioned as residence of the counts of Holland and became the political centre of the Dutch Republic in 1584. It is counted among the Top 100 Dutch heritage sites. The Binnenhof is among the oldest Parliament buildings in the world still in use.

Address: 2513 AA Den Haag, Netherlands

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4. Anne Frank House, Amsterdam

The Anne Frank House is a writer’s house and biographical museum dedicated to Jewish wartime diarist Anne Frank. The building is located on a canal called the Prinsengracht, close to the Westerkerk, in central Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

During World War II, Anne Frank hid from Nazi persecution with her family and four other people in hidden rooms, in the rear building, of the 17th-century canal house, later known as the Secret Annex (Dutch: Achterhuis).

She did not survive the war but her wartime diary was published in 1947. Ten years later the Anne Frank Foundation was established to protect the property from developers who wanted to demolish the block.

Address: Prinsengracht 263-267, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: www.annefrank.org

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5. Oude Haven, Rotterdam

The Oude Haven is one of the oldest ports in Rotterdam, in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is located in the center of the city, south-east of Rotterdam Blaak station.

After the dam of the Rotte through the Middeldam at what is now the Hoogstraat, a stub of the river remained to the south with a connection to the Maas, surrounded by marshland. The first jetty was built here around 1350.

Today the Oude Haven is a well-known and busy nightlife area with cafes and restaurants with terraces on the water, close to the famous cube houses, the White House and the adjacent Marine Museum. Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences has a branch nearby.

Address: Leuvehaven 1, 3011 EA Rotterdam, Netherlands
Website: www.maritiemmuseum.nl

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6. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

The Van Gogh Museum is a Dutch art museum dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries in the Museum Square in Amsterdam South, close to the Stedelijk Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Concertgebouw.

The museum opened on 2 June 1973, and its buildings were designed by Gerrit Rietveld and Kisho Kurokawa.

The museum contains the largest collection of Van Gogh’s paintings and drawings in the world.

Address: Museumplein 6, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: www.vangoghmuseum.nl

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7. The Windmills of Kinderdijk

The windmills at Kinderdijk are a group of 19 monumental windmills in the Alblasserwaard polder, in the province of South Holland, Netherlands.

Most of the mills are part of the village of Kinderdijk in the municipality of Molenlanden, and one mill, De Blokker, is part of the municipality of Alblasserdam.

Built in 1738 and 1740, to keep water out of the polder, it is the largest concentration of old windmills in the Netherlands and one of the best-known Dutch tourist sites.

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8. De Hoge Veluwe National Park

De Hoge Veluwe National Park is a Dutch national park in the province of Gelderland near the cities of Ede, Wageningen, Arnhem and Apeldoorn.

It is approximately 55 km2 (14,000 acres; 21 sq mi) in area, consisting of heathlands, sand dunes, and woodlands. It is situated in the Veluwe, the area of the largest terminal moraine in the Netherlands. Most of the landscape of the park and the Veluwe was created during the last ice age.

The alternating sand dune areas and heathlands may have been caused by human utilization of the surrounding lands. The park forms one of the largest continuous nature reserves in the Netherlands.

Address: Houtkampweg 6, Otterlo, Netherlands

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9. Cathedral Square, Utrecht

Dom Square (Domplein) is the beating heart of trecht. It is where the city’s origins lie. Climb to the top of the impressive Dom Tower, go underground to learn about 2,000 years of history or visit St. Martin’s Cathedral.

Address: Achter de Dom 1, 3512 JN Utrecht, Netherlands
Web: www.domkerk.nl

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10. The IJsselmeer (Zuiderzee)

The IJsselmeer is a closed off inland bay in the central Netherlands. Two thousand years ago Pomponius Mela, a Roman geographer, mentioned a complex of lakes at the current location of the IJsselmeer. He called it Lacus Flevo.

Over the centuries, the lake banks crumbled away due to flooding and wave action and the lake grew considerably.

The IJsselmeer is used for transport and fishing. It also offers a number of opportunities for recreational activity, both on the water and on its shores.

Due to the shallowness of the IJsselmeer, the Markermeer and the bordering lakes, its cities and fishing villages remained mostly unspoilt and have many historical buildings.