Trips to the Netherlands

This summer, I had the chance to do an internship abroad and more precisely in Hengelo, in the Netherlands.These two months of internship allowed me to travel a lot within this country.Over time, I will therefore add my new little finds in the Netherlands to this blog.Be careful, this is only the beginning... 👀

To give you an idea of my most beautiful discoveries here, you will find the cities below classified from my favorites to the one I liked the least.

Mon itinéraire

My destinations

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, with more than 920,000 inhabitants, called Amsterdammers, making this municipality the most populous in the country. Amsterdam is a very charming city, filled with semi-circular shaped canals connected by perpendicular canals, forming a 'spider's web'. Having made most of the 'big cities' in the Netherlands, Amsterdam really is the citythe most touristy, but still not to be missed!

On the cultural side, Amsterdam is home to many museums, such as the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum (collection on the history of Amsterdam), the Stedelijk Museum (modern art), the Anne Frank House and many more still others. As for museums, find out well in advance to make sure you have room. To give you an idea, for the Van Gogh museum and the Anne Frank house, count at least 3 weeks before your trip in the middle of summer to take your places.

If you plan to use public transport within Amsterdam, I strongly advise you to take out a GVB card for the duration of your stay. To give you an idea, for one day (24 hours), it cost me 9€. You can get one directly at the metro terminal or at a ticket office in the station.

Zaandam et Zaanse Schans

Zaandam is a Dutch town located in the municipality of Zaanstad, located a few kilometers from the capital. It is accessible by train or bus about 30min from Amsterdam. Zaandam is crossed by the Zaan River and is near the North Sea Canal.The city center is not extremely large, but is worth a detour due to its very atypical architecture near the station.

The Netherlands are very rich in terms of painting and as far as this small town is concerned, the French painter Claude Monet had painted many canvases in Zaandam during the summer of 1871, in particular Houses on the banks of the Zaan.

Not far from Zanndam (two stops by train), you can find an area of the famous Dutch mills located in Zaanse Schans.

La Haye (Den Haag)

The Hague is a municipality in the Netherlands and the third largest city after Amsterdam and Rotterdam in terms of population. The Hague hosts several institutions, including the States General, the Supreme Court and the Council of State. You can also find the official residences of the King (Huis ten Bosch) and the Prime Minister of the Netherlands (Catshuis).

The Hague has a very cute and pleasant city center.In this one, you can find some museums for art lovers, such as the Mauritshuis museum (Dutch paintings). For miniature museum enthusiasts, you can find the Madurodam Museum (Holland in Miniature), representing in the form of models most of the emblematic monuments/items of the Netherlands. You will find fields of flowers, windmills, the Peace Palace, and many more!I

advise you to take a short detour to the beach at the end of the evening, to admire a magnificent sunset in front of the Skyview of Pier (Ferris Wheel).

For car lovers, you cannot come to The Hague without taking a detour to the Louwman Museum! It is located a few kilometers from the center of The Hague and is home not far from 250 vintage cars. You will then be able to admire magnificent old and recent automobiles, horse-drawn carriages (vehicle equipped with two or four wheels, whose traction is ensured by horses) as well as motorcycles.

Here's a little preview of what awaits you... 👀 Count at least 2/3 hours on site to have time to take a good look at everything!

In terms of gastronomy (not very local between us, but delicious) I recommend the Anne&Max brunch for lunch and the Walter Benedict restaurant for a small brunch or dinner at the end of the evening! I leave you with these few photos that speak for themselves!

Rotterdam

Rotterdam is a municipality located in the province of South Holland.It is the second city of the Netherlands in number of inhabitants after the capital Amsterdam. Rotterdam is located at the mouth of the Rhine and the Meuse, giving it a strategic commercial place in European trade. In 2014, Rotterdam was the eighth port in the world and the first port in Europe.

In terms of architecture, you can find the very modern city center and a rather out-of-the-way older part. I advise you to take a tour of the old Rotterdam, a few kilometers from the city center (Delfshaven district). As for the center of Rotterdam, I advise you to stroll along the edge of the port to admire the impressive ships and visit the maritime museum for enthusiasts.

An unmissable detour, don't forget to take a walk among the cubic houses not far from the city centre!

In terms of gastronomy, if you are around the port at mealtime, I advise you to stop for a small burger (delicious and rather hearty) on board the boat and the V11 restaurant, to stay in the theme!

Utrecht

Utrecht is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands.It is a city located in the center of the country, young and dynamic. Utrecht is well known for its cathedral and its university.

Strolling through the alleys of Utrecht is very pleasant. You can find many canals surrounded by shops and restaurants. Count at least one afternoon on site, to make the most of it.

Deft

Delft is a city located between The Hague and Rotterdam. It has a historic center dating from the 13th century, and developed into an industrial city in the 19th century until today. Delft has the largest technical university in the Netherlands and the research institutes TNO and Deltares, which makes it a student city, like Utrecht.

While strolling in Delft, you will come across a lot of canals. Delft has a large square in the center where you can admire the historic city center. It is beautiful and worth the detour.

Parc national De Hoge Veluwe

One of my big favourites!

De Hoge Veluwe National Park is one of the largest national parks in the Netherlands, spanning 54.5 km of dunes and forests. This park was bought by Hélène Kröller-Müller and Anton Kröller at the beginning of the 20th century and then bequeathed to the Dutch State nearly 100 years ago, in 1935.

This park is home to unique landscapes and many protected species. Within this park, you can find the famous Kröller-Müller museum located in the center, housing many paintings and sculptures.

To get to this natural park, you can go by car to the Schaarsbergen entrance for the bravest (located 10km from the center of the park), to the Hoenderloo entrance (located 4km from the center) or to the Otterlo entrance (located 3km from the centre). I strongly advise you to go to the Schaarsbergen entrance, to be able to explore the whole park and thus discover all the landscapes.Entrance to the park costs €13 and gives you access to bicycles. Bikes are essential to be able to travel the length and breadth of the park in a day.I strongly advise you to spend a full day there to have time to do everything (especially if you plan to do the Kröller-Müller museum).

Zwolle

Zwolle is a fortified town located in the province of Overijssel 80 kilometers northeast of the capital Amsterdam. Zwolle is one of the most important cities in the north of the Netherlands.The city is located on the Zwarte Water river and also on the banks of the IJssel river. Like most cities in the Netherlands, you will therefore be able to find canals, but this time larger and located outside the city center.

Zwolle is a very cute city, with quite a big city center (bigger than Delft). Count at least one day on site to have time to visit everything. For museum lovers, I advise you to go to the Museum de Fondatie, located not far from the city center.

Deventer

Deventer is a town located in the province of Overijssel. The city now has approximately 101,440 inhabitants. It is a city steeped in history where you can find fabulous monuments. While strolling there, you will see many more or less large stores as well as magnificent squares. Do not hesitate to take a short tour of the canal, it is very pleasant to walk there.

Groningue

Groningen is a city located in the North of the Netherlands.Today, there are approximately 199,000 inhabitants, making it one of the ten largest cities in the Netherlands. Its economic life is mainly based on its businesses. Indeed, within Groningen, you can find a very large city center made up of many shops of all kinds. Groningen is also a student city. Almost one in four inhabitants is enrolled in a university and half of the inhabitants are under 35, making it the "youngest" city in the Netherlands.

In my opinion, it's not the most beautiful city in the Netherlands, however if you're in the area, it's still worth a look.If you want to spend an afternoon shopping, this city is perfect for you!