The Netherlands is a densely populated country in part reclaimed from
the sea with about half of its land lying below sea level. Many tourist
only come to the Netherlands to visit Amsterdam.
But Holland has plenty to offer outside its capital. Crisscrossed with
canals, the flat landscape is perfect for cycling with historic town
centers, classic windmills and other tourist spots sprinkled across the
country. In the west and north the long coastline is marked by mile upon
mile of protective dunes and sandy beaches. During springtime the
flower gardens become great
tourist attractions in the Netherlands providing a bold spectacle of vivid colors.
10. Delta Project 
The Delta Project or Delta Works are a series of constructions built
between 1950 and 1997 in the provinces of Zeeland and South Holland to
protect large areas of land from the sea. The works consist of dams,
sluices, locks, dikes, and storm surge barriers. They have been declared
one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of
Civil Engineers.
The Vrijthof is the best-known city square in Maastricht, a city in
the southern most part of the Netherlands. It features the massive Saint
Servatius Church and Saint Jan’s Cathedral. The Vrijthof regularly
hosts large festivals at various times throughout the year, including
autumn and winter festivals.
8. Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum in
Amsterdam
is the largest and most prestigious museum for art and history in the
Netherlands. It has a large collection of paintings from the Dutch
Golden Age including works by Vermeer and Rembrandt. Until 2013, the
museum is being completely renovated, but the major masterpieces are
still on show.
7. Kinderdijk
More than 1.000 old windmills still exist in the Netherlands. The
largest concentration of Dutch windmills can be found near the village
of Kinderdijk (“Children’s dike”). To drain the excess water from the
polders, which are situated below sea-levels, 19 windmills were built
around 1740. They have been well preserved to the present day and are
now popular tourist attractions in the Netherlands.
6. Hoge Veluwe
The Hoge Veluwe National Park is one of the largest continuous nature
reserves in the Netherlands, consisting of heathlands, sand dunes, and
woodlands. The Kröller-Müller Museum with it large collection of
paintings by Vincent van Gogh is located within the park. Bicycles are
available for free to visitors of the Hoge Veluwe, with much of the area
being inaccessible by car.
5. Keukenhof Gardens
Keukenhof Gardens is the world’s largest flower garden, and actually a
promotion for the Dutch flower industry. Approximately seven million
flower bulbs are planted annually in the park with not only tulips, but
also hyacinths, daffodils and other spring flowers on display. The
gardens are open from the last week in March to mid-May. Keukenhof is
one of the most visit tourist attractions in the Netherlands.
The City Hall in Delft is a Renaissance style building on the Markt
square across from the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church). Originally designed by
the Dutch architect Hendrick de Keyser, it was heavily changed over the
centuries and was restored in the 20th century to its Renaissance
appearance.
3. West Frisian Islands
The West Frisian Islands or Waddeneilanden in Dutch are a chain of
islands in the North Sea off the Dutch coast. They continue further east
as the German East Frisian Islands. The islands separate the North Sea
from the shallow Wadden Sea, with tidal mud flats. Under the supervision
of licensed guides several islands can be reached by walking on the
mudflats during low tides. On the islands cycling is the most favorable
means of transport.
2. Leiden Canals
Leiden is known for the oldest university in the Netherlands, the
birthplace of Rembrandt and its beautiful canals. The two branches of
the Old Rhine enter Leiden on the east and unite in the city center
which also contains several smaller canals. The old center of Leiden is
one of the largest 17th century town centers in the Netherlands, second
only to Amsterdam.
1. Canals of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
began building its famous canals in the 17th century during the Dutch
Golden Age. The three main canals, Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and
Keizersgracht form concentric belts around the city, known as the
grachtengordel. Today there are over 100 km (60 miles) of canals and
1,500 bridges. Alongside the main canals are 1550 monumental buildings.
