Netherlands Off The Beaten Path

  Windmill Oranjemolen
by vtveen
 
  • Windmill Oranjemolen
      Windmill Oranjemolen
    by vtveen
  • The small port of Marken
      The small port of Marken
    by Pijlmans
  • Barge leaving the Locks
      Barge leaving the Locks
    by hanleo46
  • SONNEVELD HOUSE
      SONNEVELD HOUSE
    by ATLC
  •   Off The Beaten Path
    by leics
 

Most Viewed Off The Beaten Path in Netherlands

1.

Daytrip outside Amsterdam: Volendam / Edam / Marken / Monnickendam   Amsterdam

Daytrip outside Amsterdam: Volendam / Edam / Marken / Monnickendam, Amsterdam

 29 Reviews  A beautiful town which still retains much of its "fishing village" past, although it now relies on the tourist trade and the shops, restaurants and cafes focus on satisfying the demands of the 21st... 

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2.

Kinderdijk (around Rotterdam)   Rotterdam

Kinderdijk (around Rotterdam), Rotterdam

 4 Reviews  Whenever you will get the chance, you could pay a visit to Kinderdijk/Childsdike. Here you may watch the best of many windmills together in Holland. The same windwills Neil Diamond sang about ... The... 

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3.

Surrounding places and cities   The Hague

Surrounding places and cities, The Hague

 16 Reviews   Rijswijk is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a suburb of The Hague. I visited the NEA Transport Hogeschool (NTH), a university of... 

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4.

Surrounding area   Maastricht

Surrounding area, Maastricht

 35 Reviews  Postwar Maastricht develloped itself in a fast way; new suburbs were created in a srtict tempo. As in the early 60's the suburbs Belfort and Daalhof came into being, local authorities decided that the... 

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5.

Zandvoort   Haarlem

Zandvoort, Haarlem

 3 Reviews  Not really off the beaten path, since millions of people go to Zandvoort every year. Zandvoort is one of the most important seaside resorts. It is famous for it's long beach (9 km), it's casino and... 

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6.

Surrounding area   Utrecht

Surrounding area, Utrecht

 11 Reviews  In and around the city Utrecht, there are 8 stone forts (small fortresses) to be found, which symbolize some of the history of the city in the Netherlands. 5 of these forts can be found in the city,... 

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7.

Coffeeshops   Eindhoven

Coffeeshops, Eindhoven

 1 Review  Lots of coffeeshops in Eindhoven, in every district as well in the center. In our district Gestel close to my home isIndian Dylan On the Stratumseind 95, there is a pub called "De Bakkerij", in the... 

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8.

Castle   Breda

Castle, Breda

 8 Reviews  Our guide a real "Bredanaar" (person who lived all his live in Breda) here in the picture, told us that this is the original castle door, in the old days it has two stairs beside each other, because... 

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9.

Surrounding area   Tilburg

Surrounding area, Tilburg

 8 Reviews  Not far from Tilburg (between Kaatsheuvel and Drunen) there is a very beautiful and exceptional area. It's part of a national park (2400 hectares). In summer and during the weekends many people go out... 

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10.

Rokkeveen   Zoetermeer

Rokkeveen, Zoetermeer

 13 Reviews  Rokkeveen was built from 1981 by a new generation of planologists. The suburb is planned in geometrical pieces around the water tower (which I did not photograph although I drove past it). Each... 

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11.

Daytrip outside Amsterdam: Zaanse Schans   Amsterdam

Daytrip outside Amsterdam: Zaanse Schans, Amsterdam

 19 Reviews  This was the highlight of my visit, actually getting inside a historic windmill and actually seeing the working movements of the mill. These windmills are hundreds of years old and were moved to... 

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12.

Sonneveld house   Rotterdam

Sonneveld house, Rotterdam

 12 Reviews  Note the lights in the ceiling. The original Gispen furniture. The central heating which has not changed shape till the present day. The only difference now would be that the curtains would be to the... 

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13.

City fun   The Hague

City fun, The Hague

 14 Reviews  Every year, The Hague celebrates an event that's called Haagse Koninginnenach (Queen's Night Of The Hague). On this evening there's a lot of live music on different stages (music squares for this... 

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14.

St. Pietersberg   Maastricht

St. Pietersberg, Maastricht

 4 Reviews  Grotten St. Pietersberg-Noordelijk gangenstelsel Address Luikerweg 71, 6212 NH Maastricht Entrance fees Adults € 3.25 Children (-12) €2.25 These are the caves of the St. Pietersberg just outside... 

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15.

Parks   Haarlem

Parks, Haarlem

 7 Reviews  In summer it's very nice to visit the recreation area of Spaarnwoude. It lays in between Haarlem and Amsterdam near Halfweg. You can picknick here, go swimming in the clean water, go rowing in a boat... 

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16.

Old architecture   Utrecht

Old architecture, Utrecht

 4 Reviews  This castle is build in the late 19th century, it replaced a old former castle. In the grounds used to be a village, but it has been rebuild, and the village, called Haarzuilen is a nice little one.... 

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17.

Pihilips Factory   Eindhoven

Pihilips Factory, Eindhoven

 1 Review  The Philips Incandescent Lamp Factory of 1891 In the oldest Philips factory building an impression is given of how incandescent lamps were made over a hundred years ago. It is probably the only... 

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18.

Museums   Breda

Museums, Breda

 4 Reviews  Stanislaw Maczek was a Polish general who liberated Breda in 1944. He was made an honorary citizen of the city. When he died in 1994 at 102 years of age, he was flown to Breda to be buried at the... 

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19.

Train station   Zoetermeer

Train station, Zoetermeer

 4 Reviews  there's the superb entry to the pedestrian bridge again. Halfway there is the train station running along the motorway A12 between The Hague and Utrecht (passing Gouda which is another of my special... 

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20.

Outside Amsterdam   Amsterdam

Outside Amsterdam, Amsterdam

 46 Reviews  Four authentic "banning poles" or "boundary stakes" (banpaal in Dutch) can be found around Amsterdam. In 1544 emperor Charles V granted Amsterdam the right to ban criminals, vagabonds and other... 

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21.

Schiedam (around Rotterdam)   Rotterdam

Schiedam (around Rotterdam), Rotterdam

 3 Reviews  BTW: ... you want to see the tallest windmills of the whole world? Go for a travel to Schiedam. When in Rotterdam you donot need to go far away. Schiedam is between Rotterdam and Vlaardingen and it... 

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22.

Internet café   The Hague

Internet café, The Hague

 3 Reviews  Ookiedook, ... don't worry, The Hague got Cafe Internet, and some Internet "cyber-shops". You can find these here >>> Public Library Spui 68 2511 BT Den Haag Phone/fax: (+31) (0)70 353 44... 

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23.

Hofjes   Haarlem

Hofjes, Haarlem

 6 Reviews  There are several hofje (what we would call 'almshouses' in the UK) in Haarlem (as in other Dutch towns/cities). Basically, they were created to provide housing for the elderly from the 1600s onwards... 

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24.

Canals   Utrecht

Canals, Utrecht

 3 Reviews  Just a tip, there are a few operators who can give you a great time if you try one of those "party boats" you got to be with at least a few people, but then in summer you will have a great time on... 

 See All 38 Off The Beaten Path in Utrecht

25.

Parks   Eindhoven

Parks, Eindhoven

 2 Reviews  Look closely in the parks!! Day or night, you'll often see ducks and rabits having fun!! :) I have never seen so many rabits..they just run all ver the place.. I just thought it was cool. Specially... 

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

DUTCH RECORD SHOPS (outside Amsterdam)

by pieter_jan_v

N-HOLLANDDROPSTYLE-Grote Oost 3-HoornPEPERBACK-Westerstr.19-EnkhuizenGOOD TIMES-Wageweg 74-AlkmaarDE TWEEDE RONDE-Laat 54a-AlkmaarVELVET (Pop_Eye)-Boterstr 10-AlkmaarYESTERDAY AND TODAY-Wandelweg 104-WormerveerDE MUZIEK FREAK-Raadhuisstr.41-Koog aan de ZaanDE PLATENKELDER-Zuiddijk 107-ZaandamDE JONG JUKEBOX SINGLES-Kaasmarkt 11-PurmerendTONI MUSIC-Heereweg 212A-LisseDISCOUNT-Oostermeent West 15-HuizenFRIESLANDKING KONG RECORDS-Voorstreek 11-LeeuwardenDéjà Vu-Slotmakersstr.1a-LeeuwardenGRONINGENSWINGMASTER-Kruitlaan 21-GroningenPLATENWORM-Steentilstr.8-GroningenZINNEBEELD-Pelsterstr.14-GroningenOVERIJSSELDISKID-Vechtstr.35-ZwolleMINSTREL MUSIC - Assendorpstr.95-1-ZwolleFEEDBACK-Gronausestr.90-LosserGELDERLANDFREAKS-Asselsestr.72-ApeldoornVELVET-Maandereind 40-EdePLAY IT AGAIN-Zwanenstr.17-ArnhemWAAGHALS-Walstr.15-ArnhemWAAGHALS-Achter de Hoofdwacht 7-NijmegenVINYLARCHIEF-Lange...

Good Times - Alkmaar
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hop on hop off tourist bus-Amsterdam

by gwened

no time take the tourist bus, want an overall view of the city to decide which ones to hit in detail ,there is the tourist bus. Useful, handy, available, let others drive for you. And you are above ground to see it all.nice way for a family to take it and decide what to come back later on.

hop on hop off bus by Centraal
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Mildam - Ecocathedral

by vtveen

An ecocathedral can be defined as a stacked structure of residual materials from pavers, such as paving stones, clinker bricks, concrete bollards and curbs. This kind of material is arranged from the year of 1982 into a complex structure, in which nature has an equal share. There are no construction drawings, but the shape of the structures depend on the supplied building material. The project was started by Louis Le Roy - a famous Dutch architect. After Le Roy deceased in 2012 the project will be continued by a foundation and volunteers still stack the rough material. The work will continue as there is no end time to capture. The importance of the time factor in spatial processes and working with complex, dynamic systems is the significance of Le Roy’s ideas behind the project. It was quite difficult to find the ecocathedral near Mildam; as it is not considered a touristic attraction by...

Ecocathedral / Ecokathedraal
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Lemmer – Woudagemaal

by vtveen

The ir. D.F. Woudagemaal in Lemmer, opened in 1920 by Queen Wilhelmina, is the largest steam-driven pumping station in the world still in use. Even today the monumental pumping station ensures that the people of Friesland keep their feet dry during high water. When that happens, the ‘cathedral of steam’ pumps up over four million litres of water per minute from the Frisian ‘boezem’ (drainage pool) into the IJsselmeer.I really have to admit that our visit to the Woudagemaal was not what we planned to do. We were rather late and there were no guided tours (visits are only possible as part of a guided tour), also because the huge steam cathedral had to be prepared for a function. We had to be satisfied with a view of the outside of the impressive building, built in the typical Amsterdam School architecture of architect Berlage, with its sober ornamentation. We walked around the building and...

Lemmer - Woudagemaal
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Joure, Douwe Egberts ‘vlecke’

by vtveen

Douwe Egberts is the most well known and famous Dutch coffee roaste. Already in 1753 Egbert Douwes opened a shop in Joure, named "De Witte Os’’, selling a large variety of goods: coffee, tobacco and tea were their main products, but they also sold sweets, sugar, rice, vermicelli, chicory, cinnamon, saffron, syrup, vinegar, chocolate and dried fruit.His son Douwe Egberts was also in ‘coffee business’ and joined his parents. Although his father was well known in Joure, it was Douwe Egberts who was responsible for the expansion of the company and still has the name ‘Douwe Egberts’.Joure calls itself a ‘vlecke’ (a Frisian word), indicating a place larger than a village, but smaller than a town. Yet it is very pleasant to walk around enjoying the quiet Frisian way of life. Everywhere in the village one can feel and smell the history of Douwe Egberts. When arriving in Joure you can not miss...

Joure - De Witte Os
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Franeker - Eise Eisinga Planetarium

by vtveen

Eise Eisinga - a local wool carder – built between 1774 and 1781 an accurate scale model of the solar system in the living room of his house. An upcoming planetary conjunction - that some people said would mean the end of the world - launched him into this activity. Eisinga wanted to use his model to show how the solar system really worked.During our visit of the city of Franeker the Eise Eisinga Planetarium was an absolute ‘must see’ sight for us. We were just in time to join a guided tour in our own Dutch language. We went with a couple of other visitors into the living room of Eise Eisinga, where we got an extensive explanation of the construction and functioning of his planetarium in the ceiling of this marvelous room. It is absolutely stunning that this model is still working and showing the accurate and actual position of the planets, stars and our moon for about 225...

Franeker - Eise Eisinga Planetarium and cafe
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Sloten, the smallest of the 11 Frisian cities

by vtveen

The province of Friesland has 11 cities, world famous for its ‘Elfstedentocht’; a (speed) skating tour and competition, conducted on frozen canals, streams and lakes and along these 11 cities. Sloten was founded in the 13th century on a crossing of a road and the river Ee and became an important trade centre. On August 30 of the year of 1426 it first was mentioned as a city and at the end of the 16th century Sloten became a fortified town with four gates and a wall and moat around the town.The history of the city is reflected in its centre with its protected views in a pedestrian area.Nowadays Sloten is a pleasant town, popular by people who love watersports (as everywhere in Friesland), biking or hiking. A visit to Sloten means walking along the canal ‘Het Diep’, which divides the town in two parts, with several historic merchants houses from the 17th and 18th century. Looking to the...

Sloten: Het Diep
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Alkmaar - inevitable cheese market

by vtveen

When having holidays in the Netherlands and you are somewhere around Alkmaar/Amsterdam on a Friday (April till September) you really should consider visiting the most famous cheesemarket of the Netherlands. For us it was a ‘new’ visit after about 30 years and we enjoyed it very much.Of course it is quite a touristy site and during our visit with splendid weather there were crowds in the city and especially on the Waagplein. There were rows of spectators, but with a little bit patience - perhaps 5 or 10 minutes - we got a place at the fence.We arrived at 10.45 am and the square in front of the beautiful weighing house had still a lot of cheeses (the later you come, the less cheeses are left !!). White dressed cheese carriers pick up 8 cheeses on a wooden barrow and are (almost) running - the cheese carriers dribble - with this rather heavy load of about 125 kilos to the Waag, where it is...

Alkmaar - Waagplein with cheese market
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Bronkhorst, one of the smallest CITIES

by vtveen

When visiting Bronkhorst almost nobody will say this village is a real city with 'city rights'. In a matter of fact this settlement became these rights already in the year of 1482. The little church at the square even dates from 1344 !!But the 'city' did never increase and has almost the same size as it had in the middle ages. A lot of buildings are from this period and walking around on the cobble stoned streets we always feel if we are walking back in time.Bronkhorst is situated on the eastern bank the river IJssel, between the towns of Zutphen and Doesburg. The most original way to come to Bronkhorst is by using the small ferry (pedestrians, bikes and cars) over the river from Brummen.Just stroll along the narrow streets, take a look in one of the galleries, visit the Dickens Museum, do some shopping, walk to the old Jewish Cemetery or have a coffee or tea on one of the side walk...

Bronkhorst: town square
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Arnhem - Winter in the ‘Open Air Museum’

by vtveen

On one of the coldest days of the year (2006) we went to the Netherlands Open Air Museum (Nederlands Openluchtmuseum) to experience ‘the Winter in the Museum’. Since a couple of years the museum is also open during the winter season, which means from early December till mid January (see for openinghours the website of the museum). During this time there are special winter activities in the museum. The most remarkable is the outside skating ring, where one can enjoy ice skating and it is no problem if you don’t have your own skates, you can borrow them free of charge.Every day there are different (winter) activities like demonstrations of old Dutch crafts, singing of a choir in a church, a procession with lanterns for children and baking bread on open fires. We saw also a movie with pictures of some real Dutch winters.Of course a lot of the old buildings, farmhouses and mills are open and...

Open Air Museum: winter
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Top 3 Hotels in Netherlands

Banks Mansion Hotel  Amsterdam

 5 Reviews and 802 Opinions  “But New Amsterdam remained comparatively intact. The tongues of nearly every European nation were... 

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The Manhattan Hotel Rotterdam  Rotterdam

 6 Reviews and 204 Opinions  Right opposite Rotterdam Centraal train station on Weena, is the imposing 5 star Westin hotel. It... 

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Novotel Maastricht  Maastricht

 4 Reviews and 84 Opinions  It's great to see and witness that the hotel has a heated outdoor swimming pool, which you can use... 

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Netherlands Off The Beaten Path

Reviews and photos of Netherlands off the beaten path posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Netherlands sightseeing.
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