SOUTH OF AMSTERDAM
Map: South of Amsterdam Day Trips
▲▲Leiden
Most of the Netherlands’ most historic and interesting cities—as if purposefully arranged by the tourist board—line up along a single train line that runs south from Amsterdam.
With trains running at least every 15 minutes, it takes just over an hour to conveniently lace together Amsterdam, Haarlem, Leiden, The Hague, Delft, and Rotterdam. A couple of flowery destinations off the main train line—the Keukenhof garden show and the Aalsmeer flower auction—are also worth a visit.
As you travel through the countryside, make a point to look out the window for a glimpse of the Netherlands both past and present. Overstuffed cows moo contentedly in pastures, canals big and small turn pristine fields into graph paper, old-fashioned windmills spin, sleek modern bike paths trace canals and train tracks, idyllic pea patches burst with produce watched over by little potting sheds, and so on. The trip is a sightseeing treat in itself.
The towns themselves are so different yet all unmistakably Dutch. Familiarize yourself with your options so you can hop out at whichever place intrigues you...and enjoy. In most cases, the train drops you right in the heart of town or just a short and scenic stroll away.
The towns in this section are neatly bookended by a pair of home-base cities: Haarlem (to the north, near Amsterdam) and Delft (to the south, near Rotterdam). From either of these bases—or from Amsterdam itself—you can reach any of these destinations in a quick hop.
Notice that sleepy, accessible Delft—with its mellow pace, postcard-perfect canals, and generous selection of hotels and restaurants—is sandwiched between the big cities of The Hague and Rotterdam (both interesting but less appealing to stay in). Delft is basically a bedroom community for both cities—close enough that you could make the connection on bicycle rather than on rails.
If you need a beach fix, try Scheveningen (near The Hague, listed on here) or Zandvoort (near Haarlem, described on here).
DESTINATIONS
One of the best destinations in this region—Delft—is covered earlier in this book. The €15.50 Zuid-Holland Tourist Day Ticket covers all of south Holland (see https://touristdaytickets.com).
▲Keukenhof and Aalsmeer
Flower lovers have two very different choices:
Keukenhof: The can’t-miss-it garden show in the town of Lisse, rated ▲▲▲, is open from late March to mid-May.
Royal FloraHolland Aalsmeer Flower Auction: This vast warehouse near Schiphol Airport shows you the business side of the Netherlands’ beautiful flower scene (weekday mornings year-round).
▲▲Leiden
With its prestigious university, this pleasant small city—which was also the birthplace of Rembrandt—is the Netherlands’ answer to Cambridge or Oxford. It offers visitors a low-impact, fun-to-explore cityscape of canals and old ivy-covered university buildings, as well as more and better museums than other Dutch cities of its size (American Pilgrim Museum closed Sun-Wed; Windmill and Lakenhal Museums closed Mon).
▲The Hague
This big-city seat of Dutch government is a sleepy, modern-feeling town with a tourable parliament complex (likely closed for renovations) and a smattering of good museums. But the reason most visitors come is to tour the excellent Mauritshuis museum with its remarkable collection of Dutch Masters art—including Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring.
▲▲Rotterdam
Europe’s largest port is built for trade much mightier than tourism, and its lack of cutesy wooden-shoe culture makes for a harsh contrast with most other Dutch towns. Still, it’s a remarkable city, bombed during World War II and rebuilt with a gleaming skyline. A bike ride through its towering skyscrapers and a sightseeing harbor cruise provide a dose of honest Holland you’ll find nowhere else.