EAST OF AMSTERDAM
Map: East of Amsterdam Day Trips
Most of this book’s coverage hugs the western part of Holland. But some interesting sights lie to the east of Amsterdam. Near the German border, on the outskirts of Arnhem, are two very different, but equally fascinating, museums: one devoted to Dutch culture, and one to 20th-century art and sculpture. And halfway between Amsterdam and Arnhem is the hub city of Utrecht, with beautiful canals, lively student bustle, and several good museums.
Utrecht and Arnhem are on the same train line and complement each other well. But because Arnhem’s two big sights are time-consuming to reach by public transportation, it’s not practical to combine everything in one day. So it’s smart to choose: Do both museums near Arnhem in one very long day from Amsterdam; pick one Arnhem museum to focus on, then stop in Utrecht on your way back to Amsterdam; visit only Utrecht; or spend the night in Otterlo, near the Kröller-Müller Museum, to buy yourself more time for this area.
DESTINATIONS
▲Utrecht
This medieval city located in the heart of the country is known for its lively downtown core, good museums (including the Netherlands’ top railway museum), and double-decker canals with a particularly fun café scene.
Museums near Arnhem
Allow an extremely long day to visit the open-air and modern-art museums (note the art museum is closed Mon Sept-April); you’ll need to leave Amsterdam by 8:00. If you stay overnight near the art museum (in Otterlo), you’ll have more time to fit in Utrecht’s train museum on your return to Amsterdam.
▲▲Netherlands Open-Air Museum: Holland’s original and biggest open-air museum is also one of its best, sprinkling traditional buildings from around Holland across a delightful park and populating them with chatty docents who provide a flavor of old-time lifestyles.
▲▲Kröller-Müller Museum: This superb modern-art museum features the world’s second-largest collection of Van Goghs and a sculpture garden. Located on the outskirts of Arnhem, it’s set within the vast Hoge Veluwe National Park—a fun place to explore on a bike (available for free).