Weekend trips in the Netherlands blog post was first published on Culture Tourist on May 29th 2020. Here is a 2021 updated version.
Are you looking for some nice weekend trips within the Netherlands? There are many great places to visit there, from the national parks, fantastic museums to some charming Dutch towns. With so many choices, it could be hard to pick a place to visit in the Netherlands. To help you out, in this blog post, I’m going to share with you some of my favourite places.
Weekend trips in the Netherlands
The Netherlands may be a small country, but it has plenty to offer to travellers. From the national parks, beach, cultural sights to lovely cities, it has it all. If you’re living in this country, and are looking for some gorgeous holiday destinations in the Netherlands, then keep on reading.
⤷ Read more: Dutch towns you have to visit
How to travel around the Netherlands
The Netherlands is quite a small and compact country, and you can get nearly anywhere within two or three hours. The train was always my first option when travelling in the Netherlands. However, here are some other travel options within the Netherlands, too.
The train system in the Netherlands
The Netherlands is a country with one of the best train systems I’ve ever seen. And I used it a lot during the seven years I lived there. You can just check-in and check-out with your OV Chipkaart, and you don’t need to worry about buying the train tickets at each station.
If you’re living in the Netherlands, it could be helpful to get yourself a discount subscription on all the train trips outside the pick hours. It’s valid during the whole day on weekends, so perfect for those weekend trips within the Netherlands.
If you’re a tourist in the Netherlands, you can easily buy your ticket on one of the yellow machines at each train station. Or, you can check if there are some of the special promotions happening on the NS website.
Driving a car around the Netherlands
The next best thing could be to travel around the Netherlands by car. The roads and highways are pretty good all around the country, and you’ll get anywhere quickly.
Renting a car in the Netherlands
But how to travel around the Netherlands if you don’t have your own car?
Well, you don’t have to worry either, because it’s pretty easy to rent a car in the Netherlands. And you can quickly do it online. I rented a car numerous times there. Especially when going on some of my weekend trips to Flanders. And it always worked great. Check out the website, such as Rental Cars, to have the best selections of cars you can rent in the Netherlands.
However, if you’re living in the Netherlands, then getting a car from Greenwheels or Car2Go could also be a good option.
Hop on a bicycle
The Netherlands is one of the most cycling-friendly countries. There are numerous lovely cycling paths you can explore in the Dutch countryside.
I cycled between Amsterdam and Haarlem many times. But, also explored an area between Haarlem and the coast and cycled through the Dutch dunes a lot.
You can bring your own, or rent a bicycle, during your weekend trip in the Netherlands, and explore the area you’re going to visit that way.
Places to visit in the Netherlands
With numerous lovely places to visit in the Netherlands, it’s quite hard to choose only a few of them for this guide. However, these are some I would recommend to anyone travelling to that beautiful country.
⤷ Read more: Dutch Golden Age Heritage Sites in the Netherlands
Texel Island
Whenever someone asks me for an excellent idea for a weekend trip in the Netherlands, one of my first recommendations is – Texel. It’s an island located in the northern part of the country. With its unique nature and many animals living there, it’s one of the most beautiful areas of the Netherlands.
It’s home to one of the most beautiful Dutch national parks, as well. And it’s filled with some fantastic legends.
Texel Island is perfect for cycling, spending a lot of time in nature and at the beach, making it a lovely weekend destination in the Netherlands.
One of the things I was really amazed by at Texel was how child-friendly it is. I visited with my then two-year-old son. There were so many lovely things to do there with him. Ecomare, a seal shelter and a nature museum, is a wonderful place to learn more about those cute animals. There are many playgrounds and child-friendly cafes and restaurants on the island, too.
⤷ Read more: Perfect weekend on Texel Island
Maastricht
Maastricht is one of the best cities for a weekend break in the Netherlands. It’s also a Dutch city which looks the least Dutch. It’s located on a border with Germany and Belgium. And its architecture, culture and cuisine are very much influenced by its neighbours.
What I loved doing the most in Maastricht was just strolling around and exploring its fantastic architecture. Basilica of Our Lady is a massive Medieval church. It has a massive westwork at its front, which makes it look a bit like a fortress.
Vrijthof Square is home to two impressive medieval churches, too. Romanesque Basilica of Saint Servatius used to be an important pilgrimage site. Next to it is a Gothic Sint-Janskerk, the main Protestant church in Maastricht. You’ll recognise it by its distinctive red tower.
Maastricht was quite an important town back in the Middle Ages. You can see the remains of its old city walls, built back in the 13th and 14th century, in many places in Maastricht. A part of the old city fortification system, Hell’s Gate was built in the 13th century. They are the oldest city gates in the Netherlands, so definitely an interesting place to see when in Maastricht. The city centre is surrounded by some lovely parks that are an excellent place for a stroll during your weekend.
⤷ Read more: Ten things you shouldn’t miss in Maastricht
Haarlem
Haarlem is a charming Dutch town in which you can feel the history on its every corner. Its main square, Groote Markt, is where Haarlem’s most beautiful buildings are. One of the most interesting is Saint Bavo Church, which tower you’ll see from many places in Haarlem. City Hall (where the tourist office is, as well) and the Vleeshal are definitely worth visiting, too.
A small hidden gem is its Archaeological Museum, located in the basement of the Vleeshal. And if you’d like to visit more museums during your stay, be sure to go to Teylers, the oldest museum in the Netherlands. Or to the Frans Hals Museum, dedicated to that former citizen of Haarlem and one of the most famous Dutch painters from the 17th century.
Located just next to the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park, you can easily extend your visit and spend some time in nature. Take a walk through the dunes and spend a day at the beach during your trip to Haarlem, as well.
⤷ Read more: Haarlem Travel Guide
Locations linked to Vincent Van Gogh in Brabant
Brabant is a lovely Dutch region and a great place to spend a weekend in the Netherlands. It’s home to many beautiful towns such as Tilburg, Breda or ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
It was also a place where one of the most famous Dutch painters, Vincent van Gogh was born and worked during his years as a painter in the Netherlands. Locations linked to his life and work are mostly placed in smaller villages like Zundert or Nuenen.
It’s amazing to see the places where that famous painter created some of his beautiful paintings like ‘The Potato Eaters’. You’ll find boards with more info about the paintings and his work on many of those locations.
⤷ Read more: Locations linked to Vincent van Gogh in the Netherlands
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the city with some of the most impressive architecture and street art in the Netherlands. Strolling around it is an entirely different experience than, for example, around Amsterdam.
Some of my favourite buildings there are the Cube Houses, Erasmus Bridge and the Market Hall. If you take a walk around the harbour area, you’ll be amazed by many fantastic modern skyscrapers. It’s definitely quite an unusual sight for the Netherlands.
If you’d like to spend a night in style in Rotterdam, then SS Rotterdam could be an excellent choice for you.
⤷ Read more: Weekend in Rotterdam (with some child-friendly tips)
Hoge Veluwe National Park
Hoge Veluwe is a Dutch national park located in the central part of the Netherlands. It’s one of the only two Dutch national parks that are privately owned. And the only one asking for an entrance fee (11 euros for adults, 5,50 euros for kids).
Besides the fantastic flora and fauna, Hoge Veluwe National Park is home to the Kröller-Müller Museum and its sculpture garden. This is where the second largest collection of Van Gogh’s paintings in the world is located. The museum is also home to a great collection of modern artwork, giving an excellent overview of art between 1850 and 1950.
Its sculpture garden located in the nature of the national park was my favourite area there. Wandering around some beautiful nature and stumbling upon fantastic art along the way is definitely an experience worth a trip to Hoge Veluwe National Park.
⤷ Read more: Kröller-Müller Museum and the area around it
With so many lovely Dutch towns, beautiful national parks and exciting cultural sites, there shouldn’t be a problem finding places to visit in the Netherlands. Hope these ideas for the weekend trips in the Netherlands will help you choose some great destinations to visit.