Netherlands holiday destinations

The Netherlands, also known informally as Holland, is a country in Western Europe with a population of 17 million. Together with 3 island territories in the Caribbean (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba), it forms the main constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The European portion of the Netherlands consists of 12 provinces and borders Germany to the east, Belgium to the south, and the North Sea to the northwest, sharing maritime borders in the North Sea with Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

The 5 largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht (forming the Randstad megalopolis) and Eindhoven (leading the Brabantse Stedenrij). Amsterdam is the country's capital, while The Hague holds the Dutch seat of parliament and government. The Port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe and the world's largest outside East Asia.

"Netherlands" literally means "lower countries", influenced by its low land and flat geography, with only about 50% of its land exceeding 1 metre above sea level. Most of the areas below sea level are artificial. Since the late 16th century, large areas (polders) have been reclaimed from the sea and lakes, amounting to nearly 17% of the country's current land mass. With a population density of 412 people per km² – 507 if water is excluded – the Netherlands is classified as a very densely populated country. Only Bangladesh, South Korea, and Taiwan have both a larger population and higher population density.

Description by Wikipedia

Map of Netherlands

Holiday destinations in Netherlands

Flevoland

Almere (Netherlands)

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Almere is a planned city and municipality in the province of Flevoland, Netherlands, bordering Lelystad and Zeewolde. Almere is the newest city in the Netherlands: the land on which Almere sits, the Southern Flevoland Polder, was reclaimed from the IJsselmeer in 1959-68. The first house was finished in 1976, and Almere became a municipality in 1984. It has the largest population of the municipalities in Flevoland with 202,764 citizens in 2017 and the 7th largest in the Netherlands.

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Gelderland

's-Heerenberg (Netherlands)

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's-Heerenberg is a city on the Dutch-German border, in the Province of Gelderland, Netherlands. It is located about 5 km north of the German Emmerich, and about 12 km south of Doetinchem. It received city rights in 1379. 's-Heerenberg is the location of one of the most important castles of the Netherlands: Huis Bergh. The Huis Bergh contains a panel of the Archangel Gabriel from the famous altar piece Maestà by Duccio.

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Doesburg (Netherlands)

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Doesburg is a municipality and city in the eastern Netherlands in the province of Gelderland. Doesburg received city rights in 1237. The city is situated on the right bank of river IJssel, at the confluence of river Oude IJssel. The municipality of Doesburg is part of the Arnhem-Nijmegen agglomeration region. The historical inner city with several museums and many monuments draw thousands of tourists every year.

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Harderwijk (Netherlands)

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Harderwijk is a municipality and a city almost at the exact geographical center of the Netherlands. Harderwijk is probably known best for the Dolfinarium Harderwijk, a marine mammal park where dolphin shows are held and various other marine mammals and fish are kept. Harderwijk is on the western boundary of the Veluwe region and the southeastern half of the municipality consists largely of forests.

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Slot Loevestein (Netherlands)

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In 1361, a knight called Diederic Loef of Horne built a castle in the middle of the Dutch countryside where the Meuse and Waal rivers converged. At the time, this was a perfect location for levying tolls. Today, it’s the ideal spot for a day out with friends, family or colleagues. You can also use the castle as a venue for your parties or conventions, or even as a place to spend the night. There's something here for everyone, be it in the castle, on the outer bailey or in the garrison. In the museum, you can learn virtually everything there is to know about Hugo Grotius, the Middle Ages and the Hollandic Water Line.

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Winterswijk (Netherlands)

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Winterswijk, also known as Winterswiek or Wenters, is a municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands. It has a population of 28,999 and is situated in the Achterhoek, which lies in the easternmost part of the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. After 1870 the town became a centre for textiles, such as spinning and weaving and indeed the Tricot fabriek employed a large proportion of the local population in its heyday. In 1878 the railway line to Zutphen was built primarily for the textile industry, which was set up by Jan Willink.

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Zutphen (Netherlands)

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Zutphen is a city and municipality located in the province of Gelderland, Netherlands. It lies some 30 km northeast of Arnhem, on the eastern bank of the river IJssel at the point where it is joined by the Berkel. The name Zutphen (first mentioned in the eleventh century) appears to mean 'zuid-veen', or in English, south-fen. In 2005, the municipality of Zutphen was merged with the municipality of Warnsveld, retaining its name.

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Groningen

Groningen (Netherlands)

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Groningen is the main municipality as well as the capital city of the eponymous province in the Netherlands. With a population of 202,567 as of 2017, it is the largest city in the north of the Netherlands. An old city, Groningen was the regional power of the northern Netherlands, a semi-independent city-state and member of the German Hanseatic League. Groningen is a university city: it houses the University of Groningen and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences.

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Limburg

Kerkrade (Netherlands)

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Kerkrade is a town and a municipality in the southeast of Limburg, the southernmost province of the Netherlands. Kerkrade is the western half of a divided city; it was part of the German town of Herzogenrath until the Congress of Vienna in 1815 drew the current Dutch-German border and separated the towns. The two towns, including outlying suburban settlements, have a population approaching 100,000, of which nearly 47,000 in Kerkrade.

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Maastricht (Netherlands)

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Maastricht is a city and a municipality in the southeast of the Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the Meuse river, at the point where the Jeker river joins it. Maastricht developed from a Roman settlement to a Medieval religious centre. In the 16th century it became a garrison town and in the 19th century an early industrial city. Today, the town is a thriving cultural and regional hub.

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Sittard (Netherlands)

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Sittard is a city in the Netherlands, situated in the southernmost province of Limburg. The town is part of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen and has some 48,400 inhabitants (including those of neighbouring villages Munstergeleen, Limbricht, Einighausen and Guttecoven). In its east, Sittard borders the German municipality of Selfkant (in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia). The city centre is located at 45 m above sea level.

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Noord-Brabant

's-Hertogenbosch (Netherlands)

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's-Hertogenbosch, literally "The Duke's Forest" in English, and historically in French: Bois-le-Duc), colloquially known as Den Bosch, literally "The Forest" in English), is a city and municipality in the southern Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Brabant. The city of 's-Hertogenbosch has become a center of industry, education, administration and culture. It is currently the fourth city of Noord Brabant.

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Bergen Op Zoom (Netherlands)

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Bergen op Zoom is a municipality and a city located in the south of the Netherlands. The city was built on a place where 2 types of soil meet: sandy soil and marine clay. The sandy soil pushed against the marine clay, accumulating and forming hills over several centuries. The Markiezenhof Palace, built in the 15th and 16th centuries, houses a cultural centre and a museum with a picturesque courtyard, paintings, period rooms, and temporary exhibitions.

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Eindhoven (Netherlands)

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Eindhoven is a municipality and a city in the south of the Netherlands, originally at the confluence of the Dommel and Gender streams. The Gender was dammed short of the city centre in the 1950s and the Dommel still runs through the city. The city has a population of 223,220 in January 2015, making it the 5th-largest municipality of the Netherlands and the largest in the province of North Brabant. Eindhoven has grown from a little town in 1232 to one of the biggest cities in the Netherlands. Much of its growth is due to Philips, DAF Trucks and Brabantia.

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Kasteel Heeswijk (Netherlands)

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Heeswijk Castle (Dutch: Kasteel Heeswijk) is a former moated castle near Heeswijk in the Dutch province of North Brabant. Originally built in the 11th century, the castle was restored in 2005. The original castle consisted of a motte erected in 1080. During the subsequent centuries this motte was reduced and in its place a castle was built. The current castle museum attempts to reflect the life and traditions of the middle of the 19th century. Following recent restoration guided tours of the castle are offered. The armory of the castle is used as a wedding location by the municipality Bernheze.

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Tilburg (Netherlands)

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Tilburg is a city in the Netherlands, in the southern province of North Brabant. With a population of 214,157 (April 30, 2017), it is the second largest city in North Brabant, and the sixth largest in the Netherlands. Tilburg University is located in Tilburg, as are Avans University of Applied Sciences and Fontys University of Applied Sciences. Tilburg is known for its ten-day-long funfair, held in July each year.

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Willemstad (Netherlands)

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Willemstad is a city in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of Moerdijk. Willemstad is a small historical town with well preserved fortifications. It lies on the Hollands Diep, close to the Haringvliet and Volkerak. It received city rights in 1585. Willemstad was a separate municipality until 1997, when it became part of Zevenbergen, which changed its name to Moerdijk in 1998.

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Noord-Holland

Amsterdam (Netherlands)

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Amsterdam is the capital and most populous municipality of the Netherlands. Its status as the capital is mandated by the Constitution of the Netherlands, although it is not the seat of the government, which is The Hague. The city is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country but is not its capital, which is Haarlem. The metropolitan area comprises much of the northern part of the Randstad, one of the larger conurbations in Europe, with a population of approximately 7 million.

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Haarlem (Netherlands)

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Haarlem is the capital of the province of North Holland and is situated at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe. It is a 15-minute train ride from Amsterdam, and many residents commute to the country's capital for work. Haarlem was granted city status or stadsrechten in 1245, although the first city walls were not built until 1270. The modern city encompasses the former municipality of Schoten as well as parts that previously belonged to Bloemendaal and Heemstede.

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Overijssel

Giethoorn (Netherlands)

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Giethoorn is a village in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It is located in the municipality of Steenwijkerland, about 5 km southwest of Steenwijk. Giethoorn is often referred to as 'Little Venice'. In the old part of the village, there were no roads (though a cycling path was eventually added), and all transport was done by water over one of the many canals. Giethoorn is a very popular attraction among Chinese tourists. The village of only 2620 inhabitants sees between 150,000 and 200,000 Chinese tourists every year.

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Utrecht

Utrecht (Netherlands)

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Utrecht is a municipality in the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation and is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands. Utrecht's ancient city centre features many buildings and structures several dating as far back as the High Middle Ages. It has been the religious centre of the Netherlands since the 8th century. In 2012, Lonely Planet included Utrecht in the top 10 of the world’s unsung places.

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Zeeland

Domburg (Netherlands)

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Domburg is a seaside resort on the North Sea, on the northwest coast of Walcheren in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Veere, and lies about 11 km northwest of the city of Middelburg, the provincial capital.

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Veere (Netherlands)

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Veere is a municipality with a population of 22,000 and a town with a population of 1,500 in the southwestern Netherlands, in the region of Walcheren in the province of Zeeland. The area is visited by 4 million tourists annually. The main attractions are the beaches and marinas. The Storm Surge Barrier on the Oosterschelde is the most popular visitor attraction in Zeeland. The Scoutcentrum Zeeland on the coast of the Veerse Meer attracts Scout visitors from around the world.

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Zierikzee (Netherlands)

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Zierikzee is a small city in the southwest Netherlands, 30 km southwest of Rotterdam. It is situated in the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, Zeeland. The city hall of Schouwen-Duiveland is located in Zierikzee, its largest city. Zierikzee is connected to Oosterschelde through a canal.

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Zuid-Holland

Den Haag (Netherlands)

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The Hague, short for 's-Gravenhage (Den Haag), is a city on the western coast of the Netherlands and the capital of the province of South Holland. With a population of more than 1 million including the suburbs, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The Hague is the seat of the cabinet of the Netherlands, the States General, the Supreme Court, and the Council of State, but the city is not the capital of the Netherlands, which constitutionally is Amsterdam.

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Dordrecht (Netherlands)

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Dordrecht is a city and municipality in the Western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the fourth-largest city of the province, with a population of 118,450. The municipality covers the entire Dordrecht Island, also often called Het Eiland van Dordt ("the Island of Dordt"), bordered by the rivers Oude Maas, Beneden Merwede, Nieuwe Merwede, Hollands Diep, and Dordtsche Kil. Dordrecht is the largest and most important city in the Drechtsteden. Dordrecht is the oldest city in Holland and has a rich history and culture.

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Gorinchem (Netherlands)

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Gorinchem is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. At the end of the 13th century earthen mounts reinforced with palisades were built around the settlement to protect it from domination by the neighboring counties of Holland and Gelre. Half a century later real city walls were built complete with 7 gates and 23 watchtowers. By the 16th century, the city walls were so deteriorated that they were replaced with new fortifications and eleven bastions that still are almost completely intact. In 1673, Gorinchem became part of the old Dutch Water Line.

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Leiden (Netherlands)

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Leiden is a city and municipality in the Dutch province of South Holland. Leiden is located on the Oude Rijn, at a distance of some 20 kilometres (12 miles) from The Hague to its south and some 40 km (25 miles) from Amsterdam to its north. A university city since 1575, Leiden has been one of Europe's most prominent scientific centres for more than 4 centuries. Leiden is a typical university city, university buildings are scattered throughout the city and the many students from all over the world give the city a bustling, vivid and international atmosphere.

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Louwman Museum (Netherlands)

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The Louwman Museum is home to the world's oldest private collection of motor cars, compiled by 2 generations of the Louwman family. The museum dates back to 1934 and now comprises over 250 antique and classic motor cars. Experts regard the collection as one of the most beautiful in the world. The museum exudes passion. Each car has its own story to tell, its own contribution to history. The motor car is a mirror of culture.

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Rotterdam (Netherlands)

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Rotterdam is a city in the Netherlands, in South Holland within the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt river delta at the North Sea. Its history goes back to 1270, when a dam was constructed in the Rotte river, after which people settled around it for safety. A major logistic and economic centre, Rotterdam is Europe's largest port, and has a population of 633,471 (2017), the second-largest in the Netherlands, just behind Amsterdam. Rotterdam is known for the Erasmus University, its riverside setting, lively cultural life, and maritime heritage.

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