In April I spent about a week in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Mark had a conference, which allowed us to stay in the center of town. Rotterdam is a must visit city itself, however, there are also great day trips if you want to base yourself here.
Depending on what you want to see, you can visit:
- Amsterdam
- The Hague
- Mauritshuis Museum
- Palace Gardens
- Haagsche Broeder
- The Beach (Scheveningen)
- Kinderdijk (Windmills)
- Keukenhof (March/April only)
AMSTERDAM – The first day trip I would recommend is Amsterdam. The most well known city in the country, if you did not fly into here, it is definitely worth a trip. My virgin voyage to Amsterdam was for Queen’s Day (now known as Kings Day) in 2011 when I studied abroad. I then went in 2013 for my parent’s wedding anniversary. That trip I attended PITCH Music Festival. A stop at the Heineken Factory, Anne Frank House, Van Gough Museum & Red Light District is also a must.
Less than an hour by train, Amsterdam is well known for its canals & narrow homes. Rotterdam on the other hand is known as the “New York of Europe,” as it has more skyscrapers than anywhere else on the continent. It is also the largest port & the business hub of the country. Due to being heavily bombed in WWII, the city has some very interesting architecture.
THE HAGUE – The next best day trip is to the Hague. 30-45 minutes by tram or train, you arrive into Hague Central.
Known for the UN’s International Court of Justice, located in the Peace Palace, this small village town has a lot to offer. Very walkable, even bikeable, start by booking your slot at the Mauritshuis Museum ahead of time. Selling out on weekends, this landmark building holds many Rembrandt’s and Vermeer’s masterpieces including Girl With A Pearl Earring, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp, The Bull and The Dodo.
Like many museums nowadays, I downloaded the App to my phone ahead of time. I worked my way through the galleries – in reality it is a small gallery with less than a dozen rooms – and listened to pieces that peaked my interest.
My time here made me think about other European artists and how the Dutch painters differed. I concluded they were much more about still lifes including flowers, animals and people.
After viewing some art, take a nice stroll to the Palace Gardens. Although this is free to the public, you do need to go down an alleyway and buzz yourself in. Guards to the royal family will screen you via video and you can walk in.
From here, stop over at Haagsche Broeder if it is a Friday or Saturday. This is a brewery where the beer is brewed by Monks! If you come on any of the other 5 days of the week, stop over at Huppel The Pub to buy some by the bottle.
Finally, if it is great weather, head to the Beach! Scheveningen is a short 20 minute tram ride East to the Coast. A huge resort town in summer, there is a long pier with rides, games plus 2 boardwalks with ample bars & restaurants.
Some interesting facts about The Hague is that the city flag is yellow & green – one for the inner city and the other for the beach. If you are from the Hague, you are either from one or the other, and your accent will be noticeable to the other.
Kinderdijk – An hour ferry ride SE from the Erasmusbrug bridge is the UNESCO World Heritage site of the famous windmills & canals. After buying a ticket online you can download the App and doing 1 of 2 walking tours onsite. You do not need a ticket to visit, however to get inside the Windmill, see an educational movie, take a boat ride to see all 19 windmills and fully learn about the place, you do need to pay 20 euro.
Very interactive, I learned people lived in these windmills and this is how “Millers” got their name. They were experts on the wind, and needed to be to prevent the surrounding villages from flooding. No longer in use due to technological advances, the Dutch are well known all over the world for their water management because of the people from this region. Most of the Netherlands is actually marshland!
Keukenhof – The reason most flock to Holland in spring time, the tulips! You will definitely need tickets for this, as some days will reach full capacity.
I bought a combo ticket which meant I was able to take a bus after I took a short train from Rotterdam to Leiden. Due to the popularity of these gardens, it will be super crowded no matter what time you enter.
The gardens are only open 8 weeks out of the year, and it never opens at the same time as it all depends on when the flowers bloom.
This year was special as it was the 75th Anniversary.
It was really interesting to read about the Tulip Trade and how gardeners work year round to make each year’s festival a success!
This was a bucket list item on my list, so I was glad I was able to tick it off. If you love flowers and or gardens, you will really enjoy this.
Rotterdam is a great city to be based in, as there was not only heaps to do within the city center, but awesome day trips!
Which day trip would you do?
