8 Offbeat Towns to Visit in Netherlands
What defines the Netherlands to you? Intricate houses? Tulips? A world-class rail system that is easier to get around than the British or even in NY? How about windmills? Schiedam, a gin-loving town, is home to the world's tallest five, while Zaanse Schans flaunts Het Jonge Schaap, a riverside beauty, plus the top-rated Zaans Museum, just 20 minutes from Amsterdam's historic heart. For the beach scene, head to Westkapelle, a nature lover's paradise.
This efficient country is easy to explore on a fast track, where even the first island destination is just off the coast in the North Sea, midway between the capital and Groningen. Having served as the nation's capital at one point in time, Delft flaunts the Dutch Royal Family’s burial grounds, Nieuwe Kerk, sealed with a 5,000-kilogram-covered stone, as well as the iconic Delft Blue pottery factories to hunt for a steal along its stunning canals. In Giethoorn, take a boat around the town via a canal. Find some of the best offbeat towns to explore in the Netherlands.
Ameland
The West Frisian Islands are an island chain off the Friesland coast in the North Sea, midway between Amsterdam and Groningen, along the edge of the Wadden Sea. Ameland, an island with a small-town population, is one of the country's most whimsical spots with no shortage of natural beauty, removed vibes, and tiny towns amid a vast variety of flora and splendid sand dunes. Humming to its own island "offbeat" between the neighboring touristy islands of Texel and Terschelling, it offers a nature-centric escape, including woods like Nesser Bos, a beach, and trails with over 60 different types of birds. Hollum, the most populated village, features a lighthouse and Bunkermuseum Ameland, a museum covering WWII with stories, a movie, and a historic bunker.
Nearby, dine at Eeterij Tante A'n on everything from lamb to fish and risotto, and if you are looking for a beach scene, the whole northern edge is a sandy strip, rounding the island's edges in vast dunes. Accessible via private jet to the only airport in Ballum or public ferry to Nes, the heart of the island. Here you will find the only secondary school and Natuurcentrum Ameland, an interactive nature museum with rotating exhibitions, an aquarium, and a lookout tower. In the summer, many enjoy a boho-type stay at Ripstar Surfcamp Ameland and seafood at Restaurant StrAnders, which has outdoor seating and vegetarian options. Ameland retains a remote paradise feel and becomes a hyped destination venture on a hike from the mainland at low tide, called mudflat walking.
Brielle
Breathtaking from the air and drone views, this star-shaped town is home to the highest number of monuments per capita in the Netherlands. Brielle is a brilliant destination for antique hunters since most of the monuments are original, and over 400 of them are on the National Heritage List. The strategic shape from its role as a fort in the 1700s features nine bastions and five ravelins, distinguishable from the aerial perspective, plus original gates. The active can enjoy the great view after climbing the steps to the Grote Sint-Catharinakerk, a hilltop chapel, and the 1575 marriage site of William of Orange to his third wife. During the Eighty Years War, on April 1, 1572, a massive Dutch uprising against the Spanish led to the Capture of Brielle by the Watergeuzen, the Dutch rebels.
Stop by the old City Hall, a historic museum called Den Briel, for the intriguing backstory. For dinner, the casual De Brielsche Aap serves authentic dishes in a modern feel with a garden, while 't Kont van het Paard, a beer hall, offers a local sense of the drinking scene. From cute cafes to unique gift shops and seafood dining against spectacular sunsets over the water, the charms of this seaside town attract couples, families, and friends on a city escape, just 35 kilometers from Rotterdam. The Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant De Zalm is a great budget option; the nearby Poorter Boutique Hotel is worth the price for its aesthetics. Enjoy easy access to monuments like Asyl voor Oude en Gebrekkige Zeelieden, hitting other sites on a stroll along the canal, including bastions and Langepoort, the city gate.
Bronkhorst
This tiny artistic village in the Dutch province of Gelderland features picturesque buildings and galleries like Beeldengalerie Lötters and African Art Space. Framed by the river, IJssel, to the north, Bronkhorst inspires a painting in itself. Next to the information center, stop by Chocolaterie Magdalena for an addictive treat that will become your regular during your time in this town, simply bursting with charm. Home to under 100 registered locals, Bronkhorst was the nation's smallest city in 2021. Alongside a few hunters for aesthetics, you will run into the cute civic hall, the brick Kapel van Bronkhorst, a church, and Voormalig kasteel-heuvel Bronkhorst, an attractive symbolic structure in a small park.
Strolling by craft markets, shops, and plenty of outdoor dining along romantic cobbled streets, Het Wapen van Bronkhorst offers super comfy couches to relax over coffee, baked goods, and lunch options. Just a quick, beautiful hike away, Kunstruimte Veer is an art gallery by the canal named Groote Beek. Hôtel-restaurant De Gouden Leeuw, one of the few, boasts incredible amenities. Rent a vehicle just south of town for country exploration from Oortgiese Camperverhuur. Only 12 minutes west, the century-old Kasteel Hackfort in a park features a kitchen garden, a coach house, and a mill. From here, Castle Vorden, a historical place museum, and the stately Kasteel Den Bramel are minutes away.
Delft
Delft, one of the nation's famous small towns, is a hub of creativity, having spawned and inspired many painters like Vermeer, plus its role in Hollywood's Girl with a Pearl Earring. The active dwellers of Rotterdam make it to Delft via a scenic hours' cycle to the north, while others take a quick car ride for a day trip. Grab breakfast at one of the charming cafes centered around the historic town square, with many monumental buildings like the Oude Kerk, the burial grounds for historical Dutch icons. Delft was built in the 11th century alongside the canal named "Delft." During the Eighty Years' War, it was home to the William of Orange in 1572 and became the capital of the newly independent country after the Act of Abjuration in 1581. Once one of the nation's leading cities, Delft today attracts visitors with its iconic Delft Blue pottery and Royal Delft museum, and stunning canal strolls.
Established as a city in the 13th century, the university town blends its deep history with a youthful vibe. From the Prinsenhof museum to the Oostpoort city gate, the Dutch Royal Family’s burial grounds, Nieuwe Kerk, are sealed with a 5,000-kilogram-covered stone. Visit Vermeer Centre and snap a selfie with the windmill De Roos. Delft's botanical woodland, Delftse Hout, features biking and walking paths as well as horseback riding tours, while the lake and the canals offer narrow beaches for swimming and windsurfing. Replete with accommodations for all comforts and budgets, many enjoy campgrounds and outdoor recreational facilities in the warmer months.
Giethoorn
Just under two hours from Amsterdam, Giethoorn is "The Venice of the North," inspiring a typical Dutch town where people need to take a boat to get from one place to another via a canal. A storybook-like place for an average American tourist, Giethoorn is also part of the Weeribben-Wieden National Park, a sprawling parkland dense with lakes, waterways, forested areas, and lowland fens. Drowned in nature with its canals and flower gardens, beautiful thatched roof farmhouses sit with their feet wet. Vogelhut De Auken Natuurmonumenten is a bird-watching area with a water tower, perfect for a picnic. Replete with friendly stays along the waters, Chalet Park Kroondomein Giethoorn feels like a fairytale, while Waterresort Bodelaeke Giethoorn is a water resort just a 10-minute walk from Giethoorn center.
Derived from the Dutch "Geitenhoorns," goats’ horns that were found in the fields, Giethoorn grew along the canals that were dug by men to extract peat. The town is so romantic, perfect to explore via an authentic boat ride along its narrow canals. De Harmonie has full hotel services plus scenery on a canal. From the capital, take a scenic rail journey chugging through the countryside, first to Amersfoort, then a train to Steenwijk, and a bus into town. Bounded by lakes to three sides, De Wieden is a marshy, low-lying national park by the large lake, Beulakerwijde south of town, made up of peat bogs and waterways with a visitor center and gift shop in a local neighborhood. De Eetkamer van Giethoorn offers attractive sidewalk cafe aesthetics, while De Otterskooi is a top-rated restaurant.
Schiedam
Established in the 13th century as part of Rotterdam after damming the river Schie to protect it from the North Sea, Schiedam today is a small, independent city on the outskirts of the megalopolis. Well known for distilleries, malt houses, and the production of gin—"jenever"—even the locally produced Ketel One variety of gin is often referred to by the word “schiedam” around the world in French and English-speaking countries. Attracting architecture fans and sightseers with its world's five tallest windmills, including De Noord (The North), Walvisch (Whale), and Drie Koornbloemen (Three Corn Flowers), join the chase for the unique Nieuwe Palmboom (New Palm Tree) and the inspiring Vrijheid (Freedom).
Another popular activity in Schiedam is eating herring, with no better place to join the herring-loving Dutch than here in what was once a large shipbuilding city during the 19th and 20th centuries. At the heart of town, Prinses Beatrixpark is a beautiful place to relax or escape the summer heat amid ponds, with barbecue facilities and cycle paths, plus a playground and a petting zoo. North of downtown, detour to De Tempel Estate. Museum Vlaardingen is a kid-friendly local history museum in a stately building, while the waterfront Maas Boulevard offers a sprawling greenspace to relax and roam along the water before unwinding at the nearby Stadshaven Brouwerij & Gastropub.
Westkapelle
Westkapelle, one of the most unique towns in the Netherlands, nestles on a former island in the southwest of the nation called Walcheren. Still offering a removed vibe with easy access via various bridges, you will discover a colorful yet dreadful history of floods, bombings, and a war. Over 130 of its inhabitants lost their lives; many evacuated Westkapelle, and the town often closed itself off from the rest of the Netherlands. Home to under 2,500, its recent reconnection to the world, notable sites interwoven in deep history, and the oddity that many residents bear the same first and last name, Westkapelle is a touristic attraction in itself. Peppered with B&B for curious tourists, Boutique Hotel Charley's provides easy access to the beach, BomBaai Strandbar, and Landings Monument, a memorial park with a pier that is often flooded.
Strandpaviljoen Scheldezicht is another top-rated beachside cafe near Westkapelsche Kreek. Attracting outdoor lovers with campgrounds like Camping Warrior and Minicamping Boogaard, Vakantiepark Capfun de Pekelinge features a water park. Just a minute stroll away, Terra Maris is a museum highlighting the regional landscapes and wildlife, with strollable gardens, a cafe, and a shop. From here, it is just a hop to the easterly beaches, like Strand Paviljoen Noordduine and Aloha Beach. Nearby, Natuurgebied Oranjezon is a scenic nature preserve with animals in their natural habitat along the shores of Veerse Meer. From Museum Veere on the bank, it is under 30 minutes by car west to the downtown you started from, along the knob in the scenic North Sea coast. The red and white Lighthouse North Head stands stark against the sea to commemorate your visit with a selfie.
Zaanse Schans
Zaanse Schans is one of the hidden gems in the Netherlands, 20 minutes from the historic center of Amsterdam. Accessible from the station Sloterdijk Amsterdam, a hike, or a bike ride, it is a favorite local getaway from the city, with something for everyone like small stroopwafel shops for a dry caramel wafer that goes perfect over your hot morning cup of coffee. Home to beautiful windmills, like Het Jonge Schaap, and famed for cheese-making, many come for local history through its famous houses and museums. The deeply historic Paintmill De Kat was built in 1646 as an oil mill and rebuilt in 1782. Zaansche Mill is an interactive heritage museum detailing the mill industry plus windmill mechanics and history with scale models.
Inland, next to St. Michael College, the Zaans Museum is a national pride, offering social and industrial history, art, domestic items, costumes, and model ships. Strolling along the shore, Indie’s Welvaren Spice Warehouse is a fragrance supplier next to your stay at Heerlijck Slaapen op de Zaanse Schans and the time museum, occupying a small, patriotic house. Just south, cross the bridge with views of Meelmolen De Bleeke Dood, a historic landmark, and get something for a picnic from Banketbakkerij De Wijn, a confectionery and wine store next to the sprawling Kooger Park with a scenic pond. Back in town, De Gekroonde Poelenburg, a historic windmill, poses in a natural riverfront setting to set a memorable photoshoot of the time spent.
Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht are the famous cities. Are you visiting Rotterdam? Access the star-shaped town of Brielle, home to the highest number of monuments per capita in the Netherlands, or the world-famous town of Delft, established in the 11th century on a canal and inspiring countless artists ever since. Ameland flaunts splendid dunes, and the whole northern edge is an endless beach.
Land once in Amsterdam, and the whole country is at your doorstep. Flaunting characterful towns, each with its own quirks, Giethoorn is chugging a scenic journey away, bounded by lakes to three sides, parks, and waterfront stays. And while the airports may get busy, explore the country beyond its famous metropolises, with riverside beauty that has inspired painters and artisans for centuries.
