Netherlands

The first thing we did after landing in Rotterdam and grabbing our car was drive to nearby Kinderdijk, home to a collection of over a dozen old windmills dating back to the 18th century. There are a series of paths along the canals from which to enjoy the views of the windmills and the expansive farmland surrounding the site. We had seen pictures of this place but we didn’t realize quite how large it really is. Even more surprising to us was that people live in some of the windmills!

One of the first day trips we made on our trip was to The Hague suburb of Delft, famous for its blue and white pottery. The roads between Haarlem and Delft offer some of the best views of tulip fields, with N206 and N208 being particularly colorful. Our first stop was the Royal Delft Factory which is a bit far from the center but very worth a visit. The audio tour was a bit corny but informative nonetheless and it was quite a sight to watch each stage of the creation of Delftware throughout the factory. We even grabbed a souvenir (an authentic small blue and white clog)!

Once we got to the center of the town we split a delicious Arab-spiced chicken avocado sandwich and mango smoothie at hip coffee shop Kek and made our way to Beestenmarkt, a picturesque and buzzing secondary square. Delft’s main square, Markt, was absolutely bustling—there were carnival rides set up, vendors selling knick knacks and food and families out and about enjoying themselves, all watched over by Nieuwe Kerk’s massive bell tower, dwarfed only by Utrecht’s Domtoren in the whole of the Netherlands. Much quieter, at the confluence of a handful of canals southeast of the city center lies the attractive 15th century Oostpoort, the only city gate remaining in Delft.

Another can’t-miss sight, at least during tulip season, is one of the world’s largest flower gardens. Keukenhof, which is only open from March to May, houses a collection of tulip fields, thoughtfully-designed flower beds and other flower-based displays. In order to enjoy the experience it’s crucial to arrive early. We got in right as it opened and for the first hour or so more or less had the place to ourselves; by the second hour the crowds had grown significantly and the main entrance gate looked like a scene out of mid-summer Disney World. As if the millions of flower aren’t enough, Keukenhof also hosts a working windmill, a handful of buildings and greenhouses, fountains, a maze, and, most exciting to us, a petting zoo!

Keukenhof

Leiden, one of the Netherlands’ university cities, is a 40-minute drive (or even shorter train ride) from Haarlem and a perfect day trip. We were hungry upon arrival so we grabbed apple cinnamon and sugar pannenkoeken at Oudt Leyden and bought some stroopwafel in thoughtfully designed tins to take back home and give to friends and family as gifts. The best way to get moving after a heavy lunch was to stroll through the city’s botanical gardens, one of the oldest in the world. The gardens are surrounded on two sides by Witte Singel and there are plenty of benches around to take a seat and relax (which we did!). We walked back toward the city center, past Pieterskerk toward Burcht van Leiden, a fortification built 1,000 years ago. These days it serves as a public park where people can relax and take in the 360-degree views of the city.

Sights like these dot the roads through North and South Holland throughout the spring.

Utrecht is the home of the Netherlands’ largest university and is considered by many to have the best of what Amsterdam has to offer (culture and canals) without the worst (hordes of tourists and irresponsible visitors). The Domtoren and Domkerk tower majestically over the city’s Domplein. The 465 steps of the bell tower can be climbed for a panoramic view of the city and its environs, but only under supervision of a tour guide—we made the mistake of not booking ahead, so unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for our feet) we missed out. Our favorite part of our visit was walking down the canals (creatively named Oudegracht and Niewegracht) and the side streets toward the south of the city (especially around Geertekerk).

Utrecht

Theehuis Rhijnauwen is a pannenkoeken house within an expanse of countryside only a couple of miles southeast of the center of Utrecht. We took the car, but what’s incredible about this place is how easy it is to reach without a car—it’s a straightforward 20-minute bike ride from Utrecht and some people arrived via the canal that encircles the area. The pancake house is tucked away amongst trees, fields and walking paths and it didn’t take long for us to fall in love. Before sitting down for a bite we wandered around the premises which also includes walking paths through farmland where you can pet and play with sheep. When we eventually did sit down to eat, we snagged some Adirondack chairs outside right by the canal. The setting was absolutely serene. We had apple and cinnamon and sugar and butter pancakes and just sat there enjoying the nice weather and fresh air. We loved it so much that we made time in our schedule the next day to come back even though it was completely out of the way from Haarlem. There are no words to describe how utterly perfect it was. To this day, when feeling down or like we want an escape from the city, we look at each other and longingly ask “teahouse?”

As mentioned, we based ourselves in the small city of Haarlem for our week-long trip to the Netherlands. The city is large enough to offer things to do and see, small enough to be quiet at night and offers ample car parking and train connections. We had a car for the week, so we took advantage of the parking (it’s worth noting the parking is fairly expensive). It didn’t take long for us to fall in love with Haarlem, especially when we had the time to wander its back streets and soak up the energy in the main square. We stayed a short walk south of the main square (Grote Markt) in tangled mess of tree-lined streets just north of Kampersingel. When we first got the chance to explore the area, we stumbled on some very cute streets (Popelingstraat), hopping commercial areas (Kleine Houtstraat) and smaller squares (Nieuwe Kerksplein). Haarlem is also host to a series of canals, our favorite of which was Bakenessergracht—if you follow the canal north, it will eventually land you near the city’s famous windmill, De Adriaan (sadly the original windmill burned down in the 1930s but was rebuilt in the early 2000s). Most stunning to us was St. Bavo’s Cathedral on Grote Markt. We both agree it is the most beautiful church we’ve ever visited, though its beauty is in simplicity and elegance, which combined with the intricate natural wood ceiling made for a serene and reflective setting.

Haarlem

We visited Amsterdam for a 4-day weekend a month prior to this trip, so we only spent a day this time. We were inspired to visit again not only because it was a convenient 15-minute train ride from our home base Haarlem but also because we wanted to see the city in bloom (and we needed to have some more cake from Corner Bakery!). We were not disappointed as we were blessed with another day of great spring weather. From Centraal station we wandered down Oudezijds Achterburgwal, the little sister of central Amsterdam’s primary canal Oudezijds Voorburgwal. While the latter is absolutely packed with visitors, the former is much more relaxed and charming. We made our way south to the Canal District, one of the most exclusive (and picturesque...and expensive) neighborhoods in the city, where the best thing to do is zig-zag through the canals and side streets. We zig-zagged northwest to Jordaan, another picturesque, canal-laced neighborhood that served as our home base during our previous visit.

Amsterdam

Westerpark is a short ride on the tram (a very convenient and inexpensive method of transport in the city) and we wanted to check it out as we did not get to it last time. Our visit to Amsterdam inadvertently fell on Liberation Day, celebrating the liberation of the Netherlands from Nazi Germany, so the park was absolutely packed and buzzing with music and events. There was a collection of food stands in the center of the park which worked out well as it was approaching lunch time! We grabbed some food and took a seat on a dock by the water to enjoy our meal. While our hunger for food was satisfied, our hunger for more time in the park was not, so we switched venues and grabbed a tram to the jewel in Amsterdam’s park crown—Vondelpark. We took a big loop through the park, appreciating how much more green and alive it felt this time around. We wrapped up our visit with apple pie and carrot cake at Corner Bakery (which still holds the title of best cake of our lives) before hopping on the train back to Haarlem.

With its sailboat-filled harbor and laid back pace, Enkhuizen reminded us quite a bit of some of the lazy port towns back home in New England. From outside the distinctive 16th century Drommedaris, we watched the adjacent bridge raise to let a series of boats out into the harbor and open sea, each one larger than the next. We set off to make a loop through the town, starting at the east end of Westerstraat (the main drag) and slowly making our way west. Echte Bakker 't Broodhuys served as a perfect stopping point where we perused the selection of baked goods and snacks. We settled on the almond sugar cookies and fruit slices (to be enjoyed later!) and continued on our way. We made our way around Oude Gracht and back toward the harbor, but not before walking through Snouck van Loosenpark.

Enkhuizen

While it’s a bit out of the way (a two-hour drive from our home base in Haarlem and not really near anything else of interest), the fairytale village of Giethoorn was one of the main inspirations for our trip to the Netherlands. We had seen pictures of it years ago and knew we had to see it with our own eyes someday. The town has no roads and the primary mode of transportation is boats along the canals; as such, it claims, along with Amsterdam, the title of “Venice of the North.” Especially charming is the thatched-roof style houses and the various wooden bridges from which to appreciate it all. As is always the case with places like this, the charm draws big crowds. We didn’t get there until early afternoon which is high time for big bus tourism and it was a bit overwhelming for such an otherwise peaceful village with an infrastructure not quite built for so many people (the canals were absolutely packed with tourist-rented boats!). We grabbed lunch at Ristorante Fratelli which was surprisingly good given the limited choice of restaurants, wandered around a bit more and then jumped in the car for the long ride back to Haarlem.

Marken is on an island connected to the mainland by a short bridge. Though only 30 minutes from Amsterdam, this place feels worlds away and even the architecture is notably different. Covered in deep green houses and charming little white pedestrian bridges (each with a name proudly displayed on its tower), Marken can’t be missed. Given its small size and popularity, it is quite crowded, especially at the harbor, but it doesn’t take much to find some peace and quiet. We spent our time strolling the side streets and walking along the canals that snake their way through the town.