michi

I'm looking for off the beaten tourist in and around Amsterdam in late April and first week of May. No car. Day trips. Walking is okay but no hiking, cycling or other strenuous activites.

Already planned Keukenhoff Gardens, Rotterdam and The Hague. Otherwise open to all suggestions.

Thanks.

ben_haines_london

In a suburb is the museum of the resistance to the nazis, and one stop along the line towards Haarlem is the great steam pumping station that drained the Haarlemmermeer. I see that you have some of the other ring cities, so I suggest a day each in Haarlem for the great church and for the Franz Hals Museum and Leyden for the city museum, especially their cover of science in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

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Bitter

It may be a little early in the year for this, but Zandvoort is approx. 10 minutes from Haarlem. I don't know much about the town, if you will, but it has an extensive beach, lined with little beach bars/restaurants.

Travelnut

Michi, what gives..? You have about 2-3 other posts with this question... If you want to refresh your note, just post to the bottom of it and it will rise to the top of the list. That way you can keep all the suggestions in one thread...

robkoval

Haarlem has the Cory Tenboom museum...if you don't know who she is, read the Hiding Place.

Great book, even cooler when you can go see where it all took place.

michi

Dear TravelNut

I have apologized in several places for this annoying occurence. I have used the Australia and China forums extensively while preparing for trips there. Because they are just one country each, I was totally unprepared for the Europe forum and how it worked. I was under the impression that one could enter a question under Netherlands and it would appear there. Becauthe many countries in Europe and other misunderstandings on my part of how the European forum worked, I just didn't understand.

It took a long time for me to figure out (with the help of a couple of responses). My old age and lack of computer savvy you might say, was responsible. So to all I say I'm sorry.

Cheers everyone.

And to think I was doing all this to help someone else!

becky_ann

michi-
Don't worry about it. It's not going to kill anyone if they read the same question a couple of times.

Travelnut

Of course it won't kill me... it's just more effective. and I'm not referring to accidental duplicate postings. This thread is a brand-new one started today. Michi didn't need to retype a whole new note, just resurface the previous one with some answers already on it. If he/she received more answers, they'd be on the same thread, not spread out all over...
Just tryin' to help.

hopscotch

Re: Ben Haines note of "one stop along the line towards Haarlem is the great steam pumping station that drained the Haarlemmermeer." This is the Cruquius Expo and is on the south side of Haarlem. Ask at the VVV tourist information office on the SW corner of the Haarlem train station for directions. Speaking as an engineer, this is a fascinating museum.

Stay in Amsterdam on April 30 for Queen's Day, one of the greatest parties in the world.

Zandvoort beach is best on a hot Sunday in July or August.

If one of your other posts didn't pick up the Cafe Brinkman in Haarlem, here is the tip. It's on the Grote Markt.

The Bloemen Curso from Nordwijk to Haarlem takes place, I think, on the last Saturday of April. The flower decorated floats are on display in Haarlem on Sunday.

Buy a guidebook to Holland for much much more. You'll need a month or two to see it all. Here are some recommended books:
Michelin Green Guide Netherlands
Baedeker's Netherlands
Fodor's Holland
Lonely Planet Netherlands

michi

The other postings on this same question have now been removed (at my request). This question has been posted on behalf of my sister and her husband who will be travelling to Amsterdam in April.

Thanks for suggestions.

ealing_calling

Delft! The center of town is a 5-min. walk from the NS station. It's worth an overnight trip...

artstuff

If you are going to den Hague, I would highly recommed the new M.C. Escher Museum, Escher in Het Paleis, Lange Voorhout #74. We were there last year and it blew us away. It was much more than we expected. And on the third floor they have a virtual reality tour that takes you through his artwork. Way cool! While you're in den Hague, don't forget to visit the Panorama Mesdag, Zeestraat #65. From there, you can take the tram to Scheveningen, and check out the Kurhaus, Promenade and the North Sea.

Since you will be so close to Delft, I would suggest a stop there also. Market Square with the Nieuwe Kerk is quite lovely. You could also visit one of the two Delft potteries in town - we preferred De Delftes Pauw (take Tram #1 to Vrijenbanselaan, then you'll have to walk about 1/2 mile). Ask for a free tour.

If you are going to the Keukenhoff Gardens via Leiden, I would suggest the Molen de Valk (windmill museum).

When you're in Rotterdam be sure to check out the Kijk Kubus, and perhaps take a water taxi ride across the Maas, from the Leuvehaven to the Hotel New York and back. Walk down the Walk of Fame - it's kind of hoaky, but fun.

Utrecht is a neat old city, where the canals are at basement level, not street level. The Dom and Toren are pretty cool. You can climb the toren to the top - but if you're claustrphobic, maybe you only want to climb to the "chamber", which is worth it.

Aalsmeer and the flower auction is real touristy, but still worth a stop. It's humungeous and amazing at the same time.

Gouda has a beautiful Stadhuis on their Market Square, and St. Janskerk has some very beautiful stained glass windows.

There is also Muiderslot, which is a castle complete with a moat. Take the train to Amsterdam Amstel station, and pick up Bus #136 to Muiden.

If you want really off the beaten track, take the train to Haarlem, then catch the bus (sorry I don't have the number) to Spaarandam where you can see the Hans Brinker statue showing him plugging up the hole in the dike with his finger.

If you want to go out to Arnhem, you can visit the Grote of Eusebiuskerk and take the elevator to the top of the tower for a wonderful view of Germany and the Rhine. If you ask the curator at the church, he will let you climb down a ladder to the basement where they discovered the remains of an 11th century grave yard and church walls (entrance is at the front of the church).

Sorry to make this post so long, but we have found that there is so much to do in the Netherlands. Hope this gave you some new ideas...and have a great time...whoever is going.

Robyn