Nicknamed the ‘Venice of the North’, the Netherlands is popularly known for its canals, museums, windmills, tulip gardens, pancakes, etc. However, these are just the tip of the iceberg.
Madurodam Miniature Park
While other cities offer panoramic views of the city from tall towers, this city offers quite the opposite.
Madurodam miniature park exhibits a 1:25 scale model of the entire Amsterdam city.
The miniature replica showcases all the iconic landmarks, museums, castles, village houses, and even the water canals. The intricate detailing of the scale model is simply phenomenal.
A walk through this place will definitely give you a bird’s eye view of the city!
Swing ‘Over the Edge’ at A’DAM Lookout
Situated on the top of a 21-story building is a sky deck called A’DAM Lookout. This observatory gives you a phenomenal 360-degree view of Amsterdam.
However, if this is not enough, it also features Europe’s Highest Swings on its deck. You can swing over the edge of the building and experience something that will knock your socks off!
Discover Efteling Theme Park
Touted to be the ‘World of Wonders’, Efteling is an iconic theme park situated in Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands. It is the biggest amusement theme park in the country and also one of the oldest theme parks (1954) in the world.
Zaanse Schans
Situated in the North of Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans is an area that takes you back to the 18th-19th century. Today, it’s an unusual open-air museum featuring a Dutch village.
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Well-preserved Dutch houses are now museums showcasing the history of the land. The numerous historic windmills are also a highlight of this place.
Gift shops and interactive workshops are also open to the public.
Rijksmuseum
Touted as one of the finest museums in the world, this iconic, Dutch National Museum was founded in the early 1800s and happens to be the largest art museum in the country.
It contains 1 million objects in its collection, with historical artifacts spanning between the years 1200-2000.
However, only 8,000 items are displayed across the 1.5 km long hallways of the museum.
Keukenhof - The Garden of Europe
Yet another iconic feature of the Netherlands is its gorgeously-vibrant tulip garden.
Popularly photographed, this garden is spread over 32 hectares and offers a stunning display of flora.
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This amazing garden is only open for a couple of weeks every year (from late March to late May).
During this period, you can enjoy the grandest display of 7 million flowers (tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils), arranged in the most stunning manner imaginable.
Canal Cruise
The Netherlands has a high concentration of canals running through it, which impart the famous postcard-look to its Dutch cities.
Go on a cruise or a gondola ride and enjoy the picturesque view. You can also go canoeing or kayaking on these canals. It’s also a wonderful way to tour the city.
Amsterdam’s Cat Boat : De Poezenboot
Cat lovers will definitely be fascinated by this unique cat sanctuary in Amsterdam. It’s the only floating cat home in the world!
This unusual cat home is actually a houseboat floating on the Amsterdam canal. It’s a charitable sanctuary built for the care of sick, hurt, and abandoned cats. It has the capacity to house 50 cats at one time.
Ice Skating on Frozen Canals
The canals that allow canoeing, boating, and kayaking, become the perfect place to ice-skate during the winter months.
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However, the ice needs to be thick enough for skating.
The ice needs to be declared ‘reliable’ before being open to ice-skating.
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Electric Ladyland Museum (Amsterdam)
This quirky, unusual museum revolves around the science of ‘fluorescence’. The highlights of the museum are their glow-in-the-dark, fluorescent art installations.
It also features exhibits that showcase naturally-glowing rocks and minerals that will simply wow you!