North South Holland In A Day
Travel On The Dollar
Explorer
Volendam Port
Just about an hour's drive from Amsterdam, Volendam is well-known for its old fishing boats and the traditional clothing still worn by some residents. The women’s costume of Volendam, with its high, pointed bonnet, is one of the most recognizable of the Dutch traditional costumes, and is often featured on tourist postcards and posters (although there are believed to be fewer than 50 women now wearing the costume as part of their daily lives, most of them elderly). There is a regular ferry connection to Marken, a peninsula close by. Volendam also features a small museum about its history and clothing style, and visitors can have their pictures taken in traditional Dutch costumes.
Spend a few hours sitting by the fisheries, watching people and make sure to take the ferry to the Marken island.
Zaandam
Visit this place for the picturesque windmills. Stop over at the Cheese Farm De Catherinahoeve for its delicious cheese – A taste of the Netherlands: This replica of an original farm from the village of Oostzaan was built in 1988 and has been converted into a cheese farm. Different types of Dutch cheese are made here daily. Cheese making demonstrations are conducted throughout the day and are available in many languages. Best of all is the possibility of being able to taste the end product!
Keukenhof
Keukenhof (Dutch: Kitchen garden), also known as the Garden of Europe is situated near Lisse, Netherlands, and is the world’s largest flower garden. According to the official website for the Keukenhof Park, approximately 7,000,000 (seven million) flower bulbs are planted annually in the park. Keukenhof is located in South Holland in the small town of Lisse, south of Haarlem and southwest of Amsterdam. It is accessible by bus from the train stations of Haarlem, Leiden and Schiphol. It is located in an area called the “Dune and Bulb Region” (Duin- en Bollenstreek).
The garden was instigated in 1949 by the then-mayor of Lisse. The idea was to present a flower exhibit where growers from all over the Netherlands and Europe could show off their hybrids – and help the Netherlands export industry (it is the world’s largest exporter of flowers). Keukenhof has been the world’s largest flower garden for over fifty years.
Keukenhof is open annually from the last week in March to mid-May. The best time to view the tulips is around mid-April, depending on the weather.
Madurodam
Madurodam is a miniature city located in Scheveningen, The Hague, in the Netherlands. It is a model of a Dutch town on a 1:25 scale, composed of typical Dutch buildings and landmarks, as are found at various locations in the country. This major Dutch tourist attraction was built in 1952 and has been visited by tens of millions of visitors since then. The miniature city was named after George Maduro, a law student from Curaçao who fought the Nazi occupation forces as a member of the Dutch resistance and died at Dachau concentration camp in 1945. In 1946 Maduro was posthumously granted the honor of Knight 4th-class of the Military Order of William, the highest and oldest honor in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, because he had distinguished himself in the Battle of the Netherlands against German troops. His parents donated the money to start the Madurodam project.
Madurodam
Madurodam in the dark! When twilight falls thousands of tiny lights create a fairytale atmosphere in the miniature city. Many visitors come to Madurodam especially for this. Madurodam has developed a special evening programme, to highlight this magical image. A spectacular show can be seen in Madurodam: Madurodam by Light. Every evening after sunset visitors will be submerged in a fascinating Dutch fairytale that tells the story of Hansje Brinker and the fight against the water. Madurodam uses the most modern projection techniques for this show of water, light and lasers.
