Combine your citytrip to Amsterdam with a visit to the authentic flat country side of the Netherlands and imagine yourself in the golden age.
Amsterdam is located in the province of North Holland. This province has much more to offer than only our (overcrowded) capital. Discover the quiet authentic Dutch life! Enjoy the flat polder landscapes with many monumental houses, farms and mills. Visit picturesque villages, you will experience the earlier times.
Outdoor Museums
There are at least three outdoor museums in the neighbourhood of Amsterdam. Stroll past picturesque villages, bakery museum and enjoy the smell of fresh cookies or take a look at the warehouse where clogs are made. You should be sure not to miss the cheese factories and the various windmills. See this unique part of the Netherlands, full of wooden houses, mills, barns and workshops. Make a cycling or sailing trip, browse the shops or treat yourself in a pancake restaurant. A visit at the outdoor museums in North Holland is fun and educational.
Thousand Islands
Visit also the Realm of a Thousand Islands and immerse yourself in the old farm life of this region. Experience the story of Dutch horticulture and trade at the oldest sail-through auction in the world. Look here for an impression of the Realm of a Thousand Islands: https://youtu.be/vhLKSN0w_I4
The historical Zuiderzee cities needs to be experienced!
You really need to see, hear, taste and feel the historical Zuiderzee cities! Everywhere you go (Hoorn, Enkhuizen, Medemblik, Alkmaar etc. etc.) you will encounter the history of the powerful Dutch East India Company, that sent beautiful ships to trade with Asiatic countries during the 17th and 18th centuries. This gives these cities a special atmosphere.
The history of the towns is not just on show in the old centre; it can also be seen in the harbours. Time seems to be standing still here. The sails are hoisted, the decks scrubbed and you can almost still smell the spices that the Dutch East India Company brought back from trips to the Far East. Obviously, you can enjoy sitting on a terrace; after all, there is enough to see on and around the water. Shopping is also great in all these cities.
The most exciting journey through time by Steam tram and Boat!
Travel in time with a steam tram!
The ‘Museumstoomtram’ connects two of Holland’s oldest and finest cities: Hoorn and Medemblik.The engine whistles and the fireman shovels coal into the firebox. Wooden partitions creak, wheels sing and steam hisses. From the wooden seats in your carriage you will experience a story from a different era. This steamtram meanders from village to village across the Westfrisian countryside. Take a stroll in Medemblik and visit the tiny bakkerymuseum in the mainstreet and buy some old dutch cookies. Or experience the steam machine museum.
In Medemblik you can hopp on an old-fashioned steamer. Sail with with this ship and her fantastic saloon-deck along the coast of lake Ijsselmeer, the former South Sea.