List of hidden gems of the country.
Dana Marin has been living in the Netherlands for 15 years and, despite her love for Amsterdam, admits that it’s the small towns that have won her heart. She shared this in an article for Business Insider, where she named four of her favorite places for day trips or weekend getaways.
In the Netherlands, short trips are very popular; the Dutch call them “dagje weg,” meaning “a day away from home.” According to the author, it’s in the blood here. If you have half a day of free time, you’re already sitting on a train and heading somewhere.
Dana loves Amsterdam, but on weekends she often chooses cozier places – there are quiet streets, you can exchange a few words with the shopkeepers, and an elderly Dutchman might well tell you the whole history of the city while crunching on traditional cookies in a restaurant.
Varmond: lakes, estates, and an island with a beach
Warmond is a village on the border of the Ballenstreek region in South Holland, which is famous for its tulips. But, as the author says, its merits are not limited to that. History is felt here at every step – in several old estates that have survived to this day. The most luxurious of them is Huys te Warmont: it is surrounded by a moat and a well‑maintained forest park. Dana loves to walk there and imagine that she has stepped into another era.
In the center of the village, the former school building houses the modern restaurant Old School Café. According to the author, everyone comes here to have lunch, and nearby stands an old water pump. On the eastern outskirts of Warmond, Kagerplassen begins – a system of interconnected lakes. A wooden drawbridge leads from there to the island of Koudenhoorn, where a park has been set up, offering everything from a petting zoo to a small beach.
Medemblik: by steam train to the castle
Medemblik is the oldest city in the West Frisia region. Dana gets there by an old steam train from Hoorn. The trip, as she notes, is wonderful, and the best time to go is during tulip season, when colorful fields fly past the windows. The city itself appeals to the author: there are several harbors, a long promenade along the IJsselmeer, and the medieval Radboud Castle, which you can go inside.
Another must‑visit stop is De Oude Bakkerij. It’s a bakery‑museum where you can not only buy traditional local cookies but also watch bakers at work or even take part in a masterclass yourself.
Vera: for centuries, a Scottish port in the Netherlands.
In Vere, in the province of Zeeland, during her first visit, Dana came across the Scottish Houses and Cistern – an old water reservoir. It was built so that Scottish wool traders could wash their wool. This is how the author learned the history of the town: in the 15th century, a Scottish princess married the lord of Vere; merchants from Scotland began to settle here, and wool trade remained the main industry for centuries.
Today, the city museum is open at Scottish Houses, and, in the author’s opinion, it’s definitely worth spending an hour there. Overall, Vere is a quiet town, and she considers its silhouette to be one of the most beautiful she has seen in the Netherlands. On the streets, locals greet passers‑by.
A woman never leaves out Om’s Snoepwinkel, that is, “Grandma’s sweet shop”, because there are more than a hundred types of old-fashioned sweets. For those who do not like sweets, she advises you to try the Zelandsky bolus – a sticky spiral of dough soaked in cinnamon. And in the mussel season, from late summer to winter, she thinks there’s nothing like a pot of Zealand mussels on the harbour terrace.
Monnickendam: port, carillon, and boat races
The traveler met Monnickendam by chance during her first trip to the Netherlands as a tourist. She was on her way to the neighboring Volendam, and on the way back, she simply got off the bus here. From the stop, you can immediately walk along the winding streets alongside the romantic canals, cross the old drawbridges, and reach the center, from where the town opens up towards the port.
Once a summer, for one weekend, Monnickendam changes beyond recognition: the Jan Haring Race takes place here. Traditional flat‑bottomed boats compete, local residents compete in the skill of smoking eels, and everyone else just goes for a walk.
Konstantin is an acclaimed travel writer, celebrated for transforming ordinary journeys into extraordinary narratives. With years of experience exploring diverse destinations across the globe, his work blends vivid storytelling, cultural insights, and practical advice to inspire wanderlust and guide readers toward unforgettable adventures.
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