Highlights in the region
                      |
Rotterdam is located in the province Zuid-Holland, an area marked by water, nature and the long coast line. In this area you will find a variety of interesting cities, picturesque villages and other sights. In addition to the old cities with a long history, you will find modern cities with remarkable architecture, culture, bars, restaurants and recreational facilities. Combine your visit to Rotterdam with one of these many highlights in the region. Cities & Areas
Gouda is a city of traditions, which is known for its cheese, pipes, syrup waffles and pottery art. The compact city centre with its attractive canals offers more than 300 monuments in a short walking distance, like the ‘Sint-Jans Church’, the ‘Kaaswaag’ and the fabulous city hall. In the summer months, a visit to the cheese and crafts market in Gouda is definitely worthwhile. Leiden Leiden is a city with a rich history and offers over 2,700 monuments. The city centre is actually one large monumental centre with small gardens, windmills, churches, canals and city gates. The relatively short distances make a walk along these beautiful sights the perfect way to discover Leiden. Delft Renowned for its blue china, Delft is also famous for its ties to the Dutch East India Company, William of Orange and Vermeer, as well as its university. The compact heart of the city has historic buildings and canals, a range of museums and shops, restaurants and friendly sidewalk cafés, all within walking distance. Dordrecht Dordrecht is the oldest city of Holland and is located on the island at a busy river intersection. The city offers over 1,000 monuments, historical mid-town harbours, many bridges and far-stretched river sights. The island is also the gateway to national park ‘De Biesbosch’. Cities on the river Linge On the banks of the river Linge, you will find small historical cities like Leerdam and Gorinchem. Leerdam is world-famous for the glass art, that you can view in the National Glass Museum and the Glass Factory. The historical cities Gorinchem, Woudrichem and Slot Loevestein together form the ‘Vestingsdriekhoek’ - a triangle of fortified cities - and walk on fortified ramparts of the cities is a great experience. Vlaardingen The city Vlaardingen emerged from Holland’s first fishing harbour. Discover everything there is to know about this versatile city in the ‘Visserij & Vlaardings Museum’. Moreover, Vlaardingen has been named ‘The Greenest City of the Netherlands’, that you experience best with a ride on the boat ‘Andante’. > www.verrassendvlaardingen.nl Schiedam The development of Schiedam took place during the prime years of the jenever (gin) and shipping industry. The 225 realm monuments, built by wealthy distillers, and the museums create the nostalgic atmosphere of the city. Schiedam also offers many restaurants and cafes on special locations like monumental warehouses and a windmill. Zoetermeer Zoetermeer is a city with an active character. You can go for a walk or a bike ride in the forests and parks. The beautiful spots and remarkable architecture make a walk through the city centre also worthwhile. Or visit ‘The Big Five’ (see the Attractions section below) and one of 80 events that are organised every year. Westland The Westland is known for its many greenhouses, modern horticulture and beaches, but also has picturesque villages that are perfect for shopping. In the ‘Westlands Museum’ and theme park ‘De Westlandse Druif’ you can learn everything about the history of the Westland. Beach Resorts & Nature Katwijk Katwijk is a genuine beach resort with a beach, the sea and beautiful dunes to walk in for hours. Directly on the boulevard, you will find multiple museums, historical sights, shops, and naturally restaurants and terraces. Many music and sport events are organised here during the summer months. Noordwijk Noordwijk is a stylish beach resort with beautiful nature scenes and a rich history. This ‘Flower Beach Resort of Europe’ acquired international fame with its flourishing flower fields. The historical centre of Noordwijk offers a varied compilation of restaurants, stores and culture. Hoek van Holland Hoek van Holland is the ultimate beach resort of Rotterdam. In addition to sunbathing on the beach or doing water sports, you can also enjoy a nice meal or drink in the many beach pavilions and restaurants. The ‘New Waterway’ offers you a nice view on passing ships and the dune area is accessible for a walk or bike ride. Zuid-Holland Islands On the islands of Zuid-Holland you will find water, beaches, dunes, forests, polders and also small historical cities and characteristic villages. Embedded between the coasts of Zeeland and the busy world port Rotterdam, these islands are perfect for a short trip or a longer stay. > www.zuid-hollandse-eilanden.nl National park ‘The Biesbosch’ National park ‘The Biesbosch’ is one of the few remaining fresh water tide areas in Europe. The entire area covers over 9,000 square acres. The many rivers, islands, creeks, swamps, grasslands and cane fields make it a true green wilderness. The island Tiengemeten is a nature area in the Haringvliet. This island had an agrarian character in the past, but now nature has taken over again. It is a nice place to go for a bike ride and to take a walk. But you can also spend the night in an old farm or visit the Rien Poortvliet Museum. Midden-Delfland The Delfland area is bounded by the North Sea and the New Waterway. The walk and bike routes of Midden-Delfland take you along polders, dikes, windmills, ditches, lakes and old-fashioned locks. Museums Maurtishuis - The Hague The ‘Mauritshuis’ in The Hague has an extended collection of works by Dutch master artists. In this museum you will find many world-famous works, like ‘The girl with the pearl earring’ by Vermeer, the self-portrait of Rembrandt and other masterpieces of Jan Steen, Paulus Potter and Carel Fabritius. Stedelijk Museum Schiedam In the ‘Stedelijk Museum Schiedam’, you can find ‘Experimental’ and ‘informal’ art from 1945 to 1960 by painters like Karel Appel and Corneille. Also visit this museum for works from the 60’s and 70’s by artists like Jan Schoonhoven and Peter Struyken, or varying modern day art exhibitions. Jenever Museum Schiedam A beautiful museum with various possibilities for nice, tasteful as well as an educational day, afternoon or night. In the heather of this museum, ‘Old Schiedam’ jenever is still produced in exactly the same way as 300 years ago. Museums of Leiden Leiden has 12 fantastic museums with short walking distances from each other. Dinosaur skeletons, Rembrandt’s masterpieces, Wajang dolls from Indonesia, medical history, an Egyptian temple, treasures from Japan and everything about the deprive of Leiden: you can learn about this and more in the museums of Leiden. Attractions Space Expo - Noordwijk A visit to one of Europe’s largest permanent space expos is a mind-blowing and educational experience. How does gravity work? What is a black hole? What functions do sattelites have? Discover it yourself on the ‘gravity square’, the ‘satellite square’ or the ‘gravitation well’. Keukenhof - Lisse The Keukenhof acquired international fame with the impressive flower fields. Spread across various pavilions, you will find thematic flower shows and special art objects. The theme for 2010 will be: ‘From Russia with love’. Kinderdijk In the past, the 19 windmills of Kinderdijk protected the hinterland against floods and subsidences. Kinderdijk is an unique area with meadows, tadpoles, elongated villages on dikes and rivers, historical farms and fruit orchards and therefore was placed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO in 1997. Madurodam - Scheveningen In miniature city Madurodam, you learn all surprising aspects of the Netherlands. Typical canal buildings from Amsterdam, the ‘Dom tower’ of Utrecht, the ‘Binnenhof’ with the Gold Carriage’ in The Hague’ and the ‘Delta Works’: in Madurodam everything is rebuilt on a scale of 1: 25 including the smallest details.Futureland Futureland is an interactive information centre about Maasvlakte 2. Here you will learn how to dredge on the sea or how to raise new land for the harbour. Or you can watch hypermodern sea quays or take a look at Maasvlakte 2 from the sky in 2033. In Futureland you can experience the history of the future. Theme Park Archeon - Alphen Theme park 'Archeon' takes you on a journey to the times of the Roman empire, Middle-Ages and Prehistoric times. All 43 buildings are reconstructions of the Dutch buildings that really existed in the past. The inhabitants, the ‘Archeo Tolks’, let you relive the history in a very authentic way. Bird Park Avifauna - Alphen Bird park Avifauna has the most special birds from all parts of the World. During unique bird demonstrations, birds dive in the sky to catch their prey and bright-coloured aras fly over the found. In the meantime, their caretakers tell you fun facts. Why is a flamingo pink? Go and see for yourself. The Big Five - Zoetermeer Skiing on real snow, peddling in wild water, ice skating, rock climbing or a relaxed game of golf on the beautiful hills of Buytenpark. Zoetermeer has the more attractions than any other city in Holland. ‘SnowWorld’, ‘Dutch Water Dreams’, ‘PWA Silverdome’, ‘AyersRock’ and ‘BurgGolf’ together form ‘The Big Five of Europe’. Thermen Holiday Sauna & Beautycenter Schiedam Thermen Holiday Sauna Schiedam has a wide range of relaxation options like a swimming pool, a movie theatre sauna, an aquarium sauna, a herbal temple and an enchanting hammam. Here you can relax with a (foot) massage or enjoy a lovely beauty treatment. More highlights in the region Go to www.zuid-holland.com for more information about these and other sights in Zuid-Holland. |
