Great days out in Holland

1. Keukenhof Gardens

The Keukenhof gardens cover an area of 32 hectares and are carpeted with millions of colourful bulb flowers, rich green lawns and natural sculptures. There are different displays throughout the season including the Spring Parades, the Summer Garden, an autumn flower bulb market and the Japanese Garden. The gardens have many attractions to keep children amused – these include a labyrinth, a play meadow and a small animal pasture. The gardens are in the town of Lisse, located inland from the seaside resort of Noordwijk.
http://www.keukenhof.nl/

2. Anne Frank’s House

Anne Frank’s House is located in the centre of Amsterdam and is the hiding place where Anne Frank wrote her famous diary during the German occupation of World War II. A visit to the house enables you to envision exactly what happened during the hiding period - the Secret Annex has been maintained in its original state. There is a permanent exhibition at the house where you can see the original diary along with pictures, documents and objects belonging to the eight people who were in hiding here. Each year there is a different themed contemporary exhibition with themes relating to World War II.
www.annefrank.nl

3. The Rijksmuseum

The largest museum in Holland is the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The museum is well known for its wonderfully designed exhibitions and projects and features work by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Jan Steen and Breitner amongst others.
http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/

4. Hoge-Veluwe National Park and the Kröller-Müller Museum

The national park of Hoge Veluwe is the largest in the Netherlands and is located close to Arnhem. The park covers 5,500 hectares and is made up of forests, heath and sands. An array of wild animals roam freely here including red deer and wild boar. Wildlife-spotting trips and one day walking safaris are available but have to be booked in advance. Nature walks are available in July, August and September and do not require to be booked in advance. On the edge of the park you will find the Kröller-Müller Museum that has a large collection of world-famous art from the 19th and 20th centuries. Also at the museum is Europe’s largest sculpture garden that features work by Auguste Rodin, Jean Dubuffet and Henry Moore amongst others.
http://www.hogeveluwe.nl/

5. Marken Island

Marken Island is located close to Amsterdam and is joined to the mainland by a land bridge. The main attractions here are the unique green and white striped buildings, the church and the villagers in their local costume. There are many other interesting attractions on the island, including the Marken Museum, the lighthouse and the quay.

6. Kinderdijk Windmills

No visit to Holland would be complete without seeing some windmills and Kinderdijk is the best place to go! The site has 19 remarkably well preserved windmills that were built around 1740 to drain excess water from the Alblasserwaard polders. The windmills were put on the World Heritage List of UNESCO in 1997 and are a very popular attraction with visitors.
http://www.kinderdijk.nl/

7. De Efteling Theme park

Young and old alike will love De Efteling theme park in Kaatsheuvel. The park has a magical, fairytale theme with four different ‘Realms’ – the Fairy Realm offers fantastic imaginative attractions, the Alternative Realm has exotic and spectacular attractions, the Adventure Realm is full of fast rides and the Travel Realm takes you on a journey through your dreams. If you are brave enough be sure to try the Python roller coaster with two loops and two corkscrews, for a tame ride try the Gondoletta boat tour that floats through the wonderful colourful flora of the Efteling gardens. Every Saturday from the middle of July until the end of August you can enjoy the De Efteling enchanting illuminations and musical entertainment until late at night.
http://www.efteling.nl/

8. Madurodam

The miniature city of Madurodam, located in The Hague, is built on a scale of 1:25 and has an array of detailed models of Dutch attractions and landmarks. See in miniature the canal houses of Amsterdam, turning windmills, the Alkmaar cheese market and the Delta Works amongst other great models. Madurodam also has Sand World, an indoor sand sculpture exhibition that tells the story of how the Dutch struggled against the water.
http://www.madurodam.nl/

9. The Burgers’ Zoo

The Burgers’ Zoo in Arnhem spreads over 18 hectares and is home to more than 3,000 animals. Animal lover Johan Burgers originally opened the zoo in 1923, his philosophy was to show animals in a habitat that was as natural as possible – this philosophy is still adopted by the zoo today. Visit the safari park with its giraffes, rhinos, zebras and African bird species. A rain forest has been developed in a massive hall that covers 1.5 hectares and is home to tropical plants and animals. A recent addition to the zoo is the ocean area with hundreds of varieties of fish life and a stunning attraction that allows you to admire the underwater world of a shallow coral lagoon.
http://www.burgerszoo.nl/

10. De Haar Castle in Haarzuilens

Close to the city of Utrecht, De Haar Castle is a unique attraction that has something for everyone, young and old. Take a guided visit of the castle and learn about the history of the building and its décor. The gardens of De Haar are stunning and in French Baroque style with ornamental ponds, meandering paths, quaint little bridges and groves.
http://www.kasteeldehaar.nl/