Netherlands

Though tiny, the Netherlands is a popular stop on the European tourist trail, and it deserves to be. Traveling around is truly comfortable, as distances are quite short and the road network is excellent-

– and free of charge.  A round trip of the Netherlands can be conveniently combined with visits to Germany, Belgium, and France, and you can spend anywhere between days and weeks here.
Should you only have a few days to explore the Netherlands, go to Amsterdam, Groningen, and Maastricht, if you have more time, go around in a big loop and pick up the best bits on the way.
The southernmost province, Limburg, is what the Dutch humorously refer to as the mountains. In fact, the highest “peak” on Dutch ground, the Vaalserberg, is a stunning 1060 ft high, embedded in landscapes of other hills. The main city in this province is Maastricht on the river Maas, a lively town with an old town center, surprising with the number of foreigners you meet here, due to a high number of international organizations with a seat here.

Further north you cross the fertile province of Gelderland, which is where all the Dutch tomatoes are grown which you can buy in your local supermarket. Continuing north you get to Overijssel, a green, hilly countryside crisscrossed by small streams, some of which empty into Lake Ijssel, a huge lake popular among sailors.

Next turn inland and head straight for Old Amsterdam. The capital is the essence of what the Netherlands stand for: a friendly, groovy, liberal city with as much tradition as international flair. The way the Dutch switch from one foreign language to another without even blinking an eye is brilliant, and they are extremely welcoming to visitors, eager to make them feel at ease in their hometown. Amsterdam a picture-perfect old town, featuring the typical Dutch narrow brick houses on canals (Grachten), decorated with tulips. A stroll along the water is incredibly romantic, and there are plenty of opportunities to stop for a coffee. To see everything there is to see in Amsterdam you should set apart a few days if possible. The Rijksmuseum (National Museum) alone takes some time to explore, but who wouldn’t want to see Rembrandt’s original Nightwatch and Van Gogh’s original self portrait? The concert hall is among the best in the world, so try to get tickets if you wish to attend a first-class classical music event. For a very special trip into recent history, visit Anne Frank’s house. The young girl, loved and mourned around the world by readers of her touching diary, lived in a building on Prinsengracht Street and it has been lovingly restored to what it looked like when Anne wrote about her life in hiding. You can climb the stairs to the attic and recognize everything she described; downstairs the museum features varying exhibitions on life of Jews during World War II and the Holocaust.

A must-see on your round trip is Groningen, the northernmost province of the Netherlands. It is also the name of the province’s capital, a picturesque town of beautiful little streets, small boutiques, and plenty of cafes and restaurants along the tranquil harbor.