Rotterdam Beach

In the summertime, nothing cools you off better than water. And there’s enough of that in Rotterdam! Enjoy everything from the Nieuwe Maas, which flows through the city, to the cozy inner-city harbors. Longing to take a dip in the sea? The Hoek van Holland beach is just around the corner. This vast beach also belongs to Rotterdam. In any season, Hoek van Holland is a great place to visit.

It offers nice cultural venues, a varied surrounding area and the giant ships of Rotterdam’s busy international port gliding past. Suppose you want to do something other than go to the beach.

Then you can choose from several different attractions. Hoekse museums – small-scale and highly accessible – are dedicated to lighthouses, the history of Dutch pop music, rescue work at sea, the Atlantic wall and Dutch military history. Visit the Tourist Office or look for more information on www.hoekvanholland.nl.

Public transport: RET metro (metro station Nesselande) line B to Hoek van Holland Haven.

Kinderdijk

Kinderdijk is a small village 15 km east of Rotterdam with the largest concentration of old windmills in the world! It is located at the point where the Lek and the Noord rivers come together.

The current windmills were built around 1738 with the aim of improving the drainage of the Alblasserwaard. Since 1997, the Kinderdijk polder area with its dikes and windmills has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List. UNESCO praises the resourcefulness of the drainage and protection of the land. You can visit the mills on foot, by bicycle or by boat. A round trip takes about half an hour.

You can look around inside of some of the windmills – sometimes for a fee. You will then get information about the construction and operation of the mill.

Public transport:-The Waterbus (www.waterbus.nl) is the fastest way to reach Kinderdijk, taking 30 minutes: take the line 202 to the stop Kinderdijk Molenkade. The stop is directly in front of the entrance to Kinderdijk. The departure location is right next to the Erasmus Bridge.-Station Zuidplein: Bus 90 to Utrecht Centraal via Kinderdijk.

Schiedam Jenever

Schiedam is the capital of jenever (Dutch gin). A walk through its streets reveals the remains of the once-booming gin industry everywhere.

You will find the warehouses, distilleries, grain mills, waterways, the sack carriers’ house and of course the grain market.

There are two distilleries in Schiedam that make jenever in a completely traditional way: The Jenevermuseum with distillery ‘De Gekroonde Brandersketel’ (Address: Lange Haven 76) and ‘De Tweelingh’ distillery (Address: Noordvest 93). Both welcome visitors for guided tours.

Public transport: From Rotterdam Central Station there are trains to Schiedam Central Station. The train ride takes about 5 minutes.

The Hague

The Hague (aka Den Haag, ‘s-Gravenhage) is the third largest city in the Netherlands after Amsterdam and Rotterdam, with a population of about 510,000. The city is located in the west of the Netherlands, and it is the capital of the province of South Holland. 

The seat of the Dutch government is also in The Hague, even though the capital of the Netherlands is the city of Amsterdam. The king lives and works in The Hague.

The Hague is the International City of Peace and Justice. It is the United Nations’ second city, after New York. There are 160 international organisations based in The Hague.

Leiden

Leiden is a city full of discoveries. Enjoy its rich history, the Leiden courtyards, hundreds of monuments, the oldest university in the Netherlands, 13 museums, and a bustling city center. Explore the canals by boat or wander through the charming alleys.

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