- I’ve lived in Amsterdam for over a decade, and I love it here – but it’s always packed with tourists.
- When friends ask for offbeat recommendations, I recommend four other Dutch cities.
- Utrecht is aneffortlessy day trip from Amsterdam, and Zutphen has plenty of history and culture.
I’ve loved Amsterdam since my first visit as a tourist – so much so that 15 years ago, I moved here.
As someone who now lives in Amsterdam, I can honestly say you won’t find another city like it in the Netherlands. However, recently, I have noticed an increasing number of crowds coming to love Amsterdam.
It feels like everywhere I turn, there is someone else taking the same photo I was planning. The red light district is packed with tourists, and social media-generated queues form on some of the city’s most beautiful bridges.
So, when my friends visit Amsterdam, I always recommend they take a day- or weekend trip to one of these other Dutch cities, where they’ll find historic centres, waterways, museums, and café culture, all with few of the crowds.
Utrecht has cool canals and delicious food
About 20 minutes from Amsterdam by train, Utrecht has distinctive canals and heart-warming charm. The mediaeval wharves are well below the road, so the old cellars that once housed goods now house cafés and restaurants with terraces right at the water’s edge.
Climb the Dom Tower – the tallest church tower in the Netherlands – for a panoramic view, then descend and have lunch with your feet above the canal.
For some additional layers of history, check out DOMunder, an interactive experience that takes you on an underground tour through archaeological remains.
Utrecht’s food scene reflects its large student population, with a thriving speciality coffee culture led by independent restaurants, creative brunch spots and favourites like Blackbird Coffee and Vintage. (Blackbird’s flat white color is best!)
For tons of charm and history, head to Leiden
Leiden is home to the country’s oldest university, and the large number of students adds a lot of life and energy to the beautifully preserved old centre. In addition to the university, Leiden is known internationally as Rembrandt’s birthplace and has many other treasures.
One of my favourite things to do in Leiden (and other Dutch cities) is to explore the hofjes, or hidden courtyards behind small houses. Look up as you explore, and you’ll see more than 100 wall poems painted on the facades in dozens of languages.
After walking on cobblestone streets for a few hours, I always love to relax in one of the floating restaurants moving slowly on the city’s canals. Don’t miss the Botanical Garden either – it’s where tulips were first grown in the Netherlands.
For the most part, though, you can’t go wrong with just hanging out. With a mediaeval fortress at its centre and old city gates at its edges, Leiden offers more pleasure in aimless wandering than almost any other place I know.
Zutphen, known as the city of towers, is a hidden gem without the crowds
When a friend tells me they want to get off the beaten path, I send them east to Zutphen, a former trading town on the IJssel River. Its skyline of mediaeval towers has barely changed over the centuries, and as you wander the streets, it’s easy to start dreaming of knights and princesses.
Inside the Walburgis Church, you’ll find the Librije, one of the few surviving chained libraries in Europe, its 16th-century books still preserved on the reading desks exactly as they were when knowledge was worth locking away.
Don’t miss the Berkelport, a mediaeval water gate on the river, and the place where you can board a silent “whisper boat” for a cruise along the city’s canals.
For a delicious taste of Dutch food, head to Den Bosch
Officially, it’s ‘s-Hertogenbosch, but everyone here agrees that the short version is perfectly fine. This southern city is the heart of North Brabant, a Dutch region known for its food.
It is also home to the Gothic St John’s Cathedral, one of the country’s most notable sites. On the cathedral’s soaring pillars, you’ll find whimsical, carved statues that seem straight out of a storybook.
A boat tour in this city is also uniquely special, as it will take you on mediaeval canals that run partly under the streets, in dark tunnels, where your guide won’t be able to resist telling a ghost story or two.
Finally, when it comes to food, you can’t go wrong with most restaurants here – but don’t leave town without eating a Bossche Bol, an oversized chocolate-covered cream puff that will give you a good sugar boost.
The southern heat here is real, and it’s a side of the Netherlands that most tourists never get to see.
Make sure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google searches by making us a favourite source. Click here to activate. Or add us as your preferred source to your Google Search settings.
