When I went to the Netherlands, Amersfoort caught my eye as a charming town. I was looking for more places that were a bit smaller – but not too small – and still retained historic charm, so the city’s old town attracted me. Amersfoort isn’t on a typical itinerary of the Netherlands but seeing that many places looked a lot more modern, I decided to give it a go. It was actually one of my favourite parts of my trip!

A Short History of Amersfoort

The town of Amersfoort started as an area for overseeing farmland, but blossomed into a … Continue reading

Delft was one of the places I chose to visit in the Netherlands because it looked cute and had a history I wanted to learn more about. It’s the home of the beautiful Royal Delft Blue porcelain as well as Johannes Vermeer. I was excited to see, after hundreds of years, what the city is like today.

A Short History of Delft

Delft dates all the way back to around the 11th century. It grew to be a very large city with various trades in beer, textiles, printing, and the arts. Though it was destroyed by fire in 1536, William … Continue reading

When I was deciding where to visit from Amsterdam, Leiden stood out as a charming place to visit with some interesting sites to see, particularly for the painter Rembrandt van Rijn. Though I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, I was excited to see what this city had to offer.

A Brief History of Leiden

Leiden is one of the oldest places I visited in the Netherlands, as it it first appeared in written record during the 9th century. Its history is also a lot richer since Leiden became known for various trades – particularly textiles like broadcloth, but also … Continue reading

One place I wanted to see was the Dutch countryside, and Edam, Volendam, and Marken were places that stood out to me. Each place is small and mostly residential, so they can be seen easily together on a day trip from Amsterdam. I happened to go on a cold and rainy day but still enjoyed these three charming places. Actually, I think it was one of my favourite parts of the Netherlands!

Edam

Edam is the oldest place on this trip. Due to the shipbuilding and fishing trades, Edam prospered in the 13th and 14th centuries. Flooding that occurred in … Continue reading

I first went to Amsterdam several years ago as a day trip. I was sick that day so a bit disoriented, and I didn’t remember too much of my adventure. So going back to Amsterdam was a way of redeeming my relationship with the city. Amsterdam is home to many, many museums so I was excited to get to see those and dive deeper into the world of Dutch art. I’m very glad I went and now have a much clearer view of this beautiful, unique city.

A Short History of Amsterdam

You’ll see a few shirts and signs that … Continue reading

April in the Netherlands is tulip season, and Keukenhof Gardens is an excellent place to see the tulips and makes an easy day trip from Amsterdam. However, April in the Netherlands is also a bit more expensive, so I opted to visit in March. Keukenhof Gardens is open only a few weeks out of the year and I was lucky enough to go on opening day.

Of course the weather can change drastically but March usually isn’t peak tulip season. So if you find yourself in the same situation, what’s a visit to Keukenhof Gardens like in March? Is it … Continue reading