Friday, March 7, 2014
what are the best places to visit in the netherlands (holland) ?
what are the best places to visit in the netherlands (holland) ?
what are the most visited cities in the netherlands ? i'm going to live in the netherlands for a month, that is next july, as part of student exchange and i was wondering what city shall i apply to ? there's a big chance i might not get amesterdam .. so whats my second choice? i'd love to stay in an interesting place where i can do lots of outdoors activities and adventures , i'm looking for a place with lots of landscapes and stuff .. i'm not a fan of busy cities and clubs .. these cities are my options: AMSTERDAM; GRONINGEN; LEIDEN; NIJMEGEN; ROTTERDAM; UTRECHT; i totally appreciate your help :D
Netherlands - 6 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Well if you like nature and outdoors things, then add Maastricht to the list. The countryside there is beautiful and has a very good student scene there. The city itself has everythings whilst retaining a unique charm, but is located in a much more rural environment than Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Leiden. However Leiden and Delft are beautiful as well but less rural. Many international students also study there. These are cities close to where I live. So I would pick Maastricht and Amsterdam personally. Amsterdam because I used to live them, know it and love it, and have spent several short holidays in & around Maastricht and it is beautiful. Groningen is also a lot more rural, and a regular (hopefully she will see it) used to live there and loves it. She can give you a lot more info hopefully
2 :
I agree with the idea of Maastricht. I would try either Amsterdam or Utrecht, as these two are the more centrally located cities (transport wise anyway) and from either you can be in any part of The Netherlands under two hours by train. Yes, they are busy - but also centrally located. If you are looking for relatively quiet, Groningen fits the bill, although the landscapes there are mostly fields, and fields, and some trees. It is fairly flat. Another alternative in that area could be Leeuwarden, and there you have more water landscapes - lots of small lakes etc. I personally think Leiden is rather boring - but again within easy reach of The Hague, and the beach / dunes. I have no experience with Nijmegen. And Rotterdam is not a city or area that i would recommend to you - as most of its surroundings are industrial area, and harbors. Although - that is awesome to see too. But, in all honesty - one of the central cities i mentioned would make things very easy, if you wish to spend a day somewhere else. If you need more info, feel free to ask - you can contact me through my profile.
3 :
I lived in Groningen for six years, and you could not find a better place for a student. Simply put, it ROCKS. The nightlife is great, the city centre is compact and very easy to get around, and you cycle for 15 minutes and you're in the countryside. It's an unusual countryside there because it's so flat. It does take some getting used to, but it has its own particular beauty, and lots of forests and moorlands and nature reserves.
4 :
nijmegen is a very nice city, small but it has everything you could want it even has hills so if you like mountain biking there are plenty of trails, which is why i enjoyed my time there, it is also very close to the german border and there is a lot of history there as it is also the oldest city in holland, also there are a lot of ww2 cemetery's and monuments in the area
5 :
I studied in Holland back in 2006. We started in Utrecht as part of an orientation program, and that really is a great city. It actually dates back to the Roman Empire, and it's got bi-level canals all through the middle of the city. I was there in August, and there was a great concert on the canals in the city center. You can visit the Dom Tower, which is the main attraction in town, and there's lots of neat restaurants around there. For the rest of the time I was there (4 months), I studied at Leiden University. Leiden is another great town, with lots of cool shops on Haarlemerstraat, and of course lots of canals. Honestly, both of those towns don't have tons of stuff to do outside, but they are fun to walk around. Amsterdam is of course fun, but better for day trips, or late night pub crawls. There are tons of museums, including the Sex museum in the red light district, and I don't recommend watching a sex show. Rotterdam is another great city, and you should ride the Pannekoken Boat. (Unsure on that spelling.) It's basically a boat that rides around Rotterdam's port, and you get all you can eat pancakes. I never went to Groningen, just travelled through it on the train. didn't ever seem like much draw to go there, and out of 60 kids coming from the University of California, only 1 girl went there. If you're looking to do stuff outdoors, you should check out Terschelling, which is one of 4 islands along the very northern part of the Netherlands. Look at it on google maps. You have to take a ferry, which takes about 45 mins-1 hour, but it is a great little island, with lots of beaches, and plenty of places to ride bikes! Another place you should check out is Arnhem. Their is a museum between Arnhem and Utrecht called the National Park De Hoge Veluwe. First of all, it's got tons of great art from lots of famous Dutch artists, like Mondrian. But the best part is that the museum itself is surrounded by this huge national park. They have bikes all around that you can just grab and ride across the park, and then dump at another bike rack. Lots of fun, and not far from Utrecht, if you decide to go there. (Like 15 miles...) Anyways, I had fun in all of these places, but I guess I would recommend Utrecht since it's in the middle of everything, and there is tons of stuff to do in town.
6 :
Uhm, Coffeeshops.
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