Take it from a born and raised Dutch person: there are plenty of places to visit in the Netherlands that aren't. Amsterdam. If you stick only to the capital, you're only scratching the surface of this small but mighty country.
Look beyond Amsterdam crowded with tourists canal belt, and you will find many villages straight out of a classic painting by one of the old masters: windmills, tulips, swirling waterways, and all. There are vast national parks teeming with birds and crisscrossed with cycle pathswhile boundary-pushing cities like Eindhoven and Rotterdam show that the country is also a creative power.
The best part? The national rail network serves every corner of the country and its relatively small size puts even the most remote locations within a day's drive of Amsterdam. Below, 18 places to visit in the Netherlands that aren't Amsterdam – frozen in time villages full of museums cities– to consider adding to your itinerary.
This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publication date. Additional reporting by Katherine LaGrave and Caitlin Morton.
