Netherlands Grand Tour of 15 Cities

We are going on a grand tour of the Netherlands, visiting 15 of the most beautiful towns in this great country. 00:00 intro, 00:14 route map, 00:27 Amsterdam, 03:02 Alkmaar, 04:35 Haarlem, 06:14 Utrecht, 08:16 Leiden, 10:42 Gouda, 12:20 Delft, 15:19 the Haag, 17:34 Rotterdam, 20:09 Kinderdijk, 22:13 Dordrecht, 24:30 Breda, 26:29 den Bosch, 29:44 Maastricht, 31:20 Middelburg 33:46 conclusion, 29:00 itinerary schedule, 29:30 website https://townsofeurope.com/ Starting out in Amsterdam, then we'll stay in 6 other main cities including Utrecht, Leiden, Delft, Rotterdam, Dortrecht and Breida. From there we'll take day trips to a bunch of other wonderful towns. Amsterdam is capital of the Netherlands and center of its economy, culture and tourism, making it the perfect place to begin a tour of the country. Easily reached in about 15 minutes by train from the airport. Amsterdam has the world's largest collection of buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries, including 7,000 well-preserved houses. The entire historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Canals, cobblestones and coziness sum up the appeal and the compact center is easily covered on foot, with trams available for a quick boost. With so much to see, stay at least 3 days, plus 2 more for day trips. Start out at Dom Square in the center and the Dom Rock, then work west into the main canal belt along the single, where the gabled merchant houses are at their finest. And then take one of the popular canal boat excursions. The 9th Streets District between the canals is like a quaint village in the midst of the city with a concentrated collection of small shops. The historic city of Haarlem is one of the most attractive destinations in the Netherlands, starting out in the large pedestrian zone in the historic center. And all along you will find a nice variety of shops every place you turn when you're in Haarlem, into the heart of town, which is a network of half a dozen pedestrian lanes, all of which lead to the center, the market square with the big church towering over it all. Utrecht is just 25 minutes south of Amsterdam by direct train. It's the fourth largest city in the country and claims a collection of medieval buildings second in number only to Amsterdam. Its defining feature is a unique split-level canal arrangement found in no other Dutch city. Terrace restaurants and a public promenade run right at water level along the main canal with a pedestrian shopping street above. So you can soon be on your way on the wonderful Dutch rail system to our next destination, 30 minutes away, Leiden. The canals here are distinctive. They run right into the middle of the old town, with about half a dozen peaceful waterways lined by terrace restaurants just above the water. A logical first stop is a canal-side café for breakfast or coffee, enjoying the tranquil view and the peaceful morning atmosphere. You might think of it as Gouda, as in Gouda cheese, for which they are very famous, and we'll have a quick look in this brief practical guide to seeing the highlights of Gouda. A natural walking route starts at the train station and runs down the Kleiveg shopping street to the central market square, into the large church along a canal down to the harbor, a picturesque setting where you might see a river cruise boat tied up and some locals fishing, then circles back to the station in a complete loop, enjoying the scenic vistas of small canals along the way. The marked is the central plaza, ringed by pubs, restaurants, and sidewalk cafes with several important buildings around it. You will love the Dutch city of Delft. It's one of the most famous, historical, and beautiful towns in the Netherlands. Preserved in picture book perfection, it's also a modern city that functions very well for its 100,000 residents. It's a town of bicycles, canals, cheese, and beer typical of the Netherlands with friendly, well-educated people, excellent preservation of its historic buildings, The Hague is the second most visited city in the Netherlands after Amsterdam because it's a city with many attractions and a large pedestrian zone where you can wander about in old historic lanes. Although Amsterdam is the nation's capital, almost all of the government is headquartered here with the parliament and the prime minister and perhaps most famous as home of the International Court of Justice, a branch of the United Nations Rotterdam. Unique among Dutch cities, it was rebuilt after World War II in a distinctive modern style with Europe's largest harbor and waterfront developed for recreation with walkways, restaurants and museums and continued growth has produced futuristic architecture with people-friendly planning visit Kinderdijk, then we are heading south to Dordrecht and then on to Breta so it makes sense to take another boat 30 minutes to Dordrecht. travel videos & photos at: https://townsofeurope.com/ with text, maps & links.