Where to go from Amsterdam for 1 day on your own – route, photo, description, map
The capital of the Netherlands, spoiled by tourists of all kinds, attracts them with an extraordinary spirit of freedom, backed up by sometimes paradoxical laws. But it is not the notorious freedom that attracts masses of people here – the beauty of “Dutch Venice“, its canals, monuments, the museum of the most eccentric artist of the planet Van Gogh, the famous tulips fascinate everyone, as this country once fascinated Peter I. A trip to Amsterdam gives you the opportunity to get acquainted with other interesting cities and settlements in the Netherlands. This recommendation article suggests where to go from Amsterdam for 1 day on your own.
Zaandam
This unusually picturesque green town, spread out on the banks of the river. Zan falls in love with him at first sight with his popular houses and houses. The special architecture of buildings, different from other cities, makes its appearance uniquely charming. It is immediately hard to believe that here in the 17-19 century. a fair share of the country's industry was based, everything here is so neat, clean and touchingly cute. Here, under the guise of a carpenter, Peter I, improving his knowledge of shipbuilding, was here, the memory of which is embodied in the house-museum named after him. There is also a monument to him in the town square, from which painted footprints lead to the house. The Russian Tsar Museum is an attractive place for tourists from different countries.
The musical rock cafe Fishline is also worth a visit. It would not be out of place to look into the atmospheric Black Smith pub, which is located in the premises of a former forge. The road to Zaandam from the Central Station will take 10-17 minutes. on the trains Amserdam Central – Kooq Zaanndijk. They leave every half an hour, a round trip ticket costs 5.8 €. If you wish, you can go by Konnexxion N 92, N94 buses, departing from the bus station (to the left of the railway station). Of course, if you are financially wealthy, you can comfortably take a taxi.
Amsterdam city card for 24, 48, 72 or 96 hours – from 60 €
Holland Pass: Amsterdam and Holland – 40 €
Villages and suburbs on a hop-on hop-off bus – 28 €
Zaanse-Shans
The authentic village – the Zaanse Schans Open Air Museum – evokes delight and tenderness. Even from afar, old mills – “windmills” will “wave their wings”, used not as monuments of antiquity, but as actively functioning production facilities. With their help, they are engaged in the production of flour, oils, various spices and paints (the process can be seen visually). Neat green-painted houses (there are 30 of them) hospitably “open” the doors for you (some for a fee, others for free), “inviting” you to see the life of the Dutch in the 17th-18th centuries.
You should go to the museum of the first store in Holland, Albert Heijn. These are several authentic trading shops offering items of ancient crafts. You can arrive by the same train Amserdam Central – Kooq Zaanndijk, but get off not in Zaandam, but after 2 stops from it. This will take 5-6 minutes. 3.5 €. If you have the desire and financial possibilities to make a romantic trip by boat to the Zaanse Schans, you can hire it for 55-60 € per hour. There is a direct bus service N 91 from the bus station.
Zaanse Schans & Zaanstreek bus tickets – € 11.50
Delft – The Hague
Feeling the atmosphere of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is very interesting, and a trip to the city of Dutch porcelain – Delft – will make an indelible impression on you. Getting to Delft is not a problem – there is every 10 minutes. from the Central Station there are Intercity trains (intercity), which will take you 57 minutes. (the cost of a round-trip is 23.4 €). From the Delft train station, you can take the bus N 40, get to the stop. “Royal Delft” and visit the museum-factory of blue and white porcelain with a rich collection of unique products of the 17th century. and exclusive contemporary designer M. Vander.
In the historical part of the city (brought by the same bus), go to the New Church, with the Royal Tomb, where the remains of V. Oransky (the founder of the state) are buried. You will like everything here: charming houses, streets decorated with flowers, canals green with duckweed. Dedicate the remaining half day to The Hague, where you can quickly (10 min.) get by tram N1 from Delft station, paying 1.5 €, or by intercity train (11 min.). Take the tram to the final stop and find yourself on the famous Scheveningen beach – a wide strip of golden sand – the picture is impressive.
After walking along the beach, take the tram N 9, which for 1 € for 10 minutes. will take you to Madurodam – a stunning park of miniatures of famous Dutch sights, brought together. Take tram N 8 or N 9 to the city center, look at the famous Peace Palace, Hoffeyver pond (Queen Beatrice's favorite place), visit the Mauritshuis – the center of artistic masterpieces. You can finish your stay in the city with dinner in one of the many restaurants or cafes in a cozy atmosphere. Return to Amsterdam by train Intercity Den Haaq HS – Amsterdam Centraal (47 min, 10.4 €).
Buy a bus ticket online for RUB 569.00
Utrecht
A trip to a cute corner of Dutch antiquity – Utrecht will give new impressions. From Amsterdam Central Station, take the Intercity train (departure every 10-15 minutes), and in 27 minutes. you will find yourself in Utrecht (13.6 € round trip) In this cozy, charming student town, where 2-tiered 13-volt canals have been preserved, the gray past harmoniously coexists with the fervent modernity. After all, it is here that the oldest university in Europe is located, where you can visit a museum that represents a picture of medieval student education. There are many of them here today, and not only the Dutch.
Climbing the tower of St. Martin on 465 steps! (as part of a group), you will see a charming panorama of the surroundings. Looking at its Gothic calm, arched vaults, you are transported to the Middle Ages. Take a ride on authentic canals on a modern boat, sail along paved sidewalks, with bicycle stands, antique lanterns entwined with flower garlands, and the soul will be filled with the charm of the past.
If you spare no time, take bus N 127 from the city bus station (runs every hour) to De Haar Castle – a masterpiece of medieval architecture, surrounded by a beautiful park. Like the Phoenix bird, the castle was repeatedly destroyed, but in 1890, thanks to Baroness Rothschild, it acquired a luxurious neo-Gothic look. Inside, interiors and household items are preserved as accurately as possible.
Volendam – Edam – Monnickendam – Marken
To the north of Amsterdam there are completely idyllic, tiny towns, in which the provincial life of many generations of the Dutch was embodied, preserving ancient traditions and a special flavor. Having visited them, you will forever be enchanted by the atmosphere of rural Holland. Having decided to visit Volendam, go to the left entrance of the Central Station, cross it along its entire length, go upstairs – there is bus 118: it runs along the route Volendam – Edam – Monnickendam – Marken every 20 minutes. You can buy a daily ticket for 10 € (save money) and go to Little Holland.
Each of these towns has its own unique charm. Edam, despite its meager limits, is known to the world for its cheese fairs. Next to the picturesque pond is a no less famous bakery with incredibly delicious pastries. And you can only admire its wonderful streets and buildings. The cute appearance of Volendam, decorated with charming fishermen's houses, a forest of boat masts near the shore, and funny cast sculptures, has its own “highlights”. It is famous for smoked eel, delicacy herring, delicious pickles.
Bus tickets Volendam Marken Boat Cruise & One Day – 23.50 €
From Amsterdam: train Volendam, Edam and Zaanse Schans – 49 €
Monnickendam (Amsterdam in miniature) – the focus of attractions is famous for smoking herring and eel (the latter is bred here) It is impossible not to admire the green lawns, ponds and canals, the cleanliness of streets and sidewalks, the beauty of ancient architectural monuments. An ethnographic museum has been opened in the Speltoren tower, miraculously preserved after strong fires of the 14th century. The impressive church of St. Nicholas, an old drawbridge made of wood, thrown over the harbor.
Marken, a peninsular settlement connected by a dam, can be safely called an open-air museum. The realm of all kinds of ships and boats, pastoral landscapes touches to the depths of the soul, to tears of admiration. Paradise silence around, slowness, green and black houses on stilts, well-groomed courtyards and streets, freshwater lake IJsselmeer will remain in your memory for a long time.
Rotterdam
Probably, many are familiar with the name of the Renaissance scientist Erasmus of Rotterdam, who took the name of the second largest Dutch city as a pseudonym. Back in the 14th century Rotterdam was a major port and a famous European city. Although there are few authentic monuments of the Middle Ages preserved here (due to shelling during the 2nd World War), the appearance of the present city is very interesting due to modern architectural structures. Dutch Railways trains run from Amsterdam Central Station every half an hour – in 41 minutes. they arrive in Rotterdam. Ticket prices are from 9 € to 35 €.
First of all, it is worth visiting the district of Deltshaven (old port), which has the best preserved medieval features: narrow cobbled streets, authentic waterways, medieval buildings, windmills; the first “swallow” among European skyscrapers – Het Witte Heiss (1898) Undoubted interest will be the building of the financial and business center in the Art Nouveau Van Nellefabrik, included in the UNESCO list. In the center of Rotterdam, it is worth visiting the Prince Hendrikas Maritime Museum, where you will be impressed by the symbolic bronze monument “The Scream” (commemorating the 2nd World War).
A visit to the Historical Museum (17th century Kunsthal Palace) will impress, where works by artists of the 19th and 20th centuries are exhibited. The highlight of the visit will be a visit to the B. van Beuningen Museum of Painting with a magnificent collection of works by Flemish masters of the Renaissance.
Buy a bus ticket online for 499.00 RUB
Zandworth
To see the amazing North Sea coast, you can go to the seaside resort of Zandvoort. From the Central Station, they go there every 30 minutes. direct trains, a ticket costs 10.12 € round trip. There are also transit trains of the NS Sprinter and Intercity railway companies with an interval of 15 minutes. If you find yourself here especially in the warm season, then the golden beaches and the cool water of the North Sea will seem to you the best in the world, the fabulously beautiful resort town is a magical place. It is no coincidence that there are always a lot of creative people here: artists, poets, photographers love these wonderful places.
Everything on the beaches is equipped with maximum comfort: bicycle tracks, jogging paths, recreation areas with elegant benches, many lovely cafes and restaurants. The town itself captivates with some kind of candy beauty – amazing-looking bright houses with an original variety of facades, immersed in flowers; streets sparkling with sterile cleanliness – there is a Dutch charm in everything. Here you can spend the whole day without boredom, walk and admire the charming pictures of resort life. Zaandvoort is good for sightseeing at any time of the year.
Haarlem – Leiden
A fascinating 1-day trip to Haarlem and Leiden is an opportunity to see firsthand the magnificent architectural masterpieces of the past, feel the spirit of the atmospheric Dutch towns and forever submit to their unique beauty. The road to Haarlem will not take much time – the trains “intercity” Amsterdam – Haarlem, departing with a regularity of 8 minutes, will reach you in 16 minutes. From the first steps you will be fascinated by the grandiose building of the station, the surrounding picturesque streets, numerous canals. st. Jaanstrat – the focus of unique buildings of the 17th century – will amaze the imagination with an authentic 500-year-old courtyard, the Bavona church and other attractions.
Satiated with Haarlem impressions, depart from the local station by train Haarlem-Leiden and in 19 minutes. you come to Leiden (return ticket – 10.6 €) The birthplace of Rembrandt, Leiden cheese, old mills conquers with its wide canals with boats sliding along them, clear rows of typical Dutch houses, an abundance of bicycles on stone sidewalks. The youth of ancient Leiden is personified by students who come to study at the local university from all over the world. A visit to the university and the Botanical Garden will be a great pleasure. In this “hotbed of international students” you will be flattered that the poetic lines of the Russian classics Blok, Akhmatova, Tsvetaeva are printed on the walls of many buildings.
Horn – Medemblik – Enkhaisen
A trip along the above route will bring a lot of new discoveries about the Netherlands, will allow you to see the most interesting objects of the past and the present. The train to Horn takes 34 minutes and costs 7.4 €. Upon arrival in Horn (city of 613 monuments), you need to go to Stoomtram (steam railway station). At the ticket office, buy a ticket to Medemblik on a steam locomotive that will bring you to a wonderful patriarchal town, with a yacht club, old ships and mills. The castle of the 13th century makes an indelible impression here. Radboud. Rectangular and round towers, the interior of the castle have been preserved in their original form.
From Medemblik you continue your journey on a small boat to the town of Enkhuizen, in the vicinity of which there is an ethnographic open-air museum – the fishing village of the last century Zuiderzeemuzeum. Here, in 1983, the life and life of Dutch fishermen's families were authentically reproduced: they brought houses and appropriate props from fishing villages and created a village.
Cozy courtyards, tiled houses, carts, bunches of dried fish here and there, children in ancient clothes – a nostalgic picture. Right at the smokehouses you can buy herring or eel, in the local forge you can watch the process, in the cheese factory you can enjoy cheese. Entrance to the museum – 14.5 €. You return to Enkhuizen, and from there to Amsterdam – by train (on the way – 59 min., 5.5 €).
Maastricht
The city bordering immediately with 3 states (Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium) arose on the site of a settlement known in Roman times. The latter built a bridge over the river here. Maas contributing to the development of Maastricht. The city of students and active cultural life differs from other Dutch cities in its Belgian architectural appearance. Belgians and Germans love to come here, discovering a special atmosphere and flavor. The navigable full-flowing river divides Maastricht into 2 parts – the Old and the New Town, where there is something to see. Intercity trains run from Amsterdam (Central Station) every hour to Maastricht (on the way – 2 hours 27 minutes, ticket 24 € – 45 €).
In the city, where 1.5 thousand monuments were built in the old center, it is worth visiting the Armory Square, where there are magnificent religious monuments – the Basilica of St. Servas and the Church of St. Janskerk. The main attraction of the historical center is the oldest building in the city – a true masterpiece of Romanesque architecture – the Onze Live Frauwekerk church (380 g) Popular with tourists are walks along the Sint-Servasbrug bridge and the underground labyrinth (length 10 km) – old underground shelters built by local residents as shelter from war. No less interesting will be a visit to the Market Square with the old Town Hall, authentic houses and shopping pavilions. Here you can have a bite to eat in one of the cozy cafes. Back by train to Amsterdam.
Buy a bus ticket online for RUB 849.00
Kinderdijk
Do you want to move from the avant-garde Amsterdam to the atmospheric corner of southern Holland, so that your delight will not have a limit? Then take a trip to Kinderdijk, where its ancient windmills embody the incredible diligence, skill and resilience of the Dutch, forced to reclaim the land from the sea. It is a small village famous for its 19 windmills from the 18th century, which were built to combat floods (they are on the UNESCO list).
They are located 15 km from Rotterdam, so from Amsterdam you come to Rotterdam. From there, either by ferry (line 20, swim 27 minutes, ticket 190-280 rubles), or by bus (line 90, journey 46 minutes, 250 – 360 rubles) go to Kinderdijk. You will not regret spending about 3 hours on the road. It is difficult to describe in words the charm of this place, cut by canals, along which the “enemies of Don Quixote”, set on green lawns, flap their wings. Looking at them, you can sail on a boat along the canal or walk along a smooth path under the rustle of rapidly overgrown grasses, reeds, admire water lilies.
And you can rent bicycles and drive around all the surroundings of the amazing “mill park” – these workers who became the basis of the life of the rural Dutch: they not only pumped out water, but also ground grain, sawed wood, and squeezed oil from seeds. In one of the mills, the entrance is open to the public, some are still inhabited. Filled with idyllic impressions, you will return to Amsterdam by the same route.
Keukenhof park
A unique landscape miracle – the royal flower park Keukenhof, created in the 40s of the 20th century, is located 30 km from Amsterdam. A shuttle bus departs from the center of the capital 6 times a day to Keukenhof (the ticket price of 39 € includes a visit to the park). This is the most convenient way to travel to the park. You can go with a transfer at Schiphol Airport: take bus N 397 from Amsterdam, in Schiphol change to N 858, going to the entrance to the park. You can also get to Schiphol by train (9.4 € round trip) and transfer to bus N 858, purchasing a combi ticket for 29.5 €, including round trip and entrance to the park.
90 species of trees and 7 million bulbs grow on 32 hectares among lakes, ponds, canals: tulips, crocuses, hyacinths, muscari, daffodils, blooming from the second half of March to the end of May. The admiration that engulfs tourists at the entrance to the landscape work of art only intensifies with each step. The legendary Dutch tulips (there are more than 700 species) amaze with a variety of colors and shapes: white, purple, scarlet, pink, yellow and even black.
Framed by crocuses, blue muscars, white hyacinths, they create picturesque floral carpets, the beauty of which is impossible to resist. The ruins of a medieval castle and an old mill, brought here specifically to enhance the surroundings, give the park a special charm.
Ticket to Keukenhof and transfer in both directions – 38 €
Alkmaar
The city, which has been producing another symbol of Holland since ancient times – cheese, captivates with its authenticity and the famous cheese fairs that take place here from April to October. Alkmaar in translation means “surrounded by water”, as it is located at the intersection of water arteries, the Nordholland navigable canal (1824) passes through it. Here you will enjoy not only excellent cheese, but plunge into the glorious past of Alkmaar and feel the pulse of modern enthusiasm and activity.
The Intercity train departs every hour from Amsterdam Central Station, a ticket for it costs from 7 to 13 €, the journey takes 37 minutes. If you wish, you can make a 2-3-hour trip on rented bicycles (there are special bike paths along the tracks). You can start your tour from the historical Kasandra Square, where there is a beautiful architectural monument of the 16th century. – the Grotekerk church, where visitors listen to an old organ.
Walking along st. Langestrat, go to Vesova Square with the magnificent Town Hall building and authentic houses. Take a look at the National Beer Museum and the Beatles Museum, try Dutch cuisine in one of the taverns. In the center of the city there is a legendary house of the 16th century, which was hit by a Spanish cannon ball, which did not cause him any damage and remained in it forever. At the end of the visit, take a boat ride along the picturesque canal and appreciate the beauty of the city from the outside.
Gauda
An old town founded in the 13th century. The Van der Goude family, who built a fortifying castle building on the banks of the Gauve River, today is famous all over the world for cheese fairs on Thursdays. Initially, the growing city was surrounded by swamps, but the painstaking efforts of local residents ennobled these places, tearing out a canal and curbing the mouth of the river that overflowed the surroundings.
A calm, measured rhythm of life, beautiful architectural monuments, an abundance of greenery on the streets create an attractive appearance of the cheese city. Coming to Gouda from Amsterdam (70 km) is not a problem: from the Amsterdam Central station every 10-20 minutes. there are trains (from 4 am to 1 am), the journey takes 55 minutes, 1st class ticket – 19.2 €, 2nd class ticket – 11.3 €.
Tourists usually come to the Market Square, where they admire the building of the old City Hall (15th century), resembling an incredibly beautiful fairy-tale tower with many cute turrets, jagged decorations and spiers on the facade. Equally beautiful are the expressive statues embodying fidelity and wisdom, sculptural images of dukes and duchesses (17th century). No less significant national monument is the Waag (Weighing Chamber), in which various goods (including cheese) were weighed when determining the amount of duties. Now the Cheese Museum is open in the Waag.
It is worth seeing the longest church in Holland, the Grote Kerk (St. John), famous for its unique stained-glass windows. Sea lovers will be interested in visiting the Old Harbor, where old ships are moored. A visit to Gouda will be a bright touch in the kaleidoscope of impressions from your stay in the Netherlands.