Tourism in the Netherlands

In 2014 the Netherlands was visited by 13.9 million foreign tourists, almost 4 millions come from Germany. In 2012, the Dutch tourism industry contributed 5.4% in total to the country's GDP and 9.6% in total to its employment. With its global ranking of 147th and 83rd place for total contribution to respectively GDP and employment, tourism is a relatively small sector of the Dutch economy.

Arrivals by country

Most visitors arriving to the Netherlands on short term basis in 2014 were from the following countries of nationality:

Rank	Country	Number
1	Germany	3,894,000
2	United Kingdom	1,857,000
3	Belgium	1,828,000
4	United States	991,000
5	France	725,000
6	Italy	503,000
7	Spain	396,000
8	Switzerland	256,000
9	China	249,000
10	Russia	196,000
	Total foreign	13,925,000

Cities

Major cities

Amsterdam

Main article: List of tourist attractions in Amsterdam

Queen's Day in Amsterdam.

Aerial view of the Canals.

Amsterdam is the capital city and most populous city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, receiving more than 4.63 million international visitors annually, excluding the 16 million day trippers visiting the city every year. The most important museums of Amsterdam are located on the Museumplein (Museum Square), at the southwestern side of the Rijksmuseum. Considered to be the cultural and financial capital of the country, Amsterdam is known for its historic canals, which earned it the monniker Venice of the North, as well as a host of historic buildings and state of the art facilities. Amsterdam is famous for its vibrant and diverse nightlife centred around the Leidseplein and the Rembrandtplein. The Paradiso, Melkweg and Sugar Factory are cultural centres, which turn into discothèques at night.

Main sights and events of interest include:

• The Canals of Amsterdam, 100 kilometres of canals, about 90 islands and 1,500 bridges.
• The Rijksmuseum is the national and largest museum of the Netherlands.
• The Van Gogh Museum specialises in works by Vincent van Gogh.
• The Stedelijk Museum specialises in modern art.
• The Anne Frank House, a museum based around the life of Anne Frank located in the house where she and her family lived.
• The Hermitage Amsterdam, a dependency of the Hermitage Museum of Saint Petersburg.
• The Tropenmuseum, anthropological museum.
• The NEMO, the science museum in a building that looks like a sinking ship.
• The Verzetsmuseum, the Amsterdam resistance museum.
• The Joods Historisch Museum, The Jewish Historical Museum collects objects and works of art associated with the religion, culture and history of the Jews in the Netherlands and its former colonies.
• The Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum, a museum about Dutch maritime history. Reopened on 1 October 2011 after renovations lasting since January 2007.
• The Royal Palace, former town hall, built in 1648.
• The red-light district or De Wallen, a network of alleys containing about 300 one-room cabins rented by prostitutes who offer their sexual services from behind a window or glass door, typically illuminated with red lights.

Rotterdam

Rotterdam seen from the Meuse.

Rotterdam Centraal railway station.

The city of Rotterdam is known for the Erasmus University, its riverside setting, lively cultural life and maritime heritage. The near-complete destruction of Rotterdam's city centre during World War II has resulted in a varied architectural landscape including skyscrapers, which are an uncommon sight in other Dutch cities. Rotterdam is home to some world-famous architecture by renowned architects like Rem Koolhaas, Piet Blom, and Ben van Berkel, and was voted 2015 European City of the Year by the Academy of Urbanism. The port of Rotterdam is the largest cargo port in Europe, and its extensive distribution system including rail, roads and waterways has earned Rotterdam the nickname "Gateway to Europe", and conversely "Gateway to the World" in Europe.

Main sights and events of interest include:

• Diergaarde Blijdorp, one of the oldest and largest zoos in the Netherlands.
• North Sea Jazz, an annual music festival held on the second weekend of July at the Ahoy venue, and acknowledged as the "biggest indoor jazz festival in the world"
• Rotterdam Centraal railway station
• Summer Carnival, a large carnival parade organised by the Dutch Caribbean community
• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, an art museum with a collection ranging from medieval to contemporary art, with works of Rembrandt, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, and Salvador Dalí
• The port of Rotterdam, the largest cargo port in Europe
• The Cube houses, a set of innovative houses built by tilting the cube of a conventional house by 45 degrees.
• The Dutch Architecture Institute, a cultural institute for architecture and urban development.
• The Wereldmuseum, an ethnographic museum showing more than 1800 ethnographic objects from various cultures in Asia, Oceania, Africa, the Americas and the Islamic world.
• Maritime Museum Rotterdam, a maritime museum dedicated to naval history; next to the museum lies the 19th-century ironclad ram ship HNLMS Buffel.
• The historical shipyard and museum Scheepswerf "De Delft" where the reconstruction of ship of the line Delft can be visited.

Utrecht

Dom Tower of Utrecht and city centre at night.

Entrance of the Railroad Museum.

Utrecht is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands and was the most important city in the northern Netherlands until the Dutch Golden Age, which is reflected in its ancient city centre which features many buildings and structures, several dating back to the High Middle Ages. The centre of the city houses the Oudegracht, a curved canal lined with the unique wharf-basement structures that create a two-level street along the canals. Utrecht has been the religious centre of the Netherlands since the 8th century, and houses both the Archbishop of Utrecht and the offices of the Dutch Reformed Church As such Utrecht's cityscape is dominated by churches and other clerical buildings, the largest of which is the Dom Tower, the tallest belfry in the Netherlands. Partly due to the presence of Utrecht University, the largest university in the Netherlands, the city has a vibrant night life.

Main sights and events of interest include:

• The Dom Tower, a 112.5 metre (369 feet) high Gothic-style tower and symbol of the city. The tower was part of the Cathedral of Saint Martin, Utrecht, also known as Dom Church, and was built between 1321 and 1382.
• Railway Museum, a museum housing many historic trains and locomotives.
• Museum Catharijneconvent, a museum showing the history of Christian culture and arts in the Low Countries.
• Centraal Museum, an art museum housing a varied collection of both historical and modern art, including a permanent exhibition on the Dutch cultural icon Nijntje, better known internationally as Miffy.
• The Letters of Utrecht, an endless poem.
• Utrecht Centraal, the main railway station of Utrecht, is the largest and busiest in the Netherlands, with over 900 trains arriving and departing each day.
• The Rietveld Schröder House, a world heritage site and one of the best-known examples of De Stijl architecture.
• The Royal Dutch Mint, the only Dutch entity authorised to strike and issue coins.
• Museum Speelklok, a museum housing the world's largest collection of automatically playing musical instruments.

The Hague

The Hague's Binnenhof with the Hofvijver.

The Golden Coach on Prinsjesdag.

The Hague is the seat of the Dutch government and parliament, the Supreme Court, and the Council of State. King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands lives at the Huis ten Bosch and works at the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, together with Queen Máxima. Most foreign embassies in the Netherlands and 150 international organisations are located in the city, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, which makes The Hague one of the major host cities of the United Nations, along with New York and Geneva. The district of Scheveningen, formerly an independent village, is known for its modern seaside resort with a long sandy beach, esplanade, pier and historic lighthouse. The beach is popular for water sports such as windsurfing and kiteboarding.

Main sights and events of interest include:

• The Binnenhof is the oldest House of Parliament in the world still in use, located in the city centre next to the Hofvijver lake. It houses the meeting place of both houses of the States General of the Netherlands, as well as the Ministry of General Affairs and the office of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Located within the complex is the Ridderzaal, which houses the Dutch throne.
• Noordeinde Palace and Huis ten Bosch, two of the three official palaces of the Dutch royal family.
• The Kurhaus, a beachfront hotel and one of the few remaining Grand Hotels built during the Belle Époque.
• The Museon, a museum of science and culture with large collections in the domains of geology, biology, archaeology, history, science and ethnology.
• Paard van Troje ("Trojan Horse"), one of the largest music venues of the Netherlands.
• The Mauritshuis, an art museum housing the Royal Cabinet of Paintings, which consists of 841 objects, mostly Dutch Golden Age paintings. The collection contains works by Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Steen, Paulus Potter, Frans Hals, Hans Holbein the Younger, and others.
• Madurodam, an iconic miniature park home to a range of 1:25 scale model replicas of famous Dutch landmarks, historical cities and large developments.
• The Peace Palace , a building often called "the seat of international law" because it houses the International Court of Justice, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Hague Academy of International Law, and the extensive Peace Palace Library.
• Prinsjesdag, the day on which the reigning King of the Netherlands addresses a joint session of the Dutch Parliament in the Knights Hall with the "Speech from the Throne". It includes an eleborate ceremonial procession, in which the King is seated in the Golden Coach.

Historic cities

The Netherlands has many historic cities, which include:

City, province	Coat of arms	Known for
Nijmegen, Gelderland		• Historic old town, former imperial residence of the Holy Roman Empire and member of the Hanseatic league. • Ancient Roman remains . • Valkhof museum, focussing on Roman and medieval history. • Velorama, a bicycle museum. • Four Days Marches, the largest marching event in the world.
Delft, South Holland		• Historic old town. • Delft Blue pottery. • Nieuwe Kerk, the traditional burial place of the Dutch Royal Family and the second tallest church tower of the country. • Het Prinsenhof, urban palace where William of Orange was murdered, now a museum.
's-Hertogenbosch, North Brabant		• Historic old town, including the Binnendieze the medieval canal system through and below the city. • St. John's Cathedral, considered to be the zenith of Gothic architecture in the Netherlands. • Yearly carnival celebrations. • Bossche bol, a famous local pastry.
Maastricht, Limburg		• Historic old town, containing 1677 national heritage sites. • Sint Servaasbrug, medieval stone footbridge across the Meuse river. • Basilica of Our Lady, largest Romanesque church of the Netherlands, built in the 11th century. • Bonnefanten Museum, a fine arts museum containing focussing on Early Dutch, Golden Age and Flemish Baroque paintings.
Leiden, South Holland		• Historic old town, including medieval canals and Gravensteen, a 13th-century fortress. • Naturalis, one of the largest natural history museums in the world. • Leiden University, the oldest university of the Netherlands. • Hortus botanicus, one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world. • Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, the National Museum of Antiquities.
Breda, North Brabant	File:Breda wapen.svg	• Historic old town. • Breda Castle, traditional headquarters of the Royal Dutch Army and Koninklijke Militaire Academie. • Grote Kerk, large medieval church built in the Brabantine Gothic style. • Béguinage.
Enkhuizen, North Holland		• Historic old town. • Former harbour-town of the Dutch East India Company. • Zuiderzee Museum, an open-air museum dedicated to the cultural heritage of the Zuiderzee-region.
Gouda, South Holland		• Historic old town. • Traditional Dutch cheese market. • 15th century Town Hall, one of the oldest Gothic Halls in the Netherlands. • Traditional foods, including Stroopwafels and Gouda cheese.
Alkmaar, North Holland		• Historic old town. • Traditional Dutch cheese market. • The only remainining functional Waag of the country.
Groningen, Groningen		• Historic old town. • Martinitoren • Near the coast of the Wadden Sea, the only natural world heritage site of the country.	Grote Markt in Groningen
Amersfoort, Utrecht		• Historic old town. • The ancient Koppelpoort, part of the city wall • The Onze Lieve Vrouwetoren, the third tallest church tower of the country.
Haarlem, North Holland		• Historic old town. • The Grote Markt square with the Grote Kerk. • Near the popular seaside resort of Zandvoort

Nature

National Parks

Main article: List of national parks of the Netherlands

The Netherlands has 20 national parks, consisting of natural terrains, water and/or forests, with a special landscape and flora and fauna.

The windmills of Kinderdijk

The flowers of the Keukenhof garden

Regions

The tourism industry of the Netherlands is focused on North Holland, where the country's largest airport Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is located. Given the relatively small size of the Netherlands, it is easily possible to travel to locations in South Holland within an hour. These two provinces constitute the majority of the densely populated Randstad, where the largest cities are located. The other provinces of the Netherlands are much less popular with foreign tourists and do not have as many tourist attractions. With a long coastline along the North Sea and its many lakes, the Netherlands offers plenty of opportunities for water sports and beach recreation.

North Holland

The Prinsengracht canal in Amsterdam on Queen's Day

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam

The Ridderzaal in The Hague

View of Delft

File:Efteling Entrance.jpg

Entrance to the Efteling

Bascule bridge at the Netherlands Open Air Museum

In North Holland the capital Amsterdam is the most visited city of the Netherlands, with 4.3 million foreign hotel guests. It is home to the three most frequently visited museums of the country, respectively the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House and Rijksmuseum. Several times a week events are being organized in the capital, like on Rembrandtplein, Leidseplein and Dam Square. For instance there is a National Tulip Day each year in January. Amsterdam's canal rings are a World Heritage Site.

The Netherlands is one of the few countries which tolerates the consumption of cannabis and has legalized prostitution. This has made Amsterdam a popular destination for drug tourists. According to research, 22.5% of tourists in Amsterdam have visited cannabis coffee shops. The city's red light district called De Wallen was visited by 20% of tourists.

North of Amsterdam are the windmills of Zaanse Schans, as well as two former fishing villages, Volendam and Marken. These villages are frequented by tourists for their appeal to traditional life. Alkmaar is known for its cheese market and old center. To the southeast of Amsterdam lies the Muiderslot, a castle. Further to the southeast is the town of Naarden, with its very well-preserved star fort. To the west lies Haarlem, the province's capital, a city notable for its historical legacy and old city center. Once important for its production of paintings, many of these are now exhibited in the Frans Hals Museum. West of Haarlem is the seaside resort of Zandvoort, which has an automobile racing circuit.

South Holland

In South Holland lies the Keukenhof, the world's largest flower garden. In 2013 it had 849,000 visitors, of whom 80% were foreign tourists. Because the garden is only open for a few weeks during the spring, it receives the highest number of visitors of all Dutch attractions on a weekly basis. A system of 19 windmills at Kinderdijk forms the largest concentration of windmills in the Netherlands and is designated as a World Heritage Site.

The Hague is the seat of the Dutch Government and the Dutch royal house. The Binnenhof and the Ridderzaal are government buildings which can be visited. Close by is the Mauritshuis, an important art museum. Scheveningen is known for its beach and Madurodam, a miniature park. Leiden, north of The Hague, possesses an extensive historical center, as well as Naturalis and the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, respectively the national museums of natural history and archaeology in the Netherlands. The Hortus Botanicus Leiden is one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world. Further north are Noordwijk and Katwijk, both popular seaside resorts. The latter also has a narrow gauge railway museum.

To the south of The Hague lies Delft, which is known for its pottery and old center. The sole remaining pottery factory in Delft, De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles, can be visited. Also in the town is the Prinsenhof, now a museum of William the Silent, the founder of the modern Netherlands. Further south is Dordrecht, which also has a historic center.

Utrecht

Utrecht, the capital of the province of Utrecht, is one of the oldest cities of the Netherlands. One can climb the Dom Tower of Utrecht, the tallest church tower of the Netherlands at 112.5 metres (369 feet). The city is also home to the Netherlands Railway Museum, housed in a former station, and the Musical Clock Museum. Kasteel de Haar and Slot Zuylen are castles which can be visited.

North Brabant

Near Kaatsheuvel lies Efteling, the largest theme park in the Netherlands and one of the oldest in the world. With 4.1 million visitors in 2011, it is by far the most visited attraction of the Netherlands. In Eindhoven is the Effenaar, a popular music venue that attracts visitors. Den Bosch is a walled city with an old center.

Gelderland

The province of Gelderland is notable for its many castles, such as Slot Loevestein. Het Loo Palace near Apeldoorn served as the residence of the Dutch royal house, but is now a museum open to the public. Nijmegen, the oldest city in the Netherlands, is a city with a historic center and is famous for the International Four Day March in July. In Arnhem, the province's capital, is the Netherlands Open Air Museum, popular with tourists, while at Oosterbeek nearby is the Airborne Museum, dedicated to the Battle of Arnhem in 1944.

Friesland

At low tide one can walk from the mainland of Friesland to the West Frisian Islands, which is called mudflat hiking.

Zeeland

Middelburg, the capital of the province of Zeeland, is a historic city. The province has several seaside resorts including Domburg.

See also

• List of castles in the Netherlands
• List of museums in the Netherlands

External links

• National Board of Tourism
• Tourism in the Netherlands at DMOZ
• nbtc.nl – Organisation responsible for promoting the Netherlands nationally and internationally