NETHERLANDS

(does not include Amsterdam)

FRIESLAND

FRANEKER
Sights & Sites
●Eise Eisinga Planetarium – 3 Eise Eisingastraat; 011-31-51-739-3070; planetarium-friesland.nl; world’s oldest functioning planetarium; in tiny canal house.

HARLINGEN
Restaurants
●Frish & Dish – 15 Grote Bredeplaats; 011-31-51-743-0063; tapas.
●Restaurant De Gastronoom – 38 Voorstraat (Harlingen); 011-31-51-741-2172; de-gastronoom.nl; region’s most “global” restaurant; in elegant, canal-side house.

HINDELOOPEN
Sights & Sites
●Het Eerste Friese Schaatsmuseum – 1-3 Kleine Weide; 011-31-51-452-1683; schaatsmuseum.nl; paean to skating history in Holland (with excellent, adjacent pancake house).

LEEUWARDEN
Hotels
●Grand Hotel Post-Plaza – 25-27 Tweebaksmarkt; 011-31-58-215-9317; post-plaza.nl.
●Van Sminia Huys – 36 Tweebaksmarkt; 011-31-58-215-9317; post-plaza.nl; 18th Century house converted into small inn; affiliated with grander Grand Hotel Post-Plaza.
Restaurants
●De Nieuwe Mulderij – 19 Baljeestraat; 011-31-58-213-4802; denieuwemulderij.nl; friendly service and refined menu.
●Restaurant Eindeloos – 17 Korfmakersstraat; 011-31-58-213-0835; restauranteindeloos.nl; arguably, best restaurant in region; Dutch and Mediterranean standards, interpreted with local seafood, meat, and produce.

MAKKUM WUNSERADIEL
Shopping
●Royal Tichelaar Makkum – 65 Turfmarkt; 011-31-515-231-341; tichelaar.nl; country’s oldest and most prestigious porcelain manufacturer.

TERNAARD
Hotels
●Herberg de Waard van Ternaard – 3 De Groedse; 011-31-51-957-1846; herbergdewaard.nl; lovely 19th Century mansion near sea; 5 chic, spare rooms designed by local furniture maker, Gjalt Pilat.
Restaurants
●Herberg de Waard van Ternaard – 3 De Groedse; 011-31-51-957-1846; herbergdewaard.nl; lovely 19^th Century hotel-mansion’s Dutch take on gastro-pub concept.

TWIJZEL
Shopping
●Pilat & Pilat Produkties – 40 Tsjerkebuorren; 011-31-511-543-981; pilat.nl/en; furniture.

NORTH BRABANT

EINDHOVEN
Bars & Nightclubs
●Hoogste Tijd – 38 Vrijstraat; 011-31-40-296-2488; hoogstetijd.nl; means “High Time”; contemporary bar and restaurant; popular with Design Academy staff and students.
●Jiu.nu – 9 Willemstraat; 011-31-40-202-7154; jiu.nu; wine bar; tapas.
●Usine – 6 Lichttoren; 011-31-40-217-1890; usine.nl; wine on terrace in evening.
Hotels
●Park Plaza Eindhoven – 17 Geldropseweg; 011-31-40-214-6500; parkplaza.com; modern rooms and indoor pool.
Restaurants
●Hoogste Tijd – 38 Vrijstraat; 011-31-40-296-2488; hoogstetijd.nl; means “High Time”; contemporary bar and restaurant; small plates; popular with Design Academy staff and students.
●Jiu.nu – 9 Willemstraat; 011-31-40-202-7154; jiu.nu; wine bar; tapas.
●Piet Hein Eek Complex Cafe – 30 Halvemaanstraat; 011-31-40-400-9005; pietheineek.nl; café that offers lunch and dinner.
●Usine – 6 Lichttoren; 011-31-40-217-1890; usine.nl; French-style bistro open all day, including breakfast; wine on terrace in evening.
Shopping
●Temporary Concept Store – 20 Nieuwe Emmasingel; 011-31-40-879-5853; temporaryconceptstore.com; design products by academy alumnae and students.

HALSTEREN
Sights & Sites
●Fort de Roovere – Ligneweg; 011-31-70-370-5705; fortderoovere.nl/Welkom.html; entrenchment near Halsteren (by Schansbaan/Ligneweg (streets)) that was part of the West Brabant Dutch Water Line. It is an earthen fort that goes through a wall (the Ligneweg) and is connected to Fort Pinssen. The fort is open from the ‘back’, and the ‘front’ consists of two bastions. The fort has a dry moat and the banks are overgrown with trees. In 1747, during the Austrian War of Succession (1740–1748) the fort was under siege by the French. This siege has been extensively documented. Eventually, the fortress Bergen op Zoom fell and the siege was abandoned.
●Moses Bridge – Ligneweg & Schansbaan; 011-31-70-370-5705; ro-ad.org/nl/projecten/29.htm; sunken, infinity-appearing bridge, hence name; worth seeing.

HEES-DINTHER
Sights & Sites
●Heeswijk Castle – 4 Kasteel (Heeswijk Dinther); 011-31-41-329-2352; kasteelheeswijk.nl; restored 11^th Century fortress & museum of 19^th Century life, with guided tours & event program.

OVERIJSSEL

GIETHOORN
Sights & Sights
●Giethoorn – giethoorntourism.com; region’s highlight; no streets, only canals, walking paths & bike trails; built on water crossed by few bits of land; farmers even used to move cows around in row boats filled with hay; hugely popular in summer, at other times it has almost mystical charm as you wander its idiosyncratic waterways; when tourist hordes get too thick (site has become must-visit for Asian tour groups), head to northern part of village, which is quieter & quainter; near tourist office, can rent electric boat (€15 per hour), canoe (€8 per hour) or bike (€8 per day).

SOUTH HOLLAND

DORDRECHT
Restaurants
●Pim’s Poffertjes en Pannekoekenhuis – 19-21 Nieuwstraat; 011-31-078-631-2709; pimspofenpan.nl; considered best Dutch pancake house in Holland.

LISSE
Sights & Sights
●Keukenhof – 166A Stationsweg 166A; 011-31-252-465-555; keukenhof.nl; known as Garden of Europe; world’s 2^nd largest flower garden (following Dubai Miracle Garden); 7M flower bulbs planted annually; park covers 79 acres; open annually from mid-March to mid-May; best time to view tulips is around mid-April, depending on weather.

ROTTERDAM
Restaurants
●La Enoteca – 23 Eendrachtsweg; 011-31-10-2131-775; laenoteca.nl; homey and sleek; excellent food; French and Italian.
Sights & Sites
●Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen – 18-20 Museumpark; 011-31-10-441-9400; boijmans.nl; Rotterdam's main art museum; home to Matti Suuronen's prototype "Futuro."

UTRECHT

UTRECHT

Bars & Nightclubs

●Acu – 71 Voorstraat; 011-31-30-231-4590; acu.nl; underground haunt.

●Ekko – 3 Bermuurde Weerde WZ; 011-31-30-231-7457; ekko.nl; performance hall on Vecht River.

●‘t Oude Pothuys – 279 Oudegracht; 011-31-30-231-8970; poyhuys.nl; grotto-like space with terrace.

●Vechtclub – 9 Brailledreef; 011-31-30-221-8206; vechtclub.nl.

Hotels

●Grand Hotel Karel V – 1 Geertebolwerk; 011-31-30-233-7555; karelv.nl; historic exterior and modern design interior.

●Toeven Bed en Ontbijt – 93 Weerdsingel Oostzijde; 011-31-651-275-2555; toeven.nl; bed & breakfast on quiet street.

Restaurants

●Café Averechts – 49 Listerstraat; 011-31-30-271-0916; averechts.nl; music venue.

●Florin – 2-4 Nobelstraat; 011-31-30-231-9957; forinutrecht.nl; pub and restaurant.

●Kafe Belgie – 196 Oudegracht; 011-31-30-231-2666; eat on balcony for people-watching.

●Restaurant Deeg – 71 Lange Nieuwstraat; 011-31-30-233-1104; restaurantdeeg.nl; trendy, modern.

Shopping

●Tabou Haar en Jazz – 211 Oudegracht; 011-31-30-234-3456; combination hair salon and record store.

Sights & Sites

●Domplein – town’s main square.

●Domtoren – tower in town’s center.

●Oudegracht – “old canal.”

●Zeven Steegjes – “7 alleyways”: idyllic, small rowhouse complex on cobbled, tight streets.

ZEELAND

DOMBURG

Bars & Nightclubs

●Restaurant Verdi – 11 Ooststraat; 011-31-11-858-3940; heat lamps warm patio and chairs face Domburg’s main street; for glass of wine.

Hotels

●Strandhotel Duinheuvel – 2 Badhuisweg; 011-31-11-858-1282; wilduin.nl; 35-room B&B across from Domburg’s main street; beachy aesthetic with terraces.

Restaurants

●Restaurant Het Badpaviljoen – 21 Badhuisweg; 011-31-11-858-2405; hetbadpaviljoen.nl; in former 19^th Century bathhouse; sit on patio overlooking North Sea and feast on seafood.

●Restaurant Mondriaan – 6 Ooststraat; 011-31-11-858-4434; restaurantmondriaan.nl; coastal cuisine; try sous vide cod; 5-course tasting menu worth splurge if you like seafood.

●Restaurant Verdi – 11 Ooststraat; 011-31-11-858-3940; heat lamps warm patio and chairs face Domburg’s main street; housemade Italian desserts.

Services

●Mondrian Walking Tour – domburg.info/en; try to get Plonie Krijgsman as your local guide for Mondrian tour.

Sights & Sites

●Delta Works – deltawerken.com/en/10.html?setlanguage=en; construction project series in southwest Netherlands to protect land around Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta from sea; dams, dikes, levees, locks, sluices, and storm surge barriers; along with Zuiderzee Works, among modern world’s 7 wonders, per American Society of Civil Engineers.

●Marie Tak van Poortvliet Museum – 10-A Ooststraat; 011-31-11-858-4618; marietakmuseum.nl.

LEIDEN

Hotels

●Nieuw Minerva – 23 Boommarkt; 011-31-71-512-6358; nieuwminerva.nl; rooms are clean and serviceable, that’s about it.

Restaurants

●City Hall Restaurant – 3 Stadhuisplein; 011-31-71-514-4055; restaurantcityhall.nl.

Sights & Sites

●Hoogslandse Kerk – 2 Middelweg; 011-31-71-514-9636; hooglandsekerk.com.

●Leiden American Pilgrim Museum – 9 Beschuitsteeg; 011-31-71-512-2413; pilgrimhall.org/LeidenMuseum.htm.

●Pieterskerk – 1A Pieterskerkhof; 011-31-71-512-4319; pieterskerk.com/en.

OOSTKAPELLE

Hotels

●Stayokay Hostel Domburg (Kasteel Westhove) – 8 Duinvlietweg; 011-31-11-858-1254; stayokay.com; former castle; now hostel (just worth looking at and, maybe, having drink at bar).

VROUWENPOLDER

Sights & Sites

●Deltapark Neeltje Jans (Visitor Center) – 5 Faelweg (Eiland Neeltje Jans); 011-31-11-165-5655; deltawerken.com; Eastern Scheldt Delta Works storm surge barrier.