• Amsterdam's Canal Belt
  

  
  Amsterdam is crisscrossed by a network of 165 canals which keep the sea from flooding the city, with galleries, shops and cafes on pockets of land in between the waterways. To explore the canals, you can cycle alongside them, hop on the Canal Bus or an open tour boat or ice skate along them in winter
  
  

• Anne Frank House
  

  
  The Anne Frank House located on the Prinsengracht canal, is a museum dedicated to Jewish wartime diarist Anne Frank, whose family fled from persecution in Nazi Germany and hid in the secret annex in this house, sustained by the efforts of family friends, until they were betrayed in 1944. Apart from the annex, there's an exhibition dedicated to the persecution of Jews in Nazi-occupied Netherlands.
  
  

• Rijksmuseum
  

  
  The Rijksmuseum is a a world-class art and history museum that has recently been renovated and sports a new Asian Pavillion. It holds Holland's largest collection of art and artefacts from the 15th century onwards and its Masterpieces exhibition displays the most famous pieces of Dutch art from the 17th century, by the likes of Rembrandt, Hals and Vermeer.
  
  

• Oude Kerk
  

  
  The 800 year old Oude Kerk is Amsterdam’s oldest building and oldest parish church, founded ca. 1213 and finally consecrated in 1306 by the bishop of Utrecht with Saint Nicolas as its patron saint.
  
  

• Rotterdam
  

  
  The Netherlands' 'second city' and Europe's busiest port has a strong maritime tradition, showcased in the Maritiem Museum Rotterdam Other attractions include the Cubic Houses the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen with a fine collection of Dutch and European art and a surrealist wing, and Delfshaven, one of the few neighborhoods that survived WWII, featuring an 18th century windmill.
  
  

• The Hague (Den Haag)
  

  
  The Hague is the seat of the Dutch government and home to the international courts of justice. Its top attractions are the Mauritshuis a former palace housing Dutch and Flemish art; Binnenhof (Inner Court) that used to be a castle and is now home to the Dutch parliament; Gemeentemuseum a museum displaying the works of Piet Mondrian and applied arts, and Scheveningen, a busy, popular beach.
  
  

• Leiden
  

  
  Easily reachable from Amsterdam, Leiden is the birthplace of Rembrandt and has an attractive old city center lined with historical buildings, such as the Pieterskerk church, the Latin school and the Gravensteen - a 13th century prison. There are good views of the town from the Molen de Valk windmill and numerous cafes along the city center canals.
  
  

• Van Gogh Museum
  

  
  The superb Van Gogh Museum is dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh and holds the world's largest collection of the artist's paintings and drawings, including his Japanese phase. Also on display are works by his contemporaries - Monet, Bernard, Gauguin, and Toulouse-Lautrec.
  
  

More attractions