The Ultimate Long Weekend in Holland
The Ultimate Long Weekend in Holland
A Very Dutch Travel Guide
Holland has always been on my list of places to visit, and so I was incredibly excited to be able to spend a long weekend here. Somehow we managed to get through 3 of the big cities – Utrecht, The Hague and Rotterdam – in about the same number of days. After our whirlwind experience, I thought I’d put together a little Dutch Travel Guide.
As much as I thought I’d like Holland, I wasn’t prepared for how varied and exciting it would actually be. In my head I’d always sort of thought of Amsterdam as the only place to visit in Holland, but was pleasantly proven wrong.
In fact, this time round we didn’t actually end up visiting Amsterdam. Instead, we spent a long weekend being wooed by the history of The Hague, charmed by the chocolate-box feel of gorgeous Utrecht, and seduced by the big-city glam of Rotterdam.
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Getting to Holland via Stena Line
Apart from how interesting our weekend was, another unique element of the trip was using the Stena Line ferry to travel. Starting at the port of Harwich, we took the overnight Stena Line ferry all the way to the Hook of Holland. From the Hook of Holland it was a quick cab ride into The Hague, where our Dutch holiday began.
The overnight crossing on Stena Line added a sense of anticipation to the whole thing, and meant that the holiday started as soon as you boarded the ferry.
Although it takes just a little longer than a flight, I still loved the sense old-school romanticism associated with a long journey. Another great thing is that there’s no weight limit on your baggage #winning.
After a jam-packed weekend of exploring three cities in Holland, here are my picks for the perfect Dutch Travel Guide…
1. In The Hague, Seek Out The Girl With The Pearl Earring
Start your Dutch holiday with a visit to The Girl With The Pearl Earring. This famous painting by Vermeer hangs in the Mauritshuis museum, which is home to some of the very best of Dutch Golden Age paintings.
Although The Girl With The Pearl Earring is a miniature portrait, it is no less stunning to be able to see in person. Definitely one for to add to your Dutch Travel Guide.
2. Lunch at Bleyenberg, the first rooftop bar in The Hague
Bleyenberg is a restaurant and underground club located in an old DIY-store, and marks the location of The Hague’s first rooftop bar. Although the 3rd floor bar doesn’t have the highest vista, it does have a great buzz and looks over the vibrant Grote Markt.
In addition, their lunchtime cheese toasties are really rather lovely too. This is definately one to add to your Dutch Travel Guide.
3. Ride a Giant Ferris Wheel into the sunset on the coast at Scheveningen
The famous Pier in Scheveningen houses hundreds of great restaurants and shops, and a sunset ride on the giant ferris wheel is a must-try experience. For me, a Dutch Travel Guide just wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the beach.
Just look how pretty it is…
4. Get the best view of Utrecht from the top of The Dom Tower
Although this is one that you have to work for,climbing the 465 steps of the Dom tower means that you get to enjoy spectacular views over Utrecht.
5. Get carried away with the old-school charm of Utrecht
Having seen Utrecht from above, it’s only right that you then wander through it’s historic, winding cobbled streets and alleys.
If you have a thing for doors as much as I do, then you’ll love it. There are some really wonderful artisan shops too, and plenty of opportunities to kick back with some coffee, cake and a canal-side view.
If you plan to spend the night, I’d highly recommend the uber-charming Star Lodge Hotel Utrecht. It’s very cute, and we love their roaring fires!
6. Explore the magic of De Haar Castle
Located just outside of Utrecht, De Haar Castle is one of the biggest and most luxurious castles in The Netherlands.
With its towers, turrets, moats, gates and suspension bridges, it looks like the perfect Harry Potter set!
And when you’re done exploring De Haar castle, walk on over to the cafe and order a traditional ‘Kroketten’ sandwich – the equivalent of our fish finger sandwiches except with beef croquettes. Perfect food for cold, wintery weather!
7. Spend a night onboard The SS Rotterdam
The SS Rotterdam is the largest ocean-going steamer ever built in the Netherlands. In the 1950’s it became the flagship of the Holland America Line and sailed to many parts of the world.
Today, the SS Rotterdam is now permanently moored in Rotterdam’s Maashaven near Katendrecht, and serves as a floating hotel. Spending a night here is an essential part of being in Rotterdam, made all the more fun by taking water taxis to and from it.
So those are my 7 top picks for my Dutch Travel Guide! There are just enough gorgeous things to get a little taster of Utrecht, Rotterdam and The Hague.. and I’ll be back later in the year to explore and write about Amsterdam, so stay tuned!
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Getting to Holland
Stena Line Ferry Crossing from Harwich to Hook of Holland
Website – Stena Line
Details – The Hook of Holland – Harwich timetable has two crossings. You can choose between a day and overnight sailing. Fares to England start from €69 single for a car and driver or just €49 single for a ‘Rail and Sail’ ticket to any Greater Anglia rail station.
We visited Holland as guests of Stena Line.
