Five places in Holland that you must see

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam houses some of the greatest masterpieces of the Dutch golden age, including Rembrandt's Night watch and Jewish bride, Little street and The milk maid by Vermeer, and The feast of St. Nicholas and The merry family by Jan Steen.

The Rijksmuseum has a lot more to offer than golden age masterpieces, though. Visit their website for details.

The Rijksmuseum can be reached from Amsterdam Central Station by tram (lines 2 or 5). Book in advance to avoid waiting in line at the ticket booth.

Holland is windmills. There are almost a thousand of them left, most of them in the provinces Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland and Utrecht. When travelling through these three provinces, you will see windmills everywhere.

Still, a visit to the group of nineteen windmills at Kinderdijk (a village just outside Rotterdam) will be one of the highlights of your Dutch visit.

Kinderdijk is a Unesco World Heritage site since 1997.

To get there from Amsterdam it's best to book an excursion, e.g. at your hotel. From Rotterdam you can also book a boat tour to Kinderdijk. The windmills are difficult to reach by public transport. See the Kinderdijk website for details.

The windmill area is also perfect for an exploration by bicycle.

The Keukenhof is a flower park with visitor centre in the heart of the so-called bollenstreek (bulb region), the region famous for its flower agriculture. In April, the blue, yellow, pink, purple and red fields with tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are a spectacular sight.

The Keukenhof is open from late March until mid May. Check their website for the opening times. Book in advance to avoid disappointments and long waits.

The Keukenhof is well worth a visit, but it has become a tourist trap. A more leisurely (and cheaper) way to enjoy the flowers is by touring the area. You can do it by car, but better by bicycle. Rent a bicycle in Haarlem, then head south along the canal Haarlemse Trekvaart until Voorhout, than go north again via the villages Sassenheim, Lisse and Hillegom. Haarlem can easily be reached by train from Amsterdam.

The bulb fields around Zijpe are less well known, but just as spectacular.

The flowers bloom around April.

The Binnenhof (litt. Inner court) is a court in the centre of The Hague, home to the Dutch parliament.

The Binnenhof is dominated by the Ridderzaal (Hall of Knights). The Ridderzaal was once build as a palace for the mediaeval counts of Holland. Today, it is mainly used for representative functions, like the opening of the parliamentary year by the Queen, or the reception of foreign dignitaries.

Around the Binnenhof is a mix of ancient and modern buildings. Most of them are offices and meeting rooms used by parliament.

Just outside the Binnenhof is the Torentje (Little Tower), the office of the prime minister. His department is also housed at the Binnenhof.

The Binnenhof is (usually) open to the public, but as the area is in use by the parliament, the prime minister and sometimes the queen, it will occasionally be closed (sometimes without notice). Guided tours are available to some of the buildings, including the Ridderzaal.

Right next to the Binnenhof and Torentje is the Mauritshuis, home to many famous masterpieces of the Dutch golden age, including Vermeer's Girl with a pearl earring.

The Hague can easily be reached by train. Note, though, that The Hague has two main stations: CS (Centraal Station) and HS (Holland Spoor). The Binnenhof complex is at walking distance from CS station, or take tram 2 or 6 from CS or line 1 from HS.

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