Best weekend escapes from Amsterdam
Regional Flavours in Haarlem
Best for: Culture and gastronomy
Recommended stay length: 2 - 3 nights
A fifteen-minute train ride from Amsterdam, this medieval city offers the ultimate weekend getaway. Beyond its remarkably preserved beauty, Haarlem has long been one of the region’s most important centres for art and commerce, and is renowned as a market town. With much of the city concentrated inside a walkable historic centre, Haarlem boasts a wealth of culture at your fingertips. Visit the Teylers’ Museum, one of the Netherlands’ oldest museums. Its exhibits bring together a dizzying array of art, natural history and science in its bright neoclassical building. Nearby, you’ll discover the Frans Hals Museum. Together with Rembrandt van Rijn and Ferdinand Bol, Frans Hals was among the defining painters of the Dutch Golden Age. Get up close and personal to the works of this great Dutch master and discover the lively details that capture a slice of Dutch life.
If great food is what you’re after, Haarlem has plenty of it. With more than 200 restaurants and 90 bars, the city is renowned for its gastronomy, having earned a reputation for inventive local cuisine sourced directly from the fertile soil of the surrounding Kennemerland region. Try out refined local fare at Restaurant de Zeeuw, a meeting place for gourmands. Or visit Café Paris, where you can indulge in all the classics of a Parisian bistro, including traditional French bouillabaisse, escargots, and crème brûlée. And any culinary experience in Haarlem must include the Grote Markt, presided over by the UNESCO-protected St. Bavo Church, which dates back to 1520. On Saturdays, you’ll find one of the country’s finest food markets located here, bringing together local growers and fishmongers in the historic heart of the city.
Muiden and the mouth of the Vecht
Best for: a quaint waterside escape
Recommended stay: 1 - 2 nights
Characterised by lush countryside and picturesque villages, the Vecht's waterways are an unmissable part of the Dutch landscape. But few places tell the story of the Netherlands' relationship with water with more vividness and intensity than the town of Muiden. Positioned where the River Vecht meets the IJmeer, this small harbour town has spent centuries at the frontline of Dutch water management, trade and defence. At a mere 20-minute drive from Amsterdam, Muiden offers a quaint change of pace from the city. Easy to explore on foot, the town offers beautifully meandering streets with plenty of medieval architecture to feast your eyes upon. Walk along the harbour and watch sailboats move through the complex lock system, devised to keep water levels at bay.
Or cycle along the bank of the Vecht River, where you’ll spot glorious estates and nearby picture-perfect villages. If you’re feeling adventurous and sea-faring, take a ferry tour across the IJmeer. Nearby, the historic centrepiece of the town is the Muiderslot, one of the country's best-preserved medieval castles. Dramatically positioned beside the water, the castle is a popular spot for weddings and other events, and for good reason. The singular beauty of the Muiderslot is unsurpassed, attracting tourists from all over the Netherlands and abroad.
The fortified beauty of Naarden
Best for: an immersive escape
Recommended stay: 1 - 2 nights
History and idyll meet in the beautifully preserved town of Naarden. As one of Europe's finest surviving star forts, this fortified town sits at less than half an hour's drive from Amsterdam, yet it feels like a world away. As you approach, you’ll see the six-pointed star fortress encircled by moats and defensive earthworks, pointing back to a distant epoch in Dutch history.
Cross the moat into the town’s centre and you'll find yourself wandering through narrow cobbled streets and charming buildings. Here, it's as if time itself has stood still for centuries. What’s surprising, however, is how truly alive Naarden remains – its local community is tight-knit and thriving, and its historic centre is filled with independent cafés and shops. While many heritage attractions might feel like open-air museums, it’s clear to any visitor that Naarden has very much remained a living and breathing town. Don’t forget to wander around the town's fortified walls. Walking the ramparts offers a fascinating glimpse into centuries of military engineering, not to mention its sweeping vistas of the surrounding countryside. Afterwards, visit the Dutch Fortress Museum, located within the fortress's historic bastions.
A touch of history along the Amstel
Best for: an elegant countryside drive
Recommended stay length: 1 night
A drive along the Amstel River reveals glorious green countryside on either side. Dozens of luxurious estates once lined the shores of this river, but today, only one remains: Buitenplaats Wester-Amstel. Set within beautifully landscaped grounds, it is worth visiting simply for its elegant architecture and interiors, which, in their carefully preserved state, offer a glimpse of a long-gone era. Outside, wander about the manicured gardens and discover sculptures by contemporary Dutch artists exhibited among the trees.
Drive further south to visit Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, a picturesque village that feels like a true step back in time. With its historic bridges, winding streets, and centuries-old buildings lining the banks of the glistening Amstel, life in Oude Kerk feels decidedly slow and pastoral. Discover the village centre and the Amstelkerk, where a church has stood for over one thousand years. Finally, explore Beth Haim, the oldest Jewish cemetery in the Netherlands, which was founded in 1614. Here you can experience a moment of quiet contemplation while admiring the cemetery’s ornately carved headstones.
Nature & Wellness in Zuid-Kennemerland National Park
Best for: rugged natural immersion
Recommended stay: 1 - 2 nights
Few places rival the natural beauty (and wildlife) that you’ll find in the dune landscapes of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park. Stretching between Haarlem, Bloemendaal and the rugged coast of the North Sea, this protected landscape is home to one of the Netherlands' most expansive and diverse ecosystems. Picture a romantic landscape of rolling dunes, woodland, and grasslands dotted with freshwater pools, which are a rare but essential haven for the country’s wildlife. It’s not unusual to see deer frolicking about, or to catch a glimpse of a fox as it slips between the trees. Despite being only a forty-minute drive from Amsterdam, the national park couldn’t feel further removed from the sights and sounds of the city.
More than 40 kilometres of marked walking paths take you through the winding country of the dunes, and cycling routes pass between the dense pine forests and the glorious beaches of Bloemendaal aan Zee and Zandvoort. Go at your own pace to make the most of those scenic trails and moments of windswept quiet. Afterwards, treat yourself to a spa experience at Sauna Ridderrode for the ultimate relaxation experience. This tranquil wellness spot offers a selection of saunas, steam rooms and restorative treatments designed to soothe both body and mind.
Lose yourself in the gardens of Buitenplaats Beeckestijn
Best for: countryside grandeur
Recommended stay length: 1 – 2 nights
As one of the Netherlands’ most refined historical estates, Beeckestijn offers the perfect setting for a slow countryside escape. With its elegant cream-coloured façade and its preserved gardens, this former summer residence reveals plenty about the world of Amsterdam’s wealthy merchant families during the Dutch Golden Age.
Wander through its formal French gardens, with their symmetrical pathways and ornamental ponds, before discovering the more naturalistic English landscape gardens filled with woodland trails and hidden viewpoints. Beyond the estate itself, Beeckestijn opens onto the landscapes of Kennemerland. It’s here that you can cycle through the forests of Velsen and Santpoort, or follow dune paths towards the coast.