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Holland

Holland is a country partly reclaimed from the waters of the North Sea, and around half of it lies at or below sea level.Its flat fertile landscape punctured by windmills, church spires and seemingly miles of canals. it also has miles of pristine sandy beaches. Most people travel to the capital, Amsterdam. Whilst the rest of the country, despite its relative accessibility, is barely touched by tourism. The provinces of North and South Holland, in the west of the country, are the most populated and most historically interesting region, unrelentingly flat territory, much of it reclaimed, that has since become home to a grouping of towns known collectively as the Randstad (literally "rim town"). It's a good idea to forsake Amsterdam and investigate places like Haarlem, Leiden and Delft with their old canal-girded centres, the gritty port city of Rotterdam, or The Hague, stately home of the government and the Dutch royals. Outside the Randstad, life moves more slowly. The province of Friesland, to the north, is probably the Netherlands at its most remote, its inhabitants speaking a language, Frysk, neither spoken nor understood elsewhere in the country. Friesland's capital, Leeuwarden, is a likeable city, and neighbouring Groningen is one of the country's busiest cultural centres. To the south, the landscape undulates into heathy moorland around the town of Arnhem, best experienced in the country's only national park, the Hoge Veluwe. Further south still lies the exciting city of Maastricht.

Hostels and Student Accomodation

There are about 40 HI youth hostels in Holland, charging f21-26 per person per night, including breakfast, with f5 extra for non-members and an extra charge for bedding. Accommodation in these places is usually in dormitories, though some of the hostels do have single and double rooms available. Meals are also often possible, about f15 for a dinner, in some hostels there are kitchens where you can self-cater. For a full list of Dutch hostels, contact the Nederlandse Jeugdherberg Central (NJHC), Prof. Tulpstraat 2, 1018 HA Amsterdam (phone: 020/551 3133, fax: 020/623 4986). In addition to official hostels, the larger cities often have a number of unofficial hostels with dormitory accommodation at similar prices to the HI Hostels, though standards are sometimes not as good. In some cities you may also come across something known as a sleep-in, that is dormitory accommodation run by the local council that's often cheaper than regular hostels and normally only open during the summer. Student accommodation is also sometimes open to travellers during the holidays.
Use our Hostel Booking form to book your hostel.

Places to See

Needless to say, Amsterdam in all its beauty, style and energy is Holland's number-one attraction, among the most magnetic and vibrant cities in the world. Don't miss the the cannabis cafes and red light district near the railway station

Only an hour's train ride from Amsterdam, the picturesque town of Alkmaar which is famous for it numerous cheeses.

Holland's seat of government, The Hague, is admittedly neighboured by racier and more attractive metropolises, but once a year the city gets its own back. The North Sea Jazz Festival, held every July, attracts top-flight musicians, and is well worth making a special effort to get to.

If you crave a bit of peace and quiet after the bustle of Amsterdam, head for the densely wooded Hoge Veluwe National Park, just east of the city. It has the added attraction of the Kroller-Muller Museum in the heart of the park, home to the finest collection of Van Goghs in the world.

If you're going to Holland to see the tulips don't be surprised if you travel from France right up to beyond Amsterdam before seeing the tulips, once you get beyond Amsterdam they flourish. Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse are the place to go, in spring they are an unmissable riot of fragrance and colour, and wonderfully set out. There is also the tulip Festival this is really something to see.

The small town of Maastricht at the southern tip of the country has all the best elements of French, Belgian, German and Dutch street culture - a combination of pavement cafés, top-quality beer and excellent cuisine with a handful of cannabis coffeeshops thrown in for good measure.

The Nederlands Openluchtmuseum is a one-off architecture and crafts museum near Arnhem. With reconstructed buildings and costume collections culled from all over Holland, it charts the changes in rural life over the past two centuries- a good way to get behind the Dutch hats and clogs clichés.

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