Weekend & Day Trips from Amsterdam, Netherlands

With a history dating back to 1365, the Alkmaar Cheese Market is one of the most popular markets in the Netherlands and famous for its artisan cheesemakers. The market is located in Alkmaar on the Waagplein and opens on Fridays from the last weekend in March through the end of September each year. People can visit the market between 10 am and 1 pm. During the height of summer, an evening Cheese Market is also held on Tuesdays. The market hasn't ceased since the official founding in 1622.

Visitors to the Alkmaar Cheese Market can also visit The Dutch Cheese Museum, which was founded in 1983 and features exhibits on the history of the cheese trade, cheese making, and dairy farming. There is also a portrait collection displayed as well as some historical artifacts. Alkmaar is also home to many other cultural attractions such as a beer museum, history museum, and Beatles Museum.

The Beverwijk Flea Market, or Bazaar, is the largest covered market in Europe and is located in Amsterdam. The market has everything anyone could want from food to makeup, electronics, clothing, books, and housewares, among other things. There are more than 50 restaurants in and around the market area, as well as nail salons, brick and mortar retail stores, and salons.

The Beverwijk Flea Market is family-friendly and most people couldn't hope of being able to see everything being sold in one day. More than 60,000 people come to the Beverwijk Bazaar every weekend for the last thirty years, and today there are more than 2,500 vendors that participate. Paid parking and admittance is required for this weekly event.

Visitors to Amsterdam who want to experience a less touristy town that is rich in culture and history can do so at Fort Bourtange . The 1593 Fort was constructed in the shape of a star by order of William the Silent, who was the King of Netherlands at the time.

Fort Bourtange’s purpose was to disrupt the trade road between Spain and Germany, and it held five garrisons, and a large network of canals and lakes that surrounded the fort as a moat would. The fort was converted into a village in the mid-19th century, and the Fort was restored and opened as an open-air museum in 1992. Fort Bourtange is less than three hours from Amsterdam near Groningen and has a population of fewer than 500 people. The entire village is within the Fort, which is the only attraction now that it is restored to the 18th century period.

Bruges is the biggest city and also the capital of the West Flanders Province in Belgium. This Flemish city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site at its historic center and is sometimes called “Venice of the North,” like a few other Netherlands cities. Bruges, Belgium is known for being the College of Europe’s seat and an important port. A popular historic place to see in Bruges is the Burg, a palace that was built in the second century.

Popular attractions to visit in Bruges include Tanners Square where the Market and Burg are both found, Rozenhoedkaai is a popular spot for photography, and the Fish Market and Belfort are iconic of Bruges. There are also many museums such as the Archaeological Museum, the Arentshuis City Mansion, Seapark, Chocolate Museum, Salvador Dai Museum, and Beer Museum.

Brussels is a large region of Belgium that is comprised of nineteen municipalities. The City of Brussels is the capital of Belgium and is found in the center of the country. The city is made up of the Flemish and French communities but is not part of the Flemish Region. Brussels is a very rich region and densely populated, with more than two million people in the metropolitan area. The area began as a rural settlement along the banks of the River Senne and now is the de facto capital of the European Union and is the host of many political events.

There are hundreds of places to see and things to do in Brussels; however, some of the most popular attractions include Mini Europe theme park, Atomium, Parlmentarium, Train World, Kanal-Centre Pompidou, Musee Magritte Museum, Natural Sciences Museum, Center for Fine Arts, the Royal Military Museum, and several other cultural museums. Map of Brussels

More ideas: Where to Stay in Brussels, Belgium

The world-famous Blue Earthenware pottery has been created in Delft, a city in South Holland just an hour from Amsterdam since 1602 at the exclusively family-owned factory, Delft Pottery De Delftse Pauw, where each piece is hand-painted. Delft is also known for its connection to Johannes Vermeer, the famous Dutch painter. Many tourists who visit Delft spend time at the Delft University of Technology, which is the best tech school in the Netherlands, the pottery factory, and the House of Orange-Nassau. There are also several markets that make shopping fun for locals and tourists. Visitors can take boat rides on the canals and visit the Delft City Hall which is one of the city’s most important landmarks.

Edam has its origins in the 12th century, where it was settled by fishermen and farmers on the banks of the Little Ye River. Shipbuilding helped the town to prosper through the 17th-century, and most of the structures and historic landmarks in town are from the 17th and 18th centuries. Fort Edam, as well as Beemster Polder, are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Edam is known all over the world for its famous cheese market that is held every Wednesday through July and August. There are also many boutique and retail shops, cafes with outdoor terraces, and the best part is Edam is less than one hour from Amsterdam. There are guided city walks and cruises that can provide a wonderful history and site seeing in the town. Edam

Efteling is the Netherlands’ largest theme park and has a magical, fairytale theme. The park was opened in 1952 and was designed by Anton Pieck to have an enchanted ambiance. Along with the theme park there are also overnight accommodations, a golf park, and produces its own musical theater productions, radio shows, and even television programming.

Efteling is open each day of the year and offers playgrounds, boat tours, a Fairytale Forest and Forbidden City, a fairytale castle, as well as rollercoasters and other rides that are suitable for the entire family. There are also shows featuring ravens, horseback riders, and water shows. Visitors can also choose between fifteen different restaurants, cafes, and snack huts to get food and drinks.

Giethoorn is a quiet, tranquil water village in Holland where visitors typically visit by way of boat and cruise along the canals that are lined with thatched-roof cottages and farmhouses. The town is also the center of the Overijssel canal system, and some homes and businesses are only accessible via boat. Giethoorn is also another city that is referred to as “Dutch Venice,” or “Venice of the North,” and is surrounded by green pastures, rolling hills, and rural countryside.

Most visitors to Giethoorn come to travel the waterways and enjoy a quiet, scenic afternoon. More adventurous visitors can rent a giant inflatable ball and walk or float on the canal waters. Visitors can also rent bicycles and bike through the Dutch countryside to visit the farms. There are also many restaurants and museums in town.

Another city in South Holland that is famous for its cheese is Gouda, for which the Gouda cheese is named after. Gouda began as a settlement in the Middles Ages that was founded by the Van der Goude family, who also built a fortified castle on the Gouwe River. After World War II, Gouda tripled in population size and expanded with a focus on urban renewal.

Some of the best sites to visit in Gouda on a day trip from Amsterdam include the 15th-century city hall building in the Market Square, Saint John Church, which features famous stained-glass windows from the 16th century. Museum Gouda, Museumhaven Gouda, and Verzetsmuseum are great cultural museums to learn about Holland and Gouda.