There is a lot to explore in the Dutch region on the North Sea.
Do: Visit Den Haag the third largest city in the Netherlands and seat of most political Dutch and European administration. Here you can visit Mauritshuis museums to see paintings of the Dutch masters or the Binnenhof. Den Haag lies on the North Sea with Scheveningen being its busy beach resort. It’s not really pretty, the beach promenade is blocked with ugly hotel buildings but the entertainment on the Pier is charmingly old-fashioned and if you wander south the beach gets wider and calmer, there are many shacks and bars where you can sit in the sun, sip a Dutch beer and eat some bitterballen. Delft is only a 20 minute drive away from Den Haag. It’s a sweet historic town where you can learn more about Jan Vermeer and the Delft Blue ceramics and shop at the lifestyle shop Seven Days. There is also a lovely antique market all over the streets of the historic center every Sunday. Close to Rotterdam lies the old Van Nelle building, an old coffee, tea and tobacco factory built in the Constructivism style in the 1920s. It’s an interesting architectural heritage building and worth a visit.
Eat: Mama Kelly is an amazing restaurant that serves delicious whole chickens and lobsters. It’s in an old industrial hall, there is also a bar and a patio and the whole concept is just really good. Pleck and Kek are lovely cafes in Delft with delicious matcha tea and cakes.
There are many more fantastic places in the Netherlands and Belgium! See the travel guides for Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Maastricht, Flanders, Ghent and Antwerp.
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