Places to visit in North Holland, Netherlands
45 places to visit in North Holland, Netherlands, each with LOQAH's carefully crafted stamp of its own: Amsterdam Canal Ring, Beemster Polder, IJsselmeer and more. Stand at any of them with the app open and the stamp is yours, confirmed on site, in your North Holland volume.
2 UNESCO World Heritage sites · 1 Heritage site · 17 Famous places to visit · 25 Hidden gems
UNESCO World Heritage sites in North Holland (2)
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Amsterdam Canal Ring
The belt of 17th century canals around the old centre of Amsterdam, with the Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht as its three main waterways. The canals are lined with tall merchant houses and gabled facades, and the district is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Beemster Polder
The first polder in the Netherlands reclaimed from a lake, drained in the early 17th century north of Amsterdam. Its strict grid of fields, roads and canals has barely changed since, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Heritage sites in North Holland (1)
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IJsselmeer
A large freshwater lake in the central Netherlands, bordered by North Holland, Flevoland and Friesland. It was a sea inlet until the Afsluitdijk closed it off in 1932, and it is now a popular place for sailing and a home to many water birds.
Famous places to visit in North Holland (17)
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Afsluitdijk
A dam and causeway about 32 kilometres long, built between 1927 and 1932 from Den Oever in North Holland to Friesland. It closed off the old Zuiderzee from the North Sea and created the freshwater IJsselmeer.
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Amsterdam Centraal Station
The main railway station of Amsterdam, opened in 1889 and designed by Pierre Cuypers and Adolf Leonard van Gendt. It stands on artificial islands in the IJ, and its red brick Gothic style faces the old centre of the city.
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Anne Frank House
The canal house on the Prinsengracht where Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis during the Second World War. The secret annex behind the bookcase, where she wrote her diary, is now a museum dedicated to her life.
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Begijnhof
One of the oldest hofjes in Amsterdam, a quiet courtyard of historic houses that began as a béguinage for lay religious women. Most of the buildings are still private homes. Two churches stand here, the Catholic Miracle Chapel and the English Reformed Church.
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Concertgebouw
A concert hall on Museumplein in Amsterdam, opened in 1888. Its Main Hall is considered one of the finest in the world for acoustics, and it is home to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
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Dam Square
The main square of Amsterdam, which grew up around the dam on the Amstel river that gave the city its name. The Royal Palace, the Nieuwe Kerk and the National Monument stand around it, and it is the scene of many public events.
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De Wallen
The oldest part of Amsterdam, a network of alleys and canals around the Oude Kerk. It is best known as the city's largest red light district, with about 300 small window cabins lit in red.
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Leidseplein
A square in central Amsterdam at the crossroads of Weteringschans, Marnixstraat and Leidsestraat, just northeast of the Singelgracht. It is a busy meeting point for evenings out, surrounded by theatres, cafés and restaurants, with street performers in summer.
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Olympic Stadium Amsterdam
The main stadium of the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, designed by Jan Wils in brick in the Amsterdam School style. After restoration it is used for athletics and events, and it is a listed national monument.
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Oude Kerk Amsterdam
The oldest parish church in Amsterdam, in the Red Light District, with origins in the early 13th century. It became Protestant in the 16th century and now serves as a church and a venue for art exhibitions.
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Rijksmuseum
The national museum of the Netherlands, on Museumplein in Amsterdam, in a building by Pierre Cuypers that opened in 1885. It holds the great works of the Dutch Golden Age, including Rembrandt's Night Watch and paintings by Vermeer.
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Royal Palace of Amsterdam
A palace on Dam Square in Amsterdam, built in the 17th century as the city hall and later turned into a royal residence. It is one of three palaces at the disposal of the Dutch monarch, and it is open to visitors when not in official use.
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Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
A museum of modern and contemporary art and design on Museumplein in Amsterdam. Its collection runs from the early 20th century to the present, and its modern white extension is known locally as the bathtub.
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Texel
The largest and most populated of the West Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea, lying north of Den Helder in North Holland. It has about 13,800 inhabitants, wide beaches, dunes and heath, and is known for its sheep.
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Van Gogh Museum
A museum on Museumplein in Amsterdam, opened in 1973 and dedicated to Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries. It holds the largest collection of his paintings, drawings and letters in the world, shown in roughly chronological order.
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Vondelpark
A public park of 47 hectares in Amsterdam, opened in the 1860s on the edge of the city centre. It has lawns, ponds, a rose garden and an open air theatre, and it is the most visited park in the country.
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Zaanse Schans
A neighbourhood on the Zaan river north of Amsterdam, known for its green wooden houses and working windmills. From 1961 to 1974 old buildings from across the region were moved here for preservation. Some mills still grind mustard, press oil and saw timber.
Hidden gems in North Holland (25)
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Albert Cuyp Market
A street market on Albert Cuypstraat in the De Pijp area of Amsterdam, between Ferdinand Bolstraat and Van Woustraat. The street and market are named after the painter Albert Cuyp. Stalls sell food, clothing and household goods.
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Amsterdam Museum
A museum on the history of Amsterdam, housed in a former city orphanage in the old centre. It follows the city from a medieval fishing village to a Golden Age trading power and a modern capital.
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Bloemenmarkt
The only floating flower market in the world, founded in 1862 on the Singel canal in Amsterdam between Muntplein and Koningsplein. The stalls stand on barges. Fifteen shops sell bulbs, flowers and gifts, and only a few remain true flower stands.
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Grote Kerk Haarlem
A Reformed Protestant church, also called St Bavo, standing on the central market square of Haarlem. Its great tower dominates the skyline of the old town. The church is a main landmark of the city and sits beside the historic Grote Markt.
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H'ART Museum
An art museum on the banks of the Amstel river in Amsterdam. It was formerly a satellite of the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg and cut ties with it after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It now runs its own exhibitions.
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Heineken Experience
A visitor centre in the old Heineken brewery in Amsterdam. The brewery operated here until 1988, and the building now tells the story of the Dutch pilsner and how it is made. Tours end with a tasting.
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Het Scheepvaartmuseum
The national maritime museum of the Netherlands, in Amsterdam. It tells the story of Dutch seafaring, trade and exploration. A full size replica of the East India Company ship Amsterdam is moored outside.
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Homomonument
A memorial on the Westermarkt in Amsterdam, unveiled in 1987 and made up of three pink granite triangles. It commemorates all lesbian and gay people who have been persecuted for their sexuality.
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Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam
A botanical garden in the Plantage district of Amsterdam and one of the oldest in the world. It was founded in the 17th century as a herb garden for doctors and today holds greenhouses and many rare plants.
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Jordaan
A neighbourhood in Amsterdam Centrum bordered by the Singelgracht and the Prinsengracht. Once a working class quarter, it is now known for narrow streets, canals, small galleries and quiet courtyards, and it is one of the most sought after places to live in the city.
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Magere Brug
A white wooden drawbridge over the Amstel in Amsterdam, linking the banks at Kerkstraat. Its Dutch name means the Skinny Bridge, and it is lit up at night with hundreds of lamps.
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Montelbaanstoren
A tower on the bank of the Oudeschans canal in Amsterdam. The original tower was built in 1516 as part of the city walls to defend the harbour. The upper half, designed by Hendrick de Keyser, was added later.
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Muiderslot
A medieval castle at the mouth of the Vecht river in Muiden, about 15 kilometres southeast of Amsterdam. It is one of the best known castles in the Netherlands and stands where the river flows into what was once the Zuiderzee.
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Munttoren
A tower on Muntplein in Amsterdam, where the Amstel river meets the Singel canal. It stands near the flower market and the eastern end of the Kalverstraat shopping street. Its carillon plays over the busy square.
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NEMO Science Museum
A hands on science museum in a green copper clad building shaped like a ship's hull, designed by Renzo Piano and opened in 1997. Its roof is a public terrace with a view over the harbour and the old city.
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Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam
A 15th century church on Dam Square in Amsterdam, next to the Royal Palace. Dutch monarchs are inaugurated here, and it no longer holds regular services but hosts major exhibitions throughout the year.
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Rembrandt House Museum
The house on the Jodenbreestraat in Amsterdam where Rembrandt lived and worked from 1639 to 1658. It has been restored to show the rooms and his studio, and the museum shows his etchings.
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Rembrandtplein
A major square in central Amsterdam named after the painter Rembrandt van Rijn, who owned a house nearby from 1639 to 1656. Cafés and restaurants line its edges, and a statue of the painter stands in the middle.
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Scheepvaarthuis
A building on the western tip of the Waalseiland near Amsterdam harbour, counted among the top 100 Dutch heritage sites. It is generally regarded as the first true example of the Amsterdam School, a style of expressive brick architecture.
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Teylers Museum
A museum in Haarlem founded in 1778, which is the oldest museum in the Netherlands. Its collections of fossils, instruments, coins and drawings are still shown in the original 18th century halls.
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Waterlooplein
A square in central Amsterdam near the Amstel river, named after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The city hall and opera house known as the Stopera and the Mozes en Aaron church stand on it. A daily flea market runs here.
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West Frisian Islands
A chain of islands off the northern Dutch coast, including Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog. They have wide beaches, dunes and tidal flats, and are reached by ferry from the mainland.
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Westerkerk
A Protestant church on the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam, finished in 1631. Its tower, the Westertoren, rises about 85 metres, and the painter Rembrandt is thought to be buried in the church. The Anne Frank House is a short walk away.
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Zuid-Kennemerland National Park
A conservation area of dunes and woodland on the west coast of North Holland, established as a national park in 1995. It runs from Zandvoort north toward Bloemendaal and is a popular place for walking and cycling.
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Zuiderkerk
A 17th century Reformed Protestant church in the Nieuwmarkt area of Amsterdam. It played a part in the life of Rembrandt and was painted by Claude Monet. Visitors can climb its tower for a view over the old centre.
Collecting in North Holland
What are the best places to visit in North Holland?
LOQAH lists 45 places in North Holland. The best known include Amsterdam Canal Ring, Beemster Polder, IJsselmeer, Afsluitdijk and Amsterdam Centraal Station. Each has a stamp of its own to collect when you are there.
How many LOQAH stamps are there in North Holland?
45, and more are added over time. Each place has LOQAH's carefully crafted stamp of its own.
How do I collect a stamp in North Holland?
Open LOQAH at the place and get its stamp. LOQAH checks where you are once, at that moment; at the place itself the stamp is confirmed on site, with a gold badge.
I have been to places in North Holland before. Can I add them?
Yes. In Earlier trips, choose North Holland and swipe through its stamps, or import your Google Timeline. Each one goes into your volume with the date, if you know it.
More in the Netherlands
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