At a Glance

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CAPITAL

Amsterdam

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LANGUAGE

Dutch

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CURRENCY

Euro €

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BEST TIME

April-May or September

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TIME ZONE

CET (UTC+1) / CEST (UTC+2) in summer

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DRIVING SIDE

Right

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DAYS STAYED

7 Days

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PLACES VISITED

The Hague, Amsterdam, Scheveningen, Delft, Kinderdijk

Our Journey

Exploring At The Dutch Pace

Because we stayed in The Hague while Sarah was there for work, I spent some of the week exploring on my own. The Netherlands made solo travel incredibly easy. I could simply hop on a tram or train and find myself wandering through the historic streets of Delft or walking along the beach in Scheveningen without the stress of complicated transportation or detailed planning. There was something freeing about being able to choose a direction, get on public transportation, and see where the day took me.

Continue Reading Our Journey →

Where Curiosity Took Us

#1 The Hague

The Hague offered a quieter, more refined side of the Netherlands, with elegant streets, stately buildings, peaceful parks, and a strong connection to Dutch history and government. It felt less crowded than Amsterdam and gave us a chance to slow down, explore at a more relaxed pace, and experience a city where international importance blends naturally with everyday local life.

#2 Amsterdam

Amsterdam immediately drew us in with its beautiful canals, narrow historic homes, charming bridges, lively neighborhoods, and bicycles moving in every direction. The cafés, canal houses, and everyday rhythm of local life made the city feel endlessly interesting.

#3 Delft

Delft was smaller, quieter, and full of traditional Dutch charm. Its peaceful canals, cobblestone streets, historic buildings, market squares, and famous blue-and-white pottery gave the city a timeless quality. It felt like the perfect place to wander without rushing and enjoy a more intimate side of the Netherlands.

#3 Scheveningen

Scheveningen is The Hague’s lively seaside escape, where a wide sandy beach meets the North Sea. With its long promenade, iconic pier, beachfront cafés, and relaxed coastal atmosphere, it offers an easy change of pace from the historic cities and canals of the Netherlands.

#3 Kinderdijk

Kinderdijk was one of the most memorable and unmistakably Dutch places we visited. Walking among the historic windmills, open fields, canals, and wide skies felt like stepping directly into a postcard.

Funny Moments

Apparently, You Can’t Photograph Everything

As the photographer on our trips, I have a very simple philosophy: if I see it, I probably need a picture of it.

Buildings. Food. Street signs. Random animals. Interesting doors. Things Sarah has absolutely no interest in stopping for.

So naturally, that enthusiasm followed me straight into Amsterdam’s Red Light District.

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Curiosity Almost Got the Better of Us in Amsterdam

We also learned that there was a very important difference between a café and a coffee shop in Amsterdam. A café was where you went for coffee, food, or a drink. A coffee shop, despite its innocent-sounding name, offered an entirely different kind of menu.

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Historical Feature

The Day the Dutch Ate Their Prime Minister

THE MURDER OF THE DE WITT BROTHERS — 1672

The Netherlands in the 17th century is often remembered as a place of extraordinary wealth, global trade, scientific discovery, and some of the greatest artists in European history.

Rembrandt was painting in Amsterdam. Dutch ships were traveling across the world. Merchants were becoming enormously wealthy, and the Dutch Republic had emerged as one of Europe’s great commercial and naval powers.

Then came 1672.

The Dutch still remember it as the Rampjaar—the Disaster Year.

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DID YOU KNOW?

The murder shocked Europe. It showed how quickly popular fury can destroy reason and institutions. It also ended the de Witt Grand Pensionary era and opened the door to a more militaristic and orange-led political order.

FACT & CONTEXT

Johan de Witt was technically the Grand Pensionary of Holland — the republic’s highest political office, not a prime minister in the modern sense.

Visit the Gevangenpoort Museum in The Hague, where Cornelis de Witt was imprisoned and where the final hours of this story unfolded.

Explore the Gevangenpoort →

Local Food

Food in the Netherlands felt casual, comforting, and perfectly suited to the country’s relaxed way of life. Whether we were exploring The Hague, wandering the canals of Amsterdam, or taking a day trip to Delft or Scheveningen, there always seemed to be a welcoming café, bakery, or outdoor terrace nearby.

Must Try

Stroopwafels
Bitterballen
Poffertjes
Dutch fries
Haring
Kibbeling
Erwtensoep
Stamppot
Kroket
Gouda
Edam
Appeltaart
Oliebollen
Speculaas
Hagelslag
Pannenkoeken

Explore Our Food Journey →

The Photo That Tells the Story

A Moment of Perfect Stillness

The windmills in Kinderdijk were lined along the water as they had been for generations, quietly telling the story of a country shaped by its relationship with the land, water and air.

And sometimes, when everything becomes still enough, a place gives you the chance to see it twice.

Travel often has us looking ahead—toward the next city, the next landmark, the next thing we want to experience. But every once in a while, a place makes you forget about what comes next. You simply stand there and notice what is right in front of you.

Looking at this photograph now, I don’t just see windmills. I remember the quiet, the open sky, the still water, and the feeling of being somewhere that seemed almost untouched by time. It reminds me that the places we remember most aren’t always the ones that overwhelm us. Sometimes they are the ones that quiet us.

And sometimes, when everything becomes still enough, a place gives you the chance to see it twice.