World / Europe / Netherlands

It's not all tulip fields and clogs in the Netherlands. Tourism here is a major industry, with Amsterdam the front runner. This fascinatingly diverse city offers a fantastic combination of marvelous medieval and modern architecture with world-beating museums and buzzing nightlife. And while the landscape is famously flat, the Netherlands' countryside is far from dull. Landscapes vary from windswept dunes to wilderness and forests – and rural retreats dotted with windmills.

For many people holidays to the Netherlands are all about Amsterdam and nowhere else. But there's far more to see here and it's easy to get to. You can hop on a train and reach the Randstad, the towns surrounding the capital, in under half an hour. Delft, home of the famous ceramics and Gouda, famous for its cheese, Haarlem, Leiden and Utrecht all offer narrow old streets, medieval buildings, quiet canals and cobbled market places. Urbane and pretty, The Hague is the country's political capital. Its modern art museum is particularly impressive and bar scene bustling, making it a perfect new alternative for a weekend break. Far larger with a real 21st century buzz is funky Rotterdam. Rebuilt after the war, it has impressive modern architecture and full-on nightlife.