House of travel Northern, Central & Eastern Europe Brochure 2017 | Page 45

Netherlands & Belgium
Float along the canals of Amsterdam and Brugge, past
islands and under cute stone bridges. Drive through
a string of cities, small towns and villages through
the idyllic countryside of windmills and tulips, walk
along the fine beaches of coastal towns and soak up
the historical heritage of these watery lands.
Veere, Netherlands
Sneek
8 days/7 nights Suggested Self-Drive
Giethoorn
Alkmaar
Day 1: Amsterdam – Zaandam (16km)
Cruise along the canals and marvel at the narrow houses and architecture.
Day 3: Zaandam – Sneek – Zwolle – Apeldoorn (235km)
Drive over the 32km causeway, Afsluitdijk, then down to see Sneek’s very
old monuments. In the city wall of Zwolle is the Sassenpoort gateway,
a heritage site. The little town of Giethoorn has small canals in place of
streets, and all transport is by boat.
Day 5: Brielle – Scheveningen – Delft – Brielle (142km)
Brielle, a picturesque fortified town, is a perfect base for excursions and the
surrounding area is ideal to explore by bike. Madurodam will delight you
with its miniature Dutch town. Visit Scheveningen’s beach and pier.
Day 6: Brielle – Antwerp – Brugge (228km)
Travel past Kinderdijk to see the windmills, then down through Zeeland and
cross into Belgium. Walk through Antwerp’s historic city centre.
Day 7: Brugge – Ypres – Brugge (146km)
Explore Brugge medieval canal system lined with half-timbered houses.
Visit Ypres to witness the last post ceremony at Menin Gate.
Day 8: Brugge – Ghent – Brussels (105km)
Take a canal boat trip around Ghent’s historic city centre, duck into the
Museum of Fine Arts and explore the imposing castle overlooking the city.
Rental car: Hertz (Group B) from $57 per day
Our favourite places to stay:
•
Inntel Hotel Amsterdam Zaandam
•
Bastion Hotel Apeldoorn Het Loo, Apeldoorn
•
Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant De Zalm, Brielle
•
NH Brugges
Brielle, Netherlands
Edam
Volendam
Marken
Zaandam
Haarlem
Aalsmeer AMSTERDAM
Scheveningen Delft
Madurodam
Utrecht
Gouda
Rotterdam
Kinderdijk
Brielle
Waal River
Day 2: Zaandam – Volendam – Hoorn – Zaandam (146km)
Stop in market towns with timeless traditions. See the famous cheese
markets of Alkmaar and Edam and the 16 th century Haarlam.
Day 4: Apeldoorn – Arnhem – Utrecht – Gouda – Brielle (200km)
See Utrecht by canal boat. Drive by parks, woods and country estates.
Gouda, dominated by the late-Gothic Town Hall, is famous for the cheese
market. Nearby is Oudewater, noted for its 17 th -century gabled houses.
Hoorn
Veere
Brugge
FRANCE
Ypres
Ghent
Zwolle
Apeldoorn
National Park de
Arnhem Hoge Veluwe
NETHERLANDS GERMANY
Antwerp
BELGIUM
BRUSSELS
Highlights worth seeing along the way
Amsterdam’s Sights – Rijksmuseum, the art gallery home to numerous
European masters; Anne Frank’s House where the young Jewish girl hid from
occupying German forces, the Heineken Brewery, for tours and tastings.
Stop and Smell the Flowers – The famous flower auction in Aalsmeer,
Amsterdam is open weekday mornings. Just south of Haarlem are the
Keukenhof Gardens, flower bed to 7 million flowering bulbs (Open Mar-May).
Visit a Working Windmill – Molen de Kat to see the gears moving and
climb the ladders for pretty views from the top.
Take the Ferry from Volendam to Marken – Explore these two
picturesque old fishing villages built largely from wood.
Hoge Veluwe National Park – Visit the game reserve, the Kroller-Muller Art
Gallery and Museum, and cycle around the park on the free bikes.
Around Utrecht – Dom Tower is Netherlands’ tallest and oldest church with
breath-taking views of the city. Discover the wonderful monastery garden of
the Pandhof and stroll around the old canal of Oudegracht. Kasteel de Haar is
a fairy tale castle with medieval towers and bridges.
Explore Zeeland – Most of the land is reclaimed and lies below sea level,
there are medieval harbour towns, islands and peninsulas and there is a
massive engineering project of flood barriers to protect the mainland. Stop in
the small town of Veere which retains many 16 th century buildings.
Visit a Delft Factory - See historic, blue and white ceramics being created.
Brugge,
Gouda, Belgium
Holland
The price guide shown is per car hire based on 6+ day hire rate. One way fees apply. Price shown does not include Earlybird or other discounted offers. Specials and surcharges may apply
depending on travel date
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