Rotterdam & South Holland
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©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Rotterdam & South Holland Why Go? South Holland ................147 Think Holland and you’re thinking of the region southwest Leiden ............................147 of Amsterdam where tulips, cheese, Vermeer and plucky Den Haag (The Hague) ..153 Dutch people standing up to the sea avoid cliché simply by Gouda .............................161 their omnipresence. South Holland’s major cities are the biggest attractions. Delft............................... 163 Mighty Rotterdam is blessed with an edgy urban vibe, sur- Rotterdam ..................... 168 prising cultural scene and striking architecture. Leiden has Dordrecht ...................... 183 its university culture and old town (and proximity to the Biesbosch National bulbfields). Den Haag has museums, a stately air, luxe shop- Park ............................... 186 ping and a kitsch beach, while charming, beautiful Delft is Slot Loevestein ............. 186 a medieval time capsule. Smaller places are also worth your Zeeland ......................... 186 time: Gouda is a perfect old canal town, while Dordrecht Middelburg .....................187 has its own surprises amid canals and charm. Waterland Neeltje Jans .191 Further south, Zeeland (Sea Land) is the dyke-protected Schouwen-Duiveland.....191 province that people often associate with the Netherlands when they’re not thinking of tulips and windmills. Cycling Zeeuws-Vlaanderen .......192 in this flat, mostly sub-sea-level region is unparalleled. Best Places to Eat When to Go » De Dames Proeverij (p 151 ) The heart of Holland can be enjoyed year-round. Rotter- » Spijshuis de Dis (p 167 ) dam is full of museums and nightlife, so you can ignore the » Z&M (p 177 ) weather while indoors. The same can be said to a certain ex- » De Ballentent (p 177 ) tent for the main towns and cities such as Leiden, Den Haag » De Stroper (p 185 ) and Delft. However, from spring through autumn, you’ll find many more attractions open and the odds of enjoying a balmy canal stroll that much greater. Spring is the time for Best Places to the explosion of colour at Keukenhof and summer means Stay the beaches might actually be warm. » Het Paleis Hotel (p 158 ) » Hotel de Emauspoort (p 166 ) » Hotel New York (p 173 ) » Hotel Auberge Provençal (p 188 ) 15-rotterdam-south-holland-net5.indd 146 7/02/2013 11:59:34 AM 147 SOUTH HOLLAND exploring the classic Dutch destinations of the region. Along with North (Noord) Holland and Utrecht, South (Zuid) Holland is part of the Randstad, the economic and population Leiden heart of the Netherlands. Two of the na- % 071 / POP 118,700 tion’s most important cities are here: Den Lovely Leiden is a refreshing, vibrant town, Haag, the seat of the royal family and the patterned with canals and attractive old government; and Rotterdam, Europe’s busi- buildings. It also has a few claims to fame: est port. You could easily make a trip just it’s Rembrandt’s birthplace, and it’s home ‚ To Alkmaar ‚ To Hoorn (18km) (23km) e 020km 6 # 6 010miles AMSTERDAM To Sneek A10 #_ Haarlem /·A9 /· (110km) Keukenhof ‚ Gardens Amstelveen #\ # #\ 2 #\ To Zwolle Noordwijk aan Zee #\ Lisse Aalsmeer (87km) 6 ‚ #\ /·A44 NORTH Katwijk aan Zee /·A4 /·E35 SEA /·A2 Leiden #7 Alphen aan den Rijn #\ Scheveningen #\ Utrecht /·E19 #] Den Haag #^3 E30 /· ROTTERDAM & SOUTH HOLLAND /·A12 /·A12 #\ /·E30 ##\8 Monster ##\4 Delft Gouda #\ Hoek van Holland /·A13 /·E25 /·A27 /·A20 #^1 Rotterdam # To Arnhem /·A15 #\5 Kinderdijk (64km) ZUID #\ ‚ A15 HOLLAND Dordrecht /· Gorinchem #]6 A29 /· /·A16 Renesse Biesbosch #÷ #\ Schouwen- National Duiveland Park Westenschouwen #\ #\ /·A59 Willemstad /·E19 #æ Delta #\ 0¸A261 Zierikzee Waterland #æ Project /·A4 /·A59 To Nijmegen Neeltje Jans (55km) Noord- ‚ #] #\ Domburg Beveland /·A17 O #\ Veere oste Breda 0¸E312 #] Walcheren rs #\ HOLLANDSOUTH LEIDEN Goes chelde Bergen Roosendaal Tilburg #\ Middelburg #\ op Zoom #\ Zuid- /·A58 #\ Beveland #\ Vlissingen Kruiningen Wes /·E312 te w rsc #\ he Perkpolder /·A4 Zeeuws- lde Vlaanderen w ZEALAND #\ #\ Sluis IJzendijk #] Turnhout BELGIUM ‚ Antwerp To Venlo ^# (51km) Rotterdam & South Holland Highlights 1 Appreciate the 4 Look for girls wearing to surprising medieval architecture and verve pearl earrings in old-world Dordrecht (p 183 ) of Holland’s second city, Delft (p 163 ) home of 7 Have a meal at a genteel Rotterdam (p 168 ) Vermeer canalside cafe in Leiden 2 Pop off for spectacular 5 Go for a spin at Holland’s (p 147 ) spring posies at Keukenhof best collection of windmills 8 Discover everything Gardens (p 156 ) at Kinderdijk (p 181 ) that’s not cheesy about 3 Get your Art 101 in 6 Feel the spray on your quaint Gouda (p 161 ) splendid form at Den Haag’s face riding a fast ferry Mauritshuis (p 155 ) 115-rotterdam-south-holland-net5.indd5-rotterdam-south-holland-net5.indd 114747 77/02/2013/02/2013 111:59:441:59:44 AAMM.