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Amsterdam (151)
Photo: Amsterdam

Netherlands
1,795 Photos
52° 2′ N, 5° 13′ E

Description

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with some islands in the Caribbean.

Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders with Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom.

It is a parliamentary democracy organised as a unitary state. The country capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague.

The Netherlands in its entirety is often referred to as Holland, although North and South Holland are actually only two of its twelve provinces.

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The Netherlands is a geographically low-lying country, with about 25 % of its area and 21 % of its population located below sea level, and 50 % of its land lying less than one metre above sea level.

This distinct feature contributes to the country’s name, its name literally means “(The) Low Countries”. Most of the areas below sea level are man-made, caused by centuries of extensive and poorly controlled peat extraction, lowering the surface by several meters.

Even in flooded areas peat extraction continued through turf dredging. As from the late 16th century land reclamation started and large polder areas are now preserved through elaborate drainage systems with dikes, canals and pumping stations.

Much of The Netherlands is formed by the estuary of three important European rivers, which together with their distributaries form the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta.

Most of the country is very flat, with the exception of foothills in the far south-east and several low-hill ranges in the central parts.

The Netherlands was one of the first countries to have an elected parliament. Among other affiliations, the country is a founding member of the EU, NATO, OECD and WTO.

Netherlands has the ninth-highest per capita income in the world. With Belgium and Luxembourg it forms the Benelux economic union.

The country is host to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and five international courts: the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Court and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

The first four are situated in The Hague as is the EU’s criminal intelligence agency Europol and judicial co-operation agency Eurojust.

This has led to the city being dubbed “the world’s legal capital”.

Map: Netherlands

List of sights
1,795 Photos

’s-Hertogenbosch (2) Cathedral Church of Saint John
Photo: ’s-Hertogenbosch, Cathedral Church of Saint John

’s-Hertogenbosch (NL)
36 Photos

’s-Hertogenbosch (Bois-le-Duc) was founded in 1185 by Henry I of Brabant and became in 1815 the capital of North Brabant. The Gothic Church of Sint Jan

Map: ’s-Hertogenbosch
Alkmaar (45)
Photo: Alkmaar

Alkmaar (NL)
40 Photos

Alkmaar is famous for its traditional cheese market from April until early September. The oldest part of Alkmaar, with 400 monuments, lies on an ancient …

Map: Alkmaar
Almere (81) Block 16 (The Wave) - René van Zuuk Architecten
Photo: Almere, Block 16 (The Wave) - René van Zuuk Architecten

Almere (NL)
105 Photos

Almere is one of the youngest cities in the Netherlands. The first house was finished in 1976. It is the largest municipality in Flevoland, and the 8th …

Map: Almere
Amersfoort (16) Koppelpoort
Photo: Amersfoort, Koppelpoort

Amersfoort (NL)
14 Photos

The old town of Amersfoort east of Utrecht, is built inside the old defence ring. Remains of settlements in the Amersfoort area from around 1000 BC have …

Map: Amersfoort
Amsterdam (137)
Photo: Amsterdam

Amsterdam (NL)
118 Photos

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. Its name is derived from Amstellerdam

Map: Amsterdam
Bergen op Zoom (5) Markiezenhof
Photo: Bergen op Zoom, Markiezenhof

Bergen op Zoom (NL)
4 Photos

Bergen op Zoom is a city located in the south of the Netherlands. It was granted city status probably in 1212. In 1287 the city and its surroundings became …

Map: Bergen op Zoom
Delft (5) Nieuwe Kerk (New Church)
Photo: Delft, Nieuwe Kerk (New Church)

Delft (NL)
40 Photos

Delft, in the province of Zuid-Holland, is located in between Rotterdam and The Hague. It is primarily known for its typically Dutch town centre with canals, …

Map: Delft
Edam (28)
Photo: Edam

Edam - Volendam (NL)
50 Photos

Edam-Volendam is a municipality in the northwest Netherlands, in the province of North Holland, consisting of the towns of Edam and Volendam, whose centres …

Map: Edam - Volendam
Enkhuizen (100) Zuiderzeemuseum
Photo: Enkhuizen, Zuiderzeemuseum

Enkhuizen (NL)
126 Photos

Enkhuizen, in the region of West-Frisia, was one of the harbour-towns of the VOC, just like Hoorn and Amsterdam, from where overseas trade with the East Indies

Map: Enkhuizen
Gouda (69) 15th centrury Town Hall
Photo: Gouda, 15th centrury Town Hall

Gouda (NL)
42 Photos

Gouda is famous for its cheese and cheese market held on the square around the Stadhuis. The cheese is not made in the city itself but in the surrounding …

Map: Gouda
Groningen (52) Groninger Museum
Photo: Groningen, Groninger Museum

Groningen (NL)
134 Photos

Groningen is the capital city of the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. With a population of around 188,000, it is by far the largest city in the …

Map: Groningen
Haarlem (18)
Photo: Haarlem

Haarlem (NL)
50 Photos

Haarlem, in the past usually Harlem in English, is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the …

Map: Haarlem
Castle De Haar (12)
Photo: Castle De Haar

Haarzuilens (NL)
60 Photos

The De Haar Castle (Kasteel de Haar) in Haarzuilens was built from 1892 till 1912 largely incorporating the 15th century ruins of the original castle. Founded …

Map: Haarzuilens
Castle Assumburg (4)
Photo: Castle Assumburg

Heemskerk (NL)
17 Photos

The Castel Assumburg (Kasteel Assumburg, Slot Assumburg), located on the eastside of Heemskerk, was built from the remains of Castel Oud Haerlem in 1546. …

Map: Heemskerk
Heeswijk Castle (27)
Photo: Heeswijk Castle

Heeswijk (NL)
26 Photos

The Castle Heeswijk (Kasteel Heeswijk) is a water citadel between s-Hertogenbosch and Eindhoven. It dates back to year 1080 and was gradually replaced by …

Map: Heeswijk
Hilversum (17) Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision
Photo: Hilversum, Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision

Hilversum (NL)
42 Photos

Hilversum, located in the region called “Het Gooi”, 30 km south-east of Amsterdam and 20 km north of Utrecht, is the largest town in that area. It is surrounded …

Map: Hilversum
Hoensbroek (4) Hoensbroek Castle
Photo: Hoensbroek, Hoensbroek Castle

Hoensbroek (NL)
4 Photos

Castle Hoensbroek or Gebrookhoes (Castle Gebrook) is one of the largest castles in the Netherlands. It is situated in Hoensbroek, a town in the province …

Map: Hoensbroek
Hoorn (7) Hoofdtoren from 1464 - Former harbour control tower
Photo: Hoorn, Hoofdtoren from 1464 - Former harbour control tower

Hoorn (NL)
52 Photos

Hoorn, in the province of North Holland, is located on the IJsselmeer, 35 km north of Amsterdam, and acquired city rights in 1357.Hoorn is well known in …

Map: Hoorn
Katwijk aan Zee (49)
Photo: Katwijk aan Zee

Katwijk aan Zee (NL)
16 Photos

Katwijk aan Zee is a seaside resort located on the North Sea at the mouth of the Oude Rijn. The name “Katwijk” probably has its origins in the name of a …

Map: Katwijk aan Zee
Kinderdijk (60) Windmills
Photo: Kinderdijk, Windmills

Kinderdijk (NL)
70 Photos

Kinderdijk, in the province South Holland, is located about 15 km east of Rotterdam and situated in a polder at the confluence of the Lek and Noord rivers. …

Map: Kinderdijk
Leiden (150)
Photo: Leiden

Leiden (NL)
17 Photos

Leiden is a city in the Dutch province of South Holland, located on the Old Rhine, in a distance of some 20 km from The Hague in its south and some 40 km …

Map: Leiden
Batavia (98)
Photo: Batavia

Lelystad (NL)
97 Photos

Lelystad is a city in the centre of the Netherlands, and it is the capital of the province of Flevoland. The city, built on reclaimed land, was founded …

Map: Lelystad
Maastricht (10) Theater at the Vrijthof
Photo: Maastricht, Theater at the Vrijthof

Maastricht (NL)
72 Photos

Maastricht is a city in the southern part of the Dutch province of Limburg, of which it is the capital. The city is situated on both sides of the Meuse River

Map: Maastricht
Marken (4)
Photo: Marken

Marken (NL)
62 Photos

Marken, a peninsula in the IJsselmeer, is located in the municipality Waterland in the province North Holland. It is a former island, which nowadays is …

Map: Marken
Middelburg (16) 16th centrury Town Hall
Photo: Middelburg, 16th centrury Town Hall

Middelburg (NL)
46 Photos

Middelburg is a city in the south-western Netherlands and the capital of the province of Zeeland. The city of Middelburg dates back to the early 9th century. …

Map: Middelburg
Castle Muiden (22)
Photo: Castle Muiden

Muiderslot (NL)
20 Photos

The Muiderslot is a castle in the Netherlands, located at the mouth of the Vecht River, some 15 km south-east of Amsterdam, in Muiden, where it flows into …

Map: Muiderslot
Basilica of H.H. Agatha and Barbara (3)
Photo: Basilica of H.H. Agatha and Barbara

Oudenbosch (NL)
22 Photos

The Basilica van de HH Agatha en Barbara was built in 1865 by the architect Pierre Cuypers as a replica of the Basilica San Pietro in Vatican City after …

Map: Oudenbosch
Rotterdam (142) Cube houses
Photo: Rotterdam, Cube houses

Rotterdam (NL)
158 Photos

Rotterdam is a city in the Dutch province of South Holland, situated in the West of the Netherlands. The municipality is the second largest in the country. …

Map: Rotterdam
Scheveningen (29) Scheveningen pier
Photo: Scheveningen, Scheveningen pier

Scheveningen (NL)
122 Photos

Scheveningen is a modern seaside resort with a long sandy beach, an esplanade, a pier, and a lighthouse. The beach is popular for water sports like windsurfing …

Map: Scheveningen
Slochteren (5) Mansion Fraeylemaborg
Photo: Slochteren, Mansion Fraeylemaborg

Slochteren (NL)
15 Photos

Slochteren is a municipality in the north-eastern Netherlands, characterised as a chain of small villages dividing a mostly agricultural landscape. Having …

Map: Slochteren
Kasteel Duivenvoorde (5)
Photo: Kasteel Duivenvoorde

Voorschoten (NL)
40 Photos

The Kasteel Duivenvoorde in the town of Voorschoten close to Vassenaar, is one of the oldest castle in Zuid-Holland. It was first mentioned in 1226. The …

Map: Voorschoten
Zaanse Schans (83)
Photo: Zaanse Schans

Zaanse Schans (NL)
78 Photos

Zaanse Schans is a neighbourhood of Zaandam, near Zaandijk in the province of North Holland. It has a collection of well-preserved historic windmills and …

Map: Zaanse Schans