what a fantastic way to see Rotterdam which I found to be even more interesting having been on a…read moretour with Rotterdam ByCycle - we had a brilliant tour leader by the name of Iris - she was fantastic and really gave us such a great introduction to Rotterdam and it's architecture, and much much more - a fabulous way to learn more about this great place and a really nice way to spend a few hours! Try it - you'll be so pleased you did!!

Coming from our hotel we had seen this marvelous cathedral, and I knew we had to stop by on our…read morereturn. Fortunately it was open, as we saw some others going in. The cathedral is gorgeous, awe inspiring. The quiet and reverence here offers a complete escape from the outside world. After soaking up the timeless architecture we were lucky stumble on the choir practicing for their Saturday 5 PM performance - amazing, beautiful voices and music. We only wish we had more time and could have stayed for the complete performance.

This is a stunning church, the Basilica of St. Nicholas, sits across from the Centraal train…read morestation in Amsterdam. One of my favorite things to do while traveling especially Europe is, to randomly walk into an intriguing church-- must be part of my Catholic upbringing, ha! Named after the patron saint of Amsterdam, the basilica was designed by architect Adrianus Bleijs (1842-1912). It's stark somber looking on the outside, stark stunning looking inside. I appreciate the church's use of technology. It's the only church I've seen with electronic confessionals. The church also has a very well designed and branded website. There are 5 churches in this conglomerate and St. Nicholas is the most ornate. The dome of the church is visually awesome, intricately constructed. I had to take photos. St Nicholas is a beautiful work of art and I like it more inside than outside. I very well understand the decades sometimes centuries of toil and pain artisans went through to create Art to please the church's exacting standards. The Sistine Chapel is probably the epitome of that dedication. For these historical reasons, I've come to appreciate pre 1900 churches all over the world. Another really supahcalifragilisticoolthing I discovered was the church holds mass in Gregorian Chant. Wowzah! Now that was amaaaazzzzzzing mass to experience after a long night of debauchery and partying in Amsterdam. Geniusly Sick! Website: http://www.nicolaas-parochie.nl/ Visits: 2

They have guides on different languages. Their list is pretty big. Inside you can find some…read moreinteresting artifacts which will tell you history about Leiden city and this place. Just 1 thing looks to us a bit strange that was a too warm inside. We've found that 250€ per day goes to keep this whole building warm. But we do not know why. Because another similar kerks in Netherlands is pretty cold inside in every season.

If there was one word to describe this historic site it would be ethereal. The space is fluid and…read morelight. Details on the floor, windows and walls will keep you here longer than expected. Enjoy.

We visited on 10/3/24. My husband and I love cathedrals so we always try to see them in new cities…read more The inside was exquisite. The details the art it was inspiring and breathtaking. It had this energy of peace and tranquility that I loved. I am very grateful we got to experience this.

Truly a stunning cathedral both inside and outside. I thought it was going to be a quick in and out…read morehaving seen a lot of the amazing churches in Europe but this one is up there as well and we ended up spending a lot of time here including some time to meditate. It was not crowded so did not feel rushed which was nice.

The Binnenhof is the political center of The Hague and the Netherlands at large, housing both the…read moreSenate and the House of Representatives, the office of the Prime Minister, and various other governmental entities. Although not directly tied to international entities such as the UN and the International Court of Justice, places like the Binnenhof confer the same air of solemn, regal authority upon even the most hapless tourist. It *feels* like a seat of power, in a way that many other capitol buildings do not, even back home in the States, because of its antiquity and careful preservation. There history of a nation is saturated in these 800 year old stones, each of which with its own tale to tell. Visitors are allowed to attend sessions of parliament, if they happen to be in session when tourists are wandering through. During our visit, there wasn't much in the way of legislative "action" going on at the time, so the grounds were mostly clear of crowds, political or otherwise, leaving us to wander the grounds freely and take in the gorgeous gothic architecture. Along with the adjacent Rijksmuseum de Gevangenpoort, the Mauritshuis, and several other intriguing sites encircling the Hofvijver, any student of history will find no lack of things to engage their curiosity in the area.

Note: This review applies only to non-Dutch speakers…read more I visited Binnenhof as part of a day-trip to The Hague. I opted for a guided tour via Prodemos, a third-party tour service, as they are (to my knowledge) the sole entity that can lead visitors into the Dutch First and Second Houses. These sorts of tours are rarely, if ever, truly riveting. If you've visited another national legislature, you know access to various spaces is generally limited and tour commentary can be pretty dry. Binnenhof both proves the rule and the exception--I only got to see two spaces within the complex not open to the anyone simply choosing to stroll through the courtyard (the Senate Chamber and the House of Representatives; the Hall of Knights was closed during my visit). Limited access, however, only knocks one star off of the experience. I'm raising this three stars for non-Dutch speakers because of disparity between pre-recorded, non-Dutch audioguides and the commentary offered by the tour guide. I opted for the English audio guide and quickly found myself quite bored. My tour guide, on the other hand, was exciting and engaging--I could tell from watching the people on my tour. If you speak Dutch, this could easily be a good or even top-notch experience. As for everyone else, I don't think a paid visit to the complex is worth the cost or the boredom--just stroll through.

Running through the heart of Utrecht, the Oude Gracht ('old canal') is the major artery of the…read morecity. It's lined with many shops at street level and bars and restaurants at the level below. It also hosts a weekly flower market on Saturday morning. Yes, it can get a tiny bit seedy at night with rowdy students ('bralapen') and it isn't always as clean as one would like, but this all adds to the charm. It's truly a wonderful place to hang out any time of day or year. The oude gracht was built in the 1100's by upgrading and taming a former branch of the River Rhine. The mooring level (accessible by steep steps from road level), where goods would be loaded and unloaded, gives access to deep tombs / caverns that extend below the road and under the shops above. In the old days used for storage, they have now mostly been transformed into bars and eateries. It's hard to miss the oude gracht when you're in Utrecht as many of the city's landmarks, including the Dom tower / church and various museums are located close by. Enjoy this place. It's awesome. But, be careful of bicyclists as you stroll around; you'll likely have your eyes on façades or the water below!

Rapenburg 25, built in 1654 is a considered one of the finest examples of the Dutch classical…read morestyle. As it once was home to Johannes Thysius, after his death it was preserved as library of his collected works. Thanks to Leiden University, publishers and printers such as the Elzevier family, flourished. Leiden was considered a city of books and those that were forbidden elsewhere in Europe were printed in Leiden including books by the Italian scientist Galileo and the French philosopher Descartes. Of note, Descartes lived at Rapenburg 23 in 1640.

Um, this place is absolutely amazing. The whole area used to be an industrial park / campus /…read moremanufacturing plant for Philips, but they've since left. Now, it's full of creative businesses, from beautiful home decor shops to clothing to mixed media to restaurants & cafes to art exhibits to skate parks to ETC, ETC. The whole industrial look is definitely overused nowadays, but this is different. It feels so authentic because it actually used to house factories, and some machinery is still there, surrounded by quintessential stylish Dutch design. It's quite inspiring how much creativity is within every single little shop. On the third Sunday of every month, this is the venue for Feelgood Market, a pretty big collection of food / handmade goods / music / more. Such great vibes in a unique location. Must see if you find yourself in Eindhoven!