Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
Usage
The Netherlands' main international airport, about 15 km southwest of Amsterdam; a railway station sits directly under the terminal, 15 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal
Schiphol Airport
Schiphol Airport railway station
Usage
The NS station beneath the airport terminal; the platform signs read "Schiphol Airport" in English, with direct trains to Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Brussels
Eindhoven Airport
Eindhoven Airport (EIN)
Usage
The country's second-busiest airport and a low-cost carrier base; there is no rail link, so take bus 400 or 401 from Eindhoven Centraal, about 25 minutes
Rotterdam The Hague Airport
Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM)
Usage
A mid-sized airport about 6 km north of central Rotterdam; its official name is in English, reached by bus from Meijersplein metro station
Maastricht Aachen Airport
Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST)
Usage
Airport in Limburg province in the far south, close to Aachen in Germany, handling mostly cargo and seasonal flights
Groningen Airport Eelde
Groningen Airport Eelde (GRQ)
Usage
Small airport serving the north of the country, about 10 km south of Groningen city in the village of Eelde, Drenthe
Amsterdam Centraal
Amsterdam Centraal (Amsterdam Central Station)
Usage
The country's busiest station; the signs read "Amsterdam Centraal", never "Central Station". Hub for the metro, trams and the free IJ ferries
Amsterdam Zuid
Amsterdam Zuid (Amsterdam South station)
Usage
Station in the Zuidas business district, about 7 minutes from Schiphol, with metro lines 50, 51 and 52 and several tram routes
Amsterdam Sloterdijk
Usage
Interchange in western Amsterdam where trains toward Haarlem and Zaandam meet metro line 50; long-distance coaches also stop here
Amsterdam Amstel
Usage
Station in the southeast of the city near the river Amstel, served by metro lines 51, 53 and 54 and tram 12
Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA
Usage
Elevated station in the southeast next to the football stadium and concert halls, served by metro lines 50 and 54; note the capital A at both ends of "ArenA"
Amsterdam Lelylaan
Usage
Station in the west of Amsterdam where local NS trains meet metro line 50 and trams 1 and 17, handy from hotels on the western edge
Rotterdam Centraal
Rotterdam Centraal (Rotterdam Central Station)
Usage
Station with a striking angular roof completed in 2014; high-speed trains run to Brussels and Paris, and the metro and trams converge here
Rotterdam Blaak
Usage
Underground station in Rotterdam's old centre, directly beneath the cube houses and the Markthal, the usual starting point for sightseeing
Utrecht Centraal
Utrecht Centraal (Utrecht Central Station)
Usage
The busiest interchange in the Dutch network, with connections in almost every direction; the old town and Dom tower are a 10-minute walk away
Den Haag Centraal
Den Haag Centraal (The Hague Central Station)
Usage
The Hague's main terminus station, a 10-minute walk from the Binnenhof parliament, with trams and light rail on the upper level
Den Haag HS
Den Haag HS (Hollands Spoor)
Usage
The Hague's second station, officially Den Haag Hollands Spoor but signed and timetabled as "Den Haag HS"; it is a different station from Den Haag Centraal
Leiden Centraal
Usage
Leiden's main station; in spring the Keukenhof Express shuttle buses to the tulip gardens depart from outside
Arnhem Centraal
Usage
Station under a sweeping white roof; international trains toward Germany call here, and buses to De Hoge Veluwe national park leave from outside
Eindhoven Centraal
Usage
Main station of the south; airport buses 400 and 401 leave from the forecourt, as do connections toward the Efteling theme park
Amersfoort Centraal
Usage
Key interchange in the middle of the country where trains toward the north (Groningen, Leeuwarden) and the east diverge
Almere Centrum
Usage
Main station of Almere in Flevoland; note that it is signed "Centrum", not "Centraal"
Zaandijk Zaanse Schans
Usage
The station for the Zaanse Schans windmill village, about 17 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal and a 15-minute walk from the site
Rokin
Rokin metro station
Usage
Station on Amsterdam metro line 52 (Noord/Zuidlijn), close to Dam square and the flower market, the handiest metro stop for the old centre
Vijzelgracht
Vijzelgracht metro station
Usage
Metro line 52 station between the canal museums and the Heineken brewery site, exiting into the southern canal belt
De Pijp
De Pijp metro station
Usage
Metro line 52 station in the lively De Pijp quarter, at the entrance to the Albert Cuyp street market
Europaplein
Europaplein metro station
Usage
Metro line 52 station beside the RAI exhibition and convention centre, an area full of business hotels
Noorderpark
Noorderpark metro station
Usage
Metro line 52 station on the north bank of the IJ in Amsterdam-Noord, one stop across the water from Centraal
Noord
Noord metro station
Usage
Northern terminus of metro line 52 in residential Amsterdam-Noord, a park-and-ride gateway into the city
Nieuwmarkt
Nieuwmarkt metro station
Usage
Station on metro lines 51, 53 and 54 under the square with the medieval De Waag gatehouse, next to Amsterdam's Chinatown
Waterlooplein
Waterlooplein metro station
Usage
Metro station on lines 51, 53 and 54 by the city hall and opera house, near the Rembrandt House and the square's flea market
Weesperplein
Weesperplein metro station
Usage
Station on metro lines 51, 53 and 54, within walking distance of the Artis zoo and the Hortus botanical garden
Wibautstraat
Wibautstraat metro station
Usage
Metro station on lines 51, 53 and 54, the gateway to the Oost district and an area with many mid-range hotels
Leidseplein
Usage
Amsterdam's main nightlife square and a major tram node served by lines 1, 2, 5, 7, 11, 12 and 19, near the entrance to the Vondelpark
Rembrandtplein
Usage
Nightlife square with a statue of Rembrandt, served by trams 4 and 14 and lined with restaurants and bars
Dam
Dam (Dam Square)
Usage
Amsterdam's central square, also the name of the tram stop; the Royal Palace and Nieuwe Kerk face it, 10 minutes' walk from Centraal
Spui
Usage
Old-town square and busy tram stop; a book market is held on Fridays and the hidden Begijnhof courtyard is entered from here
Noord-Holland
North Holland province
Usage
North-western province containing Amsterdam, Haarlem, the Zaanse Schans and Volendam; its capital is Haarlem
Zuid-Holland
South Holland province
Usage
The most populous province, covering Rotterdam, The Hague, Leiden, Delft and Kinderdijk; its capital is The Hague
Provincie Utrecht
Utrecht province
Usage
The smallest province, in the centre of the country; its capital is the city of the same name, so Dutch adds "provincie" to distinguish them
Noord-Brabant
North Brabant province
Usage
Southern province on the Belgian border, home to Eindhoven, Tilburg and Breda; its capital is 's-Hertogenbosch
Gelderland
Gelderland province
Usage
The largest province by area, containing De Hoge Veluwe national park and the cities of Arnhem, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn
Overijssel
Overijssel province
Usage
Eastern province with Zwolle as its capital, home to the canal village of Giethoorn and a string of former Hanseatic towns
Limburg
Limburg province
Usage
The narrow southernmost province between Germany and Belgium, with Maastricht as its capital and the country's only real hills
Friesland
Friesland (Fryslân) province
Usage
Northern province where West Frisian is an official language; its formal name is the Frisian "Fryslân", shown on road signs. Capital: Leeuwarden
Provincie Groningen
Groningen province
Usage
The far north-eastern province facing the Wadden Sea; its capital shares the name, so Dutch adds "provincie" when distinguishing them
Drenthe
Drenthe province
Usage
Inland province in the north-east with Assen as its capital, known for its prehistoric megalithic tombs called hunebedden
Flevoland
Flevoland province
Usage
The newest province, reclaimed from the sea in the 20th century; Lelystad is the capital and Almere the largest city
Zeeland
Zeeland province
Usage
South-western province of peninsulas and islands, capital Middelburg, home to the Delta Works storm barriers and North Sea beach resorts
Amsterdam
Usage
Capital and largest city of the Netherlands, with a UNESCO-listed 17th-century canal ring; the government and parliament sit in The Hague instead
Rotterdam
Usage
Europe's largest port city; its centre was destroyed in the Second World War, so unlike other Dutch cities it is full of modern architecture
Den Haag
The Hague (Den Haag)
Usage
Seat of the Dutch government, parliament and royal family; its formal name is 's-Gravenhage but signs and stations all read "Den Haag"
Utrecht
Usage
The fourth-largest city and the hub of the rail network, known for its Dom tower and canals with cafés on wharfs below street level
Eindhoven
Usage
Industrial city in North Brabant, birthplace of Philips and now known as a design and technology centre
Groningen
Usage
The largest city in the north and a university town, about two hours by direct train from Amsterdam; the station is signed simply "Groningen"
Tilburg
Usage
City in North Brabant, once the centre of the Dutch textile industry and now a university and contemporary-art town
Almere
Usage
New town founded on reclaimed land in 1976, the largest city of Flevoland, about 20 minutes by train from Amsterdam
Breda
Usage
Historic city in North Brabant near the Belgian border, known for its carnival and the old town around its castle
Nijmegen
Usage
The oldest city in the Netherlands, on the river Waal near the German border, with Roman origins and a large university
Haarlem
Usage
Capital of North Holland, about 15 minutes by train from Amsterdam, with a great church on the central square and the Frans Hals Museum
Arnhem
Usage
Capital of Gelderland and site of the 1944 Operation Market Garden battle, with several related war memorials and museums
Amersfoort
Usage
City in Utrecht province and a rail junction, with a walled medieval old town; the painter Mondrian was born here
Apeldoorn
Usage
City in Gelderland beside the Veluwe woodlands, home to the former royal palace Het Loo
's-Hertogenbosch
's-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch)
Usage
Capital of North Brabant, colloquially Den Bosch; birthplace of Hieronymus Bosch and home to St John's Cathedral
Zwolle
Usage
Capital of Overijssel, with an old town ringed by a star-shaped moat, and an interchange for trains to the north and east
Leiden
Usage
Canal town with the country's oldest university (1575), birthplace of Rembrandt and the usual gateway to Keukenhof
Gouda
Usage
Town in South Holland that gave its name to Gouda cheese, known for its Gothic town hall and the stained glass of St John's Church
Dordrecht
Usage
The oldest city in Holland, a river port surrounded by water; the waterbus to the Kinderdijk windmills departs from here
Leeuwarden
Usage
Capital of Friesland, signed alongside its Frisian name Ljouwert; buses to the Wadden island ferry ports leave from here
Middelburg
Usage
Capital of Zeeland, with a Dutch East India Company-era old town and the tall abbey tower nicknamed Lange Jan
Alkmaar
Usage
Town in North Holland where a traditional cheese market is staged on Friday mornings from spring to summer, about 35 minutes by train from Amsterdam
Volendam
Usage
Fishing village on the Markermeer known for its wooden houses and traditional costume, about 30 minutes from Amsterdam on bus 316
Giethoorn
Usage
Canal village in Overijssel with almost no roads, its thatched houses linked by waterways and wooden bridges; the nearest station is Steenwijk
Scheveningen
Usage
Seaside district in the north-west of The Hague with a North Sea beach and pier, reached by trams 1 and 9 from the city centre
Zandvoort
Usage
The closest North Sea beach town to Amsterdam, about 30 minutes by train; the station is signed "Zandvoort aan Zee"
IJmuiden
Usage
Port at the mouth of the North Sea Canal with ferries to Newcastle in England; "IJ" is a single Dutch digraph, so both letters are capitalised
IJsselmeer
Usage
The former Zuiderzee inlet, turned into a freshwater lake by the Afsluitdijk; the largest lake in the country, ringed by old harbour towns
Waddenzee
Wadden Sea
Usage
The tidal-flat sea between the northern coast and the Wadden islands, a UNESCO natural World Heritage site famous for guided mudflat walking
Waddeneilanden
Wadden Islands (Frisian Islands)
Usage
Collective name for the five inhabited Dutch islands offshore — Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog — all reached by ferry
Texel
Usage
The largest and most accessible Wadden island, a 20-minute ferry from Den Helder; despite the spelling it is pronounced "Tessel"
Terschelling
Usage
Wadden island reached by a two-hour ferry from Harlingen in Friesland, known for its dunes and the Brandaris lighthouse
Afsluitdijk
Afsluitdijk (Enclosure Dam)
Usage
A 32 km dam linking North Holland and Friesland that closed off the Zuiderzee to create the IJsselmeer; motorway A7 runs along the top
Nationaal Park De Hoge Veluwe
De Hoge Veluwe National Park
Usage
National park in Gelderland of dunes, heath and woodland, crossed on free white bicycles; the Kröller-Müller Museum stands inside it
Oosterscheldekering
Oosterschelde storm surge barrier
Usage
The largest of the Delta Works in Zeeland, a 9 km movable barrier that normally stands open and closes only against storm surges
Zaanse Schans
Usage
Open-air conservation area on the river Zaan with working windmills and green wooden houses, about 17 minutes by train from Amsterdam Centraal
Vondelpark
Usage
Amsterdam's largest city park, just west of the museum quarter and a few minutes' walk from Leidseplein
Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam
Royal Palace of Amsterdam
Usage
The monarch's reception palace on Dam square, originally the 17th-century city hall; open to visitors when not in official use
Museumplein
Museumplein (Museum Square)
Usage
The square in Amsterdam ringed by the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum and the Concertgebouw concert hall
Artis
Artis (Amsterdam Royal Zoo)
Usage
The oldest zoo in the Netherlands, opened in 1838 in Amsterdam's Plantage district; its formal name is Natura Artis Magistra
Erasmusbrug
Erasmus Bridge
Usage
Cable-stayed bridge over the Maas in Rotterdam, nicknamed "De Zwaan" (the swan) for its shape and the city's emblem
Euromast
Usage
185-metre observation tower in Rotterdam, built in 1960, with views over the port and the whole city
Kubuswoningen
Cube Houses
Usage
Tilted cube apartments beside Rotterdam Blaak station, completed in 1984; one unit is open to visitors as a show house
Domtoren
Dom Tower
Usage
The 112-metre bell tower in central Utrecht, the tallest church tower in the Netherlands and a landmark visible across the city
Paleis Het Loo
Het Loo Palace
Usage
17th-century palace of the House of Orange at Apeldoorn, open as a museum together with its baroque gardens
Vredespaleis
Peace Palace
Usage
The seat of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, completed in 1913; visitors normally see the exterior and the visitor centre
Mauritshuis
Usage
Compact museum next to the Binnenhof in The Hague, home to Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring"
Madurodam
Usage
Miniature park in The Hague opened in 1952, reproducing landmarks from across the Netherlands at 1:25 scale
Kröller-Müller Museum
Usage
Museum inside De Hoge Veluwe national park holding the second-largest Van Gogh collection in the world, plus a large sculpture garden
Nederlands Openluchtmuseum
Netherlands Open Air Museum
Usage
Open-air museum in Arnhem showing historic Dutch life through farmhouses, windmills and a working heritage tram, all moved here from across the country
Efteling
Usage
Fairy-tale theme park at Kaatsheuvel in North Brabant, opened in 1952 and the largest amusement park in the Netherlands
Vlaanderen
Flanders
Usage
The Dutch-speaking northern region of Belgium, covering Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges; its official language is Dutch, locally called Flemish
Antwerpen
Antwerp (Antwerpen)
Usage
Largest city of Dutch-speaking Flanders in Belgium, known for its port, the diamond trade and the paintings of Rubens
Antwerpen-Centraal
Antwerpen-Centraal (Antwerp Central Station)
Usage
Main station of Antwerp, Belgium — a four-level stone hall nicknamed the "railway cathedral", about two hours from Amsterdam by high-speed train
Gent
Ghent (Gent)
Usage
City in Dutch-speaking Flanders, Belgium, known for its medieval canalside quays and the altarpiece in Saint Bavo's Cathedral
Gent-Sint-Pieters
Gent-Sint-Pieters station
Usage
Main station of Ghent, Belgium, about 2.5 km south of the old town; tram 1 runs into the centre
Brugge
Bruges (Brugge)
Usage
Capital of West Flanders in Dutch-speaking Belgium; its canal-laced medieval centre is a UNESCO site. In French it is Bruges
Leuven
Leuven (Louvain)
Usage
Capital of Flemish Brabant in Dutch-speaking Belgium, a university town built around KU Leuven, founded in 1425
Mechelen
Usage
Town in Dutch-speaking Belgium halfway between Antwerp and Brussels, known for St Rumbold's Tower and its carillon bells
Brussel
Brussels (Brussel / Bruxelles)
Usage
Capital of Belgium and seat of the EU; not part of Flanders but a separate bilingual region, so signs show Dutch "Brussel" and French "Bruxelles" together
Brussel-Centraal
Brussels Central (Brussel-Centraal / Bruxelles-Central)
Usage
The station closest to the Brussels old town; being in the bilingual region, the signs carry both Dutch and French names. Five minutes' walk to the Grand Place
Keukenhof
Usage
Tulip garden at Lisse in South Holland, open only for about eight weeks from late March to mid-May; there is no railway station, so shuttle buses run from Schiphol and Leiden Centraal
Kinderdijk
Usage
UNESCO World Heritage site in South Holland with nineteen 18th-century windmills in a row, usually reached by waterbus from Rotterdam or Dordrecht
Rijksmuseum
Usage
The country's largest museum, on the Museumplein in Amsterdam, home to Rembrandt's "Night Watch" and several Vermeers; a public cycle path runs right through the building
Van Gogh Museum
Usage
Museum on the Museumplein holding the world's largest collection of Van Gogh's work; entry is by timed online ticket only
Anne Frank Huis
Anne Frank House
Usage
Museum on the Prinsengracht canal in Amsterdam preserving the secret annexe where the Frank family hid; there are no door sales, so tickets must be booked online in advance
Binnenhof
Binnenhof (Dutch parliament complex)
Usage
Courtyard complex of parliament buildings in central The Hague, built around the 13th-century Ridderzaal; a major renovation has been under way since 2021, so public access varies
Maastricht
Usage
Capital of Limburg and one of the oldest cities in the country, centred on the Sint-Servaasbrug over the Maas and the Vrijthof square, a few kilometres from both the Belgian and German borders
Delft
Usage
Canal town in South Holland known for blue Delftware pottery and the painter Vermeer; the Nieuwe Kerk holds the royal crypt of the House of Orange. Midway between The Hague and Rotterdam
Grachtengordel
Grachtengordel (Amsterdam canal ring)
Usage
The 17th-century ring of canals curving around Amsterdam's old centre, a UNESCO site; its main arcs are the Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht. The city's official district names Grachtengordel-West and Grachtengordel-Zuid use the same word, so it appears on maps and listings
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