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The capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam, is a fun city full of culture and entertainment. Whilst visiting Amsterdam, it is easy to explore the nearby areas of the Netherlands by doing day trips by train, for example. What can be even more exciting, however, is getting to know more of the country, or even the nearby countries, by doing weekend trips from Amsterdam. You can reach many places from the capital by public transport or by car that you’ll certainly wish to explore over at least a weekend.
In this article we present some of the loveliest weekend trips from Amsterdam. Some of them are in the Netherlands, offering a visitor a more thorough appreciation for the diverse nature and culture of this small but diverse country. Others are just across the border, in Germany or Belgium.
Some of my personal favorite weekend trips from Amsterdam include visits to nature areas, on the Dutch islands or in the Belgian forests, for example. Other options include charming towns and historical places, or larger cities with more modern fun along with historical sights and attractions.
Because of the great public transport system, and the good roads, Amsterdam really is a fantastic base for exploring the nearby regions. This article offers an introduction to some of the best places to visit over a weekend trip from Amsterdam.
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1. Arnhem and Hoge Veluwe
One of my favorite places in the Netherlands is Arnhem, in the “green centre” of the country. Arnhem city itself is a really lovely place to visit culture-wise, and the surroundings of Arnhem offer access to some of the most interesting nature areas of the Netherlands.
Arnhem can be easily accessed from Amsterdam by train, in just over one hour, and local buses or trains can take you around to the surroundings of the city. It thus makes for a wonderful weekend destination from Amsterdam.
Culture and shopping in Arnhem
Arnhem is a fairly large city with a small-town atmosphere. There’s a great focus on arts and sustainability. One of the best fashion and art schools of the Netherlands, ArtEz, is in Arnhem, and at Modekwartier neighborhood you’ll find fascinating art studios and galleries. I also really enjoy the contemporary exhibitions of Arnhem Museum.
On the western side of the city, Oosterbeek suburb is known for events that took place here during World War II, and you can learn about these events best by visiting the Airborne Museum. The neighborhood is also home to some really charming little shops and cafés. One of my favorite shops there is Winkeltje van Madame, a cute place with an array of fascinating and pretty things for sale. Puur coffee shop in the neighborhood is a wonderful, calm place to have a snack and a coffee.
As for a place to stay, I can recommend Hotel Haarhuis right in the city centre, although there are also plenty of other great options. Arnhem also has some amazing restaurants. The Church is one that I can’t recommend enough. It is located in a restored, historic church building, and now serves quality food in a chic atmosphere.
The Netherland’s greatest open air museum and zoo
Just on the outskirts of Arnhem, the national Open Air Museum is also a place I can highly recommend. It is an interactive museum area, with lots of historic buildings and displays that allow you to learn about and appreciate the old way of life in the Netherlands. There are lovely craft workshops here where you can try your own hand at crafts, and also restaurants and cafés for drinks and refreshments.
Another place just outside of Arnhem that I find well worth visiting is Burger Zoo. This educational zoo consists of recreated ecosystems, from a savannah to an ocean world and mangrove forests.
Hoge Veluwe national park and other nature areas nearby
During your weekend trip from Amsterdam, I can highly recommend visiting Hoge Veluwe close to Arnhem, one of the loveliest nature areas of the Netherlands that I’ve been to. It is also one of the most visited ones, perhaps due to the fairly easy access and the ease with which you can get around in the park. The national park is perhaps best enjoyed by bicycles that are free to borrow from the park entrance.
Well-kept bicycle lanes take you through the whole park, where you can observe the local pine and mixed forests and heath vegetation. The fauna present in the park include foxes, hares, birds, and the red deer. There have even been sightings of wolf in the recent years. I also really love the park’s Kröller-Müller Museum, which exhibits fascinating modern art but also the world’s second-largest collection of the works of Van Gogh.
Another place with fascinating history and nature is the small town Wageningen, about 20 km from Arnhem. You can easily get there by local buses. Wageningen is best known for its wonderful university of life sciences. But the city also had an important role during World War II: this is where the Germans surrendered to the Allies in the Netherlands, on 5th of May, which is now a public holiday in the country.
Wageningen is a fun small town to walk around, with a picturesque town centre, a market on Saturdays, and a pretty arboretum. Just a few kilometres outside of Wageningen, on the floodplains of the Rhein river, is a lovely nature area, Blauwe Kamer. It’s a peaceful place, great for a short walk, I find, and wonderful for spotting wildlife such as deer, herons, or spoonbills.
2. Wadden Islands
Just one and a half hours from Amsterdam by train are harbor towns that connect you by ferry to five of the most stunning islands of the Netherlands. Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland, and Schiermonnikoog are all slightly different from each other, but they all are tranquil places on the North Sea, perfect for a weekend getaway from Amsterdam.
I find these islands to contain some of the most unique environments of the Netherlands, because they consist of dunes, coastal forests, and ocean landscapes, along with some lovely villages. Texel, Terschelling, and Ameland are reachable by a car ferry, and for these islands, renting a car from Amsterdam can be a nice way to get here and to explore.
Nature and charming villages on Texel and Terschelling
Texel is perhaps easiest to reach and most popular amongst visitors. To get there, you’ll need to take the train from Amsterdam to Den Helder, then a short bus to the ferry terminal. The ferry itself takes just about 20 minutes. Some of the charming villages I’d recommend visiting on Texel are Den Burg and Den Hoorn.
I also love exploring Ecomare, a museum and a sanctuary where you can see Dutch marine animals such as seals and seabirds. Hotel Texel is a great option in terms of accommodation. Of course, on all islands you can also camp or stay in apartments.
The other islands are reached from other harbor towns. To get to Vlieland and Terschelling, you’ll need to take a ferry from Harlingen Haven, and to get to Ameland, you’d catch a ferry from Holwerd. I especially love Terschelling; it has amazing nature areas where you can hike or cycle, and many peaceful beaches.
There are really nice restaurants in the island’s villages. ‘t Golfje is atmospheric and they serve amazing food, although, popular as they are, they are often rather busy. Or, Flaman Terschelling serve superb sea food. As for accommodation, Hotel NAP BV is a lovely hotel in West-Terschelling, close to a lighthouse and nature areas.
Peace and beauty on Schiermonnikoog
Meanwhile, Schiermonnikoog and Vlieland are car-free. Schiermonnikoog, accessed from Lauwersoog Haven, is exceptionally beautiful. National Park Schiermonnikoog is one of the wildest nature areas in the Netherlands. It is home to thousands of migratory birds, waders, seals, and of course also land animals such as hares and hedgehogs.
You can find a lot of peace and space on Schiermonnikoog’s long, empty, and often windy but very beautiful beaches.
3. Cologne
Visiting Cologne in Germany can certainly be one of the most fun and activity-filled weekend trips from Amsterdam. This west-German city is home to the famous Köln cathedral and an enchanting old town, but it also has some trendy shopping streets, and the river Rhein running through it adds its own atmosphere.
Old town and Schildergasse
Cologne’s old town is not as large as that of some other old European cities, but it is quaint and charming. There are sweet little shops there, pretty buildings, and lovely restaurants. Some of them are located right by the river such as the well-loved Delfter Haus tavern.
Nearby, Cologne’s Schildergasse shopping street and the surrounding streets are busy, trendy, and quite fun to explore. Here you’ll find amazing clothing stores, other shops, and cafés. The whole of Cologne is also favored by street performers. I find it most fun to just walk the streets of Cologne, admiring a whole range of street performers, having a Kölsch beer at a streetside café, or sampling some ice cream or German currywurst.
Cologne can be a bit pricey in terms of accommodation, but you can still find some affordable hotels there, especially if you’re happy to look a bit on the outskirts of the city, such as in Leverkusen.
Explore the towns near Cologne
During your weekend trip, I can also highly recommend taking a train or a bus to one of the towns near Cologne. Just to the south of Cologne is the beautiful Siebengebirge region. This hilly forest land stretched along the Rhein is full of picturesque little towns such as Königswinter or Linz am Rhein. There are also some amazing historic castles to visit here, and stunning nature trails.
4. Beautiful, historic Bremen
Bremen, by river Weser, is a gorgeous Hanseatic town – meaning it belonged to the powerful Hansa confederation of merchants back in the medieval times. It takes 4-6 hours by train to reach Bremen from Amsterdam. Despite the distance, Bremen, as culturally and historically highly fascinating city, is in my opinion one of the best places to visit from Amsterdam over a weekend.
Walking around Bremen’s historic city centre is a feast to the eyes. There are mesmerizing buildings and monuments everywhere. The most famous of them is the City Hall-Roland Statue attraction that is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Next to it, the Markt Square is considered one of the prettiest of Europe.
A few blocks away, the more quiet Schnoor neighborhood is a truly special place. You can find a statue of the Town Musicians here – commemorating the fairytale belonging to the collection by Brothers Grimm. Schnoor consists of characterful little alleys, quaint buildings, and the most fascinating little shops and galleries.
One of my favorite museums is located here; Bremen Geschichtenhaus. In this interactive museum, live actors take you on a journey to learn about Bremen’s history from the last three hundred years.
Accommodation and restaurants in Bremen
There are lots of options to choose from in terms of accommodation, but one of my recommendations is InterCity Hotel. Bremen also has amazing restaurants and pubs. If you stroll along the river at Schlachte, the medieval harbor of Bremen, you’ll find a host of bars and restaurants. Meanwhile,1885 Die Burger is one of the greatest burger restaurants I’ve found.
Or, I can also recommend Bremen Ratskeller, if you wish to have a truly unique dining experience. It is located right in the city centre at a vault that’s 600 years old.
5. Ardennen, one of the most beautiful weekend trips from Amsterdam
The Ardennen is a large area of hills, forests, river valleys, and towns and villages that is stretched between Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. It is a largely French-speaking area, and a wonderful destination for nature exploration or for enjoying the warmth and hospitality of small mountain towns. I’d recommend renting a car to visit the Ardennen; this will make it easier to explore the region during a weekend trip from Amsterdam.
Things to do in the Ardennen
Activities I most enjoy in the Ardennen are hiking, birdwatching, and horse riding. If you visit in winter, you can go skiing in many of the nature areas. There are some stunning, wild forests in the Ardennen, often interspersed with rivers or streams. The Semois forests for example, in Bièvre, Wallonia, are mesmerizing and mystical, be it summer or winter. There are also many caves in the region that one can explore.
I really love visiting the little villages scattered around in the landscape. Cornimont in Belgium is one of them – a truly charming, small place, where it almost feels like time has stopped. Bouillon is another great place to visit; a mysterious but very sweet town. There is a fascinating castle there, and Bouillon also has some great options for accommodation.
Explore historic cities and local delicacies in the Ardennen
You could well use one of the larger cities as well as a base for exploring the Ardennen. Liège is a beautiful Belgian city close to the Ardennen, and the same goes for Namur. If you stay at Namur, I could recommend the gorgeous, elegant Château de Namur for a hotel. Wherever you stay, do remember to sample some local dishes.
The Ardennen are known for their game dishes, such as those made of wild boar, as well as cheeses. You can also find delicious Belgian waffles at many of the cafés of the cities and towns; Liège, for example, is famous for its superb waffle cafés, such as Une Gaufrette Saperlipopette. It’s a bakery that I strongly recommend visiting in Liège.
6. Dordrecht and Biesbosch
Dordrecht, one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, is another wonderful option for a weekend trip from Amsterdam. It is a water city, full of canals and history, and next to the beautiful nature area, Biesbosch. You can get to Dordrecht from Amsterdam easily by train, and then reach the nature area nearby by bus or a ferry.
1st day: The city
There are about 1000 historic monuments in the medieval city centre of Dortrecht, as well as numerous churches and museums. The Great Church and Dordrecht Museum of art are certainly worth visiting. I’d actually recommend joining a walking tour to learn about this historic city and its many canals. One lovely, classic hotel I can recommend in the city is Hotel Dordrecht.
For lunch or dinner, it is lovely to head over to the quay area in the historic city centre.
2nd day: Biesbosch national park
I then highly recommend visiting Biesbosch national park. This freshwater tidal zone is a gorgeous nature area, home to wetlands, meandering waterways, and some trees and forests. To explore Biesbosch, it’s best to first go to the visitor centre of Biesbosch national park. You can reach it by bus or by ferry from Dordrecht. At the centre you can find more information about the area, hire kanoes or kayaks for exploring the park on your own, or find a guide to take you on a tour.
Wildlife in Biesbosch include lots of birds, such as herons, swallows, and kingfishers. You can also spot mammals such as beavers – there are over 300 of these engineers of the landscape here – foxes, and deer.
7. Bruges
Bruges in Belgium is one of the most pretty destinations to visit from Amsterdam. A weekend is a good time for visiting this beautiful city. I’d recommend traveling to Bruges by train from Amsterdam, and you can then easily explore the city on foot. You can actually learn about the many historical places of Bruges best by joining a walking tour, or a combined walking and canal tour. There are even night tours available.
Historic towers and picturesque canals
One of my favorite things to do in Bruges is to climb some of the many tall buildings the city has. It’s fascinating, walking up stony steps in a narrow corridor where you can see the slowly eroding effect of thousands of feet that climbed the steps before you. By visiting the historic buildings thus, you can both learn about their histories and see the magnificent views over Bruges.
The City Hall at Burg Square, from the 14th century, is one great place for this activity. And another is the 13th century belfry, the Belfort, that rises to a height of over 80 metres at Bruge’s Markt Square.
Meanwhile, Rosary Quay is just a very picturesque spot to visit, with its old buildings by one of Bruge’s many canals. Quite a few of the historic buildings of Bruges have actually featured in films. The film “In Bruges”, for example, inspired me to first visit this medieval Belgian city.
Waffles and other Belgian delicacies in Bruges
In terms of culinary delights, Bruges will not leave you wanting. The city is home to the most amazing array of waffle and pancake cafés. One of my preferred ones is Chez Albert. If you’re a fan of chocolate, I also recommend paying a visit to the Chocolate Museum.
And, for dinner, Koen & Marijke are a fantastic choice if you’re after a truly flavorful meal, as well as fantastic Belgian beer. For accommodation, I can recommend Hotel Ter Brughe by CW Hotel Collection, although there are lots of other superb options, too.
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