Northern Netherlands

Groningen in the north of the Netherlands is a busy university city with the youngest average population in the country. The city has an interesting history and some of its many attractions and features include The Groninger Museum, the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen – built in the early 1600s, the canals (best seen via a cruise), the Dutch cartoon museum, and if you love shopping, head to the Herestraat or the Grote Markt.

Naarden, in North Holland, officially became a city in 1255 and is fortified with walls and a moat – both still in excellent condition. To see the city, you need to walk carefully along cobbled and narrow streets. Naarden is famously known as a Star Fort – a style of fortification that evolved during the Age of Blackpowder, when the cannon dominated the battlefield.

Volendam is best known for its characteristic small houses painted green and white, alongside canals and drawbridges. Take a walk along the cobbled stone paths and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Zaanse Schans is one of the top tourist destinations in the country with windmills, cheese factories and clog makers. On the banks of the river Zaan, green wooden houses, thatched windmills stylish gardens, bridges, workshops and shops complete the area. There are two main working windmills – The Cat, which crushes chalk into pigment; and The Seeker, which grinds nuts into oil.