Dutch Towns – 12 Small Towns in Netherlands Worth Visiting 2023

The Netherlands is a stunning nation famous for its elaborate canal systems, historic windmills, and tulip fields. Although many visitors tend to stick to the larger cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the smaller towns are home to some of the nation’s best-kept secrets. Here are 12 small towns in the Netherlands that you should visit.

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1. Naarden – Dutch Town

In the Dutch province of North Holland’s Gooi region is Naarden. After receiving city rights in 1300, King Phillip II of Spain developed the city into a fortified garrison town in 1572. A star fort complete with a moat and underground casemates, the city is a rare example of one. The large Great Church, formerly known as St. Vitus Church, the Spanish House, and the Netherlands Fortress Museum are all located in Naarden.

2. Valkenburg Aan De Geul – Dutch Town

A small town called Valkenburg aan de Geul is situated in Limburg’s southeast. The name alludes to the Geul River and the nearby town of Valkenburg. The town developed into a vacation spot sometime between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and hotels, theaters, as well as a replica of Rome’s catacombs, were built. The town attracts tourists who want to see the mines, caves, and Valkenburg castle. Thermae 2000 is another location; it is a spa with water that is more than 40,000 years old.

3. Zutphen – Dutch Town

A small city in the province of Gelderland by the name of Zutphen, which is Dutch for “south fen,” a type of wetland. Previous visitors have compared their visit to traveling back in time because of the city’s many historic structures, such as the Old City Hall and the Sint Walburgiskerk church. The city received “the best city center of The Netherlands” honors in 2006 for small cities.

4. Giethoorn – Dutch Town

Giethoorn, also known as “Little Venice” and the “Venice of the Netherlands,” is a small town in the Overijssel region of the Netherlands. The town used to be a pedestrian precinct, meaning that cars weren’t allowed. Following the filming of Bert Haanstra’s well-known movie Fanfare, the area saw an increase in visitors of nearly 200,000 per year. Giethoorn was given the moniker “Venice of the North” because it is the only fully accessible boat.

5. Thorn – Dutch Town

Due to its brick homes that have been painted white, Thorn, also known as “the white village,” is a small town in the province of Limburg that is close to the Witbeek and Meuse rivers. What was once swampland was transformed into a monastery for noblewomen and, after receiving town privileges sometime in the 13th century, into a thriving small town. These days, the Municipal Museum and the Abbey Church are two of its most visited locations.

6. Maarssen – Dutch Town

The river Vecht passes through Maarssen, a small town in the Netherlands’ central province of Utrecht. The Netherlands Drugstore Museum and the Vecht Museum are just two of the town’s museums, despite its small size. Additionally, it has a number of charming hotels, eateries serving regional cuisine, canals, and waterways, as well as a spa that is open 362 days a year.

7. Goes – Dutch Town

The small town of Goes is situated in the province of Zeeland in the southwest of the Netherlands. The town was established in the tenth century and expanded rapidly. A market square and a church honoring Mary Magdalene had been built by the 12th century. It was granted city rights in the fifteenth century, and today it ranks as Zeeland’s fourth-largest economic hub. A boat tour of the city is advised in addition to seeing the church and market.

8. Gorinchem – Dutch Town

The Dutch town of Gorinchem, also known as Gorkum, is situated in the Groene Hart region. Due to the town’s small size, renting a bicycle has been suggested as the best means of transportation. The Grote Kerk, whose 19th-century bell tower still stands, the Gorcums Museum, which houses the town’s history, and the Lingehaven, a picturesque harbor on the river Linge are some of the landmarks that the majority of tourists visit.

9. Sneek – Dutch Town

Many people are familiar with Sneek, a city in the province of Friesland, as a location with a lot of canals. One of the city’s most significant landmarks, the Waterpoort, a type of watergate constructed in 1613, is just one of many. The town, which was established in the tenth century, is also the location of the Martini church, the Sneek Townhall, and a fortress, many of which were constructed before the Watergate scandal.

10. Culemborg – Dutch Town

A small town in the Netherlands’ central region, Culemborg—sometimes spelled Kuilenburg—is located not far from the Lek River. The city is well-known for its 19th-century windmills, the two most well-known of which are Johanna (25 meters tall) and De Hoop (8 meters tall). De Koornvriend’s third mill’s foundation is still visible. It is relatively simple to enter and exit the city because there are direct train lines from the major cities to the town’s railway station.

11. Urk – Dutch Town

A small fishing community called Urk can be found in central Netherlands’ Flevoland province. It was once an island in Lake Almere, but that status was lost in the 1930s when a dike connecting the mainland to the town was constructed. If you run into any locals, ask them about the “Ommelebommelestien,” a well-known folktale that describes the origin of babies and involves a sizable stone discovered on the former island’s shores.

12. Bodengraven-Reeuwijk – Dutch Town

South Holland, a province in the country’s west, is where Bodegraven-Reeuwijk is situated. In 2011, the towns of Bodengraven and Reeuwijk merged, creating the city. The cheese museum is evidence that Bodengraven was a well-known figure in the cheese industry. The De Arkduif windmill and the Brouwerij De Molen brewery are also located in the town.

Topic: Dutch Towns – 12 Small Towns in Netherlands Worth Visiting 2023

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