10 Alternatives to Amsterdam

Amsterdam is an incredibly popular destination in Europe. Its rich history, its excellent museums and the idyllic view of the canals, tourists love it! But like many other capital cities in Europe, Amsterdam struggles with its amount of visitors every year. So much so, that in recent years steps the city has taken steps to limit the amount of tourists that stay. This is why I have made this list of 10 alternatives to Amsterdam. I want to highlight different cities. That is not to say you should definitely not visit Amsterdam, it’s iconic for a reason. However maybe consider looking at these great alternatives to Amsterdam and visiting Amsterdam for a daytrip, or however many you’d like.

Luckily the entire country is incredibly well connected by train, meaning you can easily stay somewhere else and visit Amsterdam to see the Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank house or whatever specific thing you are interested in.

This is why I thought: why not take a look at some other cities, that are equally nice to stay in and still offer good access by public transport to the tourist-attractions of Amsterdam if you want. I visited all these cities multiple times and think they are a great destination by themselves.

The plan is to write a separate blog post for each of these cities at some point, and I will update this article as I do so. Now without further ado, and in no particular order, here are 10 great cities that are great alternatives to Amsterdam.

Breda

Breda is a city in the province Brabant, located in the centre southern part of the Netherlands. It has great connections to Amsterdam central station, as well as Antwerp and Brussels in Belgium, making it a great alternative to Amsterdam.

In comparison to Amsterdam the vibe is definitely more relaxed and way less touristy. However because of it’s international train connections and internationally oriented university of applied sciences it is very welcoming to tourists.

The city of Breda has it’s own rich history. Of particular note is the story of how Breda was liberated during the Spanish occupation using a tactic similar to the famous Trojan Horse.

If you’d like to know more about what to do in Breda I wrote a post specifically about this beautiful city, which you can read here.

Den Bosch

Den Bosch, or ‘s Hertogenbosch (both are used and acceptable) is the capital city of the province Brabant. Much like Breda it is much more relaxed but still has a lively city centre. The pride of this city is the Bossche Boll, a giant, whipped cream filled, profiterole that is covered in a dark chocolate fondant.

For art lovers I highly recommend visiting the Jheronimus Bosch Art Center, which is located in a former church. I also just loving wandering around the small streets in the city centre, looking at the super narrow canals (which you can also tour by boat) or just sitting along one of the river side cafes to enjoy a coffee. In case you still want to visit Amsterdam, it takes less than an hour by train to get there.

A longer and more thorough blogpost about this city will come out sometime this year!

Leiden

If you do want to be a bit closer to Amsterdam (less than 40 minutes by train) don’t mind something a bit touristy as long as it’s not as over the top as Amsterdam, may I recommend Leiden. Leiden offers a lot of the same things Amsterdam does: beautiful canals, old buildings and a focus on art by Rembrandt, who was born in Leiden. It also has a beautiful botanical garden, which is lovely to visit on a sunny day. The Naturalis Biodiversity Center is my personal favourite museum, mainly because they have a giant T-Rex skeleton called Trix, making it a great to visit when you are travelling with children, or people who are children at heart. Or people who just love dinosaurs.

Because Leiden is more tourist oriented than the previous cities mentioned, you won’t have any trouble finding guides or guidebooks in English or other commonly spoken languages.

Groningen

Groningen is a bit further from Amsterdam (just over 2 hours by train), so may not be the best option if you want to visit Amsterdam multiple times, but is a great destination on its own.

It is more of a university town than a tourist destination, and has a great international vibe that will make you feel welcome. It’s located in the North-East of the country and has a convivial atmosphere. It is in my opinion, a city with a perfect blend of history and modernity.

In addition to the train station (which is one of the most beautiful stations in the country) you should visit the Groninger Museum when you visit Groningen. It is one of the most colourful museums I have ever visited.

Utrecht

Utrecht is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands and located right in middle of the country. Like Amsterdam it is a popular destination for tourists. So it gets busy during peak season, but it’s nowhere near as busy as Amsterdam.

Utrecht is also the central hub for most train lines in the country, meaning you can get anywhere by train relatively quickly. For example it takes less than 30 minutes to get to Amsterdam, and all international trains from Germany to Amsterdam call at Utrecht Central station.

The city centre of Utrecht is definitely vibrant and bustling, and filled with bars, restaurants and shops both large and small. If you plan to visit Utrecht with children, definitely visit the miffy museum, which is specifically designed for toddlers and young children.

Delft

Delft is not just is beautiful and famous Delft-blue ceramics, it is so much more. One of those things is the birth place of Johannes Vermeer, best known for his painting “the girl with the pearl earring”. It is a much smaller city than it’s neighbouring city den Haag. As soon as you leave the train station you will be surprised by how quiet it is. If you are looking for quiet class and history, Delft is the best Amsterdam alternative for you.

Delft has some really interesting historic sites such as the residence that belonged to the first king of the Netherlands, as well as the place as where he murdered (you can still see the bullet holes in the wall). It also has some gorgeous churches, one of which is even more crooked than the Tower of Pisa! If all of that isn’t enough for you, the train will take you to Amsterdam in just over an hour.

Arnhem

Arnhem has become one of my favourite cities in the last few years, it is just so incredibly cosy. This city is located in the much less populated east of the country, but it only takes an hour to get to Amsterdam via train. It’s also a frequent stop for ICE trains coming from Germany on their way to Amsterdam. History lovers may know Arnhem as one of the main locations of operation market garden during world war 2. It’s also a great base for those looking to do some hiking or cycling. Because Arnhem is so close to different national parks it has many well indicated routes you can follow.

Whether you are looking for a quiet walk in the forest, or a cycle route showing different castles and stately homes. If you are looking for a good vegan eatery in Arnhem, I highly recommend the Vegan Sushi Bar.

Den Haag

The Hague (Den Haag in Dutch, or ‘s-Gravehage) is another big city on this list. While Amsterdam is the official capital of the Netherlands, Den Haag is the seat of the Dutch government, as well as the main royal palace, many embassies and the International Criminal Court.

From the Hague it will take you around an hour to get to Amsterdam, but you could also take the tram to Scheveningen, probably the best known beach destination in the Netherlands. You don’t have to wait for a sunny day to do this either. Many Dutch people love going to the beach on a stormy day for an invigorating walk followed by a hot chocolate on the pier. I highly recommend it.

Eindhoven

Eindhoven is a very modern feeling city, which has always embraced its industrial side. Now this city is one of the major cities when it comes to innovation, design and technology. It’s tech sector especially has attracted many expats. Meaning that you can now find great restaurants for many different cuisines, and plenty of veggie options as well (including my personal favourite ramen restaurant)! While there are still some nice old building and neighbourhoods to be found in Eindhoven, it is a city much better suited for those who prefer Mondriaan and Picasso to Rembrandt and van Gogh.

One of the coolest events is GLOW, a festival in October. It transforms the city into a light art display that you walk through. A truely amazing thing to experience.

Maastricht

With 2,5 hours of travel time, Maastricht the city furthest from Amsterdam on this list. And to be honest, this isn’t as much of a stay-here-and-visit-Amsterdam city. It is simply a stay here city. With the amount of monuments, museums, sights, theatres and restaurants you don’t need Amsterdam at all.

Maastricht is a great alternative for international travelers because it is well connected by train to both Belgium and Germany. So they know and love their visitors, whether they are travelling for vacation or visiting for work / education. Maastricht is like Amsterdam’s classier older sister.

Like I said before I am working on giving each of these cities their own separate blogpost eventually. Which ones would you like to hear about first? Did I miss your favourite Amsterdam alternative? Are you upset I left out Rotterdam? I have written 4 day-trips in the Netherlands by public transport with 2 options for Rotterdam. If you want to know more about sustainable travel in the Netherlands, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter, since I have some more posts coming very soon that may interest you.