All the Netherlands

The Atlas Obscura Guide To The Netherlands

353 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in the Netherlands

Updated May 12, 2025

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Cities

Top Cities
All Cities
  1. Amersfoort
  2. Amsterdam
  3. Arnhem
  4. Delft
  5. Eindhoven
  6. Groningen
  7. Haarlem
  8. Hilversum
  9. Leiden
  10. Lelystad
  11. Lisse
  12. Maastricht
  13. Rotterdam
  14. Schiphol
  15. 'S Hertogenbosch
  16. Sluis
  17. Spijkenisse
  18. Stavoren
  19. The Hague
  20. Utrecht
  21. Vaals
  22. Valkenburg
  23. Volendam
  24. Zaandam

Unusual Attractions in Netherlands

See All 353 Things To Do in Netherlands

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Netherlands

See all 13 Places to Eat in Netherlands
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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

Amsterdam

Forge your own path in this tourist magnet, toward places that are less crowded but no less wondrous.

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Explore the Netherlands

Architecture 48
Museums 47
Art 34
Architectural Oddities 29
Collections 25
History & Culture 24
History 24
Science 20

The Netherlands Leaderboard

Recent Netherlands Activity

Stories About the Netherlands

Tidal flats in Denmark’s Wadden Sea National Park show what the land on the edge of the North Sea looks like today.

Exploring the Lost Land Beneath the North Sea

New research reveals that Doggerland—a sunken swath of Europe connecting Britain to the mainland—was more than a simple thoroughfare. It was home.
by Tristan McConnell

Podcast: Mr. Kaor’s Letters

For the last 40 years, Hotel Spaander in the Dutch fishing village of Volendam received almost daily letters from a mysterious man in Japan.
by The Podcast Team
The Dutch National Archives releases documents every new year, sometimes after their confidentiality term has expired.

The WWII Treasure Map That Caused A Modern Day Hunt

The question remains: Where is the loot?
by Frank Jacobs

Podcast: Café 't Mandje

Learn about a woman who provided a safe haven during World War II via her quirky bar in Amsterdam's red light district.
by The Podcast Team
The common rudd is a freshwater fish that can often be spotted waiting on the Fish Doorbell’s video live stream.

Ring the ‘Fish Doorbell’ To Help Fish Migrate in the Netherlands

Utrecht’s Fish Doorbell has helped thousands of fish swim upstream to reproduce.
by Jennifer Byrne
Schmeinck has been serving airborne meals for almost 20 years.

Aboard the World's First Hot-Air Balloon Restaurant

A Dutch master chef cooks meals among the clouds.
by Elisia Guerena
Thin layers of peat and silt capture the aesthetic nature of soil horizons in this artistic rendering.

Soil Scientists Dig Deep to Understand the 'Skin of the Earth'

What's beneath our feet is crucial to life on the planet—don't you dare call it dirt.
by Mary-Rose Abraham
With about a third of the country below the current sea level, the Netherlands is embracing floating houses and other buildings that can adapt to rising waters.

The Future is Floating for the Netherlands and Other Low-Lying Countries

Houses and other buildings that rise and fall with water levels are becoming more common in Dutch cities.
by Shira Rubin

Lists Featuring the Netherlands

The nave has been repurposed to include the reception, restaurants, and guest spaces.
Cube House

8 of the Most Unusual Hotels in the Netherlands

Proof the Dutch can convert nearly anything into a place to stay the night.

8

Including Hotel de Vrouwe van Stavoren, Kruisherenhotel , and Cube Houses

(Flickr/andreakw)
The bathroom
Some of the decorations include broken crockery that have been priced back together

11 Homes Transformed Into Amazing Mosaics

If you own your property, why not bedazzle it?

11

Including Wyckoff Street Mosaic, La Maison Picassiette, and House of Mirrors

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