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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Netherlands

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

Updated January 3, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Netherlands

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Electric Ladyland: The Museum of Fluorescent Art

The world's only museum devoted to the wonders of fluorescence.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Nieuwe Spiegelstraat

An Amsterdam street lined with antique shops each one dedicated to a different obscure collection.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

De Poezenboot (The Cat Boat)

A floating cat sanctuary on an Amsterdam canal.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Torture Museum

Museum preserving torture methods from the past.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam

Established in 1638 to battle the Black Death, Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam is a treasure trove of rare flora.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

KattenKabinet

Cat art as far as the eye can see.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Museum Vrolik

A curious collection dedicated to human and animal anatomy and pathology.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Micropia

The world's first zoo for microbes collecting the horrible and wonderful things living on and around us.

See All 293 Things To Do in Netherlands

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Netherlands

Amsterdam, Netherlands

In't Aepjen

This historic Amsterdam bar used to accept sailor's monkeys as payment.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Café Papeneiland

Famed for its pie, this eatery has a hidden tunnel that allowed Catholics to secretly walk to church during the Reformation.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam Cheese Museum

This cheese shop also houses a museum devoted to Dutch dairy.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Brouwerij’t IJ

This bird-loving brewery is situated in an old municipal bathhouse, nestled beside a 300-year-old windmill.

See all 10 Places to Eat in Netherlands

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Guided Tours of Netherlands

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

Amsterdam

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

Explore the Netherlands

Architectural Oddities 28

Museums And Collections 24

History & Culture 17

Places To Stay 8

Unique Restaurants & Bars 3

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Stories About the Netherlands

Aboard the World's First Hot-Air Balloon Restaurant

A Dutch master chef cooks meals among the clouds.

by Elisia Guerena

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

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.

January 3, 2022

Tulip Bulb Soup: the Dutch Dish Born From Tough Times

Once used as a survival food during World War II, these flower bulbs are making their way onto restaurant menus.

by Diana Hubbell

Cracking the Code of Letterlocking

A tale of Black Chambers, lost correspondence, and high technology.

by Abigail Cain

We're Finally Getting a Picture of How Dangerous PPE Is for Wildlife

More than a year into the pandemic, scientists are seeing the impact of disposable gloves and masks on ecosystems.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

The Wide World of Disease-Based Dutch Profanity

"Get the corona!" is starting to make an appearance.

by Dan Nosowitz

The Archaeology of Those Weird Metal Things That Open Your Soda Can

Meet the man building the world's biggest—and probably only—reference collection of pull tabs.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

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.

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?

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

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