292 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in the Netherlands - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in the 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

KattenKabinet

Cat art as far as the eye can see.

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

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 292 Things to Do in the Netherlands See All 292 Places

Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in the 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 11 places to eat in the Netherlands See all 11 places to eat in the Netherlands

In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with Get Your Guide

Guided Tours Nearby

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

Launch Map

the Netherlands Leaderboard

Places Added

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent the Netherlands Activity

angp30 wants to go to Pianola Museum

angp30 wants to go to Electric Ladyland: The Museum of Fluorescent Art

sishellspletnestoritve has been to Homomonument

sishellspletnestoritve wants to go to Martin Luther King Park Statue

elisacaldana wants to go to Reactor Institute Delft

Stories About the Netherlands

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.

January 3, 2022

Muusers adapted a WWII-era recipe to make this tulip bulb soup.

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

This poor perch was trapped inside a plastic glove.

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

Some people are surprised, even offended, by the Dutch tendency to include illnesses among their curses.

The Wide World of Disease-Based Dutch Profanity

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

by Dan Nosowitz

Jobbe Wijnen, a contemporary archaeologist in the Netherlands, is a pull-tab connoisseur.

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

Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.

Lists Featuring the Netherlands