All Netherlands

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Netherlands

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

Updated April 17, 2023

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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 297 Things To Do in Netherlands

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Netherlands

See all 10 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

Art 31
Architectural Oddities 28
Collections 25
Museums And Collections 25
History 19
Science 19
History & Culture 18
Plants 17

The Netherlands Leaderboard

Recent Netherlands Activity

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.
by Shira Rubin
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

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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