Windmills, waffles and world-class history

What better reasons could there be to take a cruise in Holland and Belgium? Here's even more inspiration for visiting our low country cousins...

By Sue Bryant

Spectacular landscapes and pretty villages...

Marvel at Keukenhof Gardens

The kaleidoscopic display of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths at Keukenhof Gardens every spring has to be seen to be believed. On our included tour you can discover "the most beautiful spring garden in the world", exploring the 79 acres of garden independently and marvelling at the millions of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. You may even pick up inspiration for your own garden at home.

Explore pretty Giethoorn by canal

Tiny Giethoorn is a bucolic collection of thatched farmhouses lying on a network of canals. The village is car-free – by default, really, as there are hardly any roads. Even the postman delivers the mail by punt in this lovely spot, which is surrounded by lakes and waterways. Cruise the canals, looking at the houses and gardens in full bloom, passing under wooden bridges to a soundtrack of quacking ducks.

Step back in time at the Zuiderzee Museum

See how the Dutch lived in the past at this fascinating open-air museum in Enkhuizen, where more than 140 historic houses, farm buildings and sheds from villages around the former Zuiderzee are on display. There are workshops in traditional crafts all day, and you'll find real shops including a bakery and a sweet shop. Don't miss the nearby Flessenscheepjes Museum which houses the world's largest collection of ships in bottles.

Visit the iconic windmills at Kinderdijk

A Unesco World Heritage Site some 30 minutes from both Rotterdam and Dordrecht, Kinderdijk's 19 immaculately preserved windmills are one of the Netherlands' most famous attractions. The windmills, which date back to the 18th century, were built to pump water from the low-lying lands between the rivers Lek and Noord, and still work. Two of them are museums, depicting life as a miller in both the 18th century and the 1950s.

An optional tour takes you on a walk around historic Dordrecht before going by coach for a short drive to Kinderdijk, which boasts the largest collection of windmills in the Netherlands – up to 19, with many still in working order. Finally a 30-minute boat trip takes you all the way to the last mill of the Overwaard, providing plenty of photo opportunities.

Charming cities and towns...

Cruise Amsterdam's canals

Amsterdam is laced with more than 62 miles of canals, spanned by more than 1,700 bridges. It makes a canal cruise one of the best ways to take in the beauty of the city. The Herengracht, Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht canals surround the centre in concentric horseshoes and are lined with opulent mansions built by wealthy merchants and bankers. Many of the gables are adorned with artistic flourishes that give a clue to the profession of the homeowner, from scissors or spools for textile workers to scales or anchors for merchants. Our included excursion, Canals of Amsterdam, takes you on board one of the city's glass-topped canal boats with an expert local guide to discover this gorgeous city from the water.

Get your art fix on Museumplein

Amsterdam's grassy Museumplein is surrounded by some of the world's finest art museums where you'll see priceless works including Rembrandt's The Night Watch and Van Gogh's Sunflowers. It would take commitment to do all three of the biggest hitters in one visit, so choose your style: Dutch Old Masters in the Rijksmuseum; the world's largest collection of Van Gogh at the Van Gogh Museum; and priceless contemporary pieces by artists including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Marc Chagall and Henri Matisse at the Stedelijk Museum.

Gaze at avant-garde architecture in Rotterdam

Rotterdam, on the banks of the Nieuwe Maas, is all about futuristic architecture and innovation. Stop to look at the Erasmusbrug, a graceful suspension bridge stretching more than 2,600 feet over the Maas and nicknamed "The Swan" for its elegance. Drop into the Markthal, a futuristic covered market building with the most astonishing ceiling mural, spanning 36,000 square feet. Graze your way round 100 food stalls where you can snack on anything from Dutch cheese to tapas and samosas. Nearby, check out the yellow "Cube Houses", built in 1984, tilted at a jaunty angle and revered as icons of Dutch design.

Join a walking tour in Antwerp

Belgium's second city is famed for its fashion scene, diamond dealers and magnificent Gothic cathedral. It was also the home of superstar Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, who lived and worked here in the early 17th century. Join a walking tour and take in the lavish guild houses around the 16th-century Grote Markt. Wander along Vlaaikensgang, an impossibly pretty cobbled alleyway dating to 1591. Then it was lined with the workshops of humble cobblers but now swish restaurants, galleries and antique dealers are the order of the day.

Wander round medieval Dordrecht

Dating back to the 11th century, when Count Dirk II built a castle at the confluence of the Noord, the Meuse and the Merwede to control trade, Dordrecht is the oldest city in the region of South Holland, best known for its historic harbour, Wolwevershaven, where you'll see grand 17th-century mansions, old quays and floating wooden walkways. Nearby, visit Groothoofdspoort, once the most prestigious city gate, where the three rivers meet.

Discover the Grand-Place in Brussels

Lying at the heart of Brussels, the Grand-Place, or Grote Markt, dates from the 12th century, when it served as the city's marketplace. Today the bustling square is overlooked by magnificent guildhalls adorned with decorative stonework, with the splendid Gothic City Hall its centrepiece.

In honour of its roots as a marketplace, Grand-Place is still a busy hub of the city's dining scene and a wonderful setting in which to try Belgium's national dish, moules-frites, a steaming bowl of mussels cooked with butter, garlic, shallots and cream, served with crispy chips dunked in mayonnaise.

See gorgeous Ghent

Often unfairly overshadowed by Bruges' supermodel beauty, medieval Ghent deserves to be appreciated in its own right. The centre is dominated by the moated 12th-century Gravensteen Castle, a fairytale confection of turrets and ramparts. Climb the keep for views over the spires and canals of the city centre. Just outside the castle, stroll along Graslei and Korenlei, two historic quays buzzing with outdoor dining and drinking on a summer's day, the perfect spot to sample those famous Belgian beers. Then lose yourself in Patershol, one of the most enchanting medieval districts, a tangle of narrow cobbled streets lined with crooked, centuries-old houses.

Taste authentic stroopwafel

No visit to the Netherlands is complete without sampling stroopwafel, those delicious, crispy biscuits sandwiched around a thick caramel syrup, often sprinkled with cinnamon. You can buy them freshly made in bakeries and markets or in packets to take home. In Amsterdam, check out the stroopwafel stall in Albert Cuyp Markt, where you can buy these sticky treats fresh from the oven, or pick up a supply in a pretty tin to take home.

Explore military history in Arnhem

While Arnhem is known for its historic buildings, fashion and design scene, it's arguably most famous as the setting of events depicted in the epic 1977 WWII film, A Bridge Too Far.

Arnhem was the location of 1944's Operation Market Garden in which British paratroopers, led by Lieutenant-Colonel John Frost, battled to conquer the town's major bridge to advance from liberated Belgium into the Netherlands. Although the venture was unsuccessful, courageous British soldiers did manage to defend the bridge against the Germans for four days. The bridge was rebuilt in 1950 and is named after Frost as a symbol of the sacrifices made.

Find out more about a river cruise with Saga, and discover the Dutch and Belgian waterways.