Nijenhuis Castle and Sculpture Garden

The earliest records of the castle’s existence date from 1382 in the late Middle Ages. Various distinguished noble families, including the Van Ittersums and Bentincks, have occupied the castle through the years. After the estate was sold by the Van Pallandt family in 1934 it fell into disrepair, until its restoration and convertion into an architect-designed museum under the instruction of collector Dirk Hannema, whose own collection formed the museum. The castle was radically rebuilt again in 2003/2004 under the supervision of architect Gunnar Daan. Explore the castle and take a stroll through the well-kept gardens, home to sculptures such as Charlotte van Pallandt’s ‘Wilhelmina’ and the Hildebrand monument by Jan Bronner.

Walking Grade 3

3 hours

Noordoostpolder Drive

Enjoy a drive through the colourful tulip fields of the Noordoostpolder – land reclaimed from the sea, which is now considered the foremost bulb region in the Netherlands. There will be plenty of photo stops along the way.

Walking Grade 1

2 hours 30 minutes

Giethoorn

Travel through the village of Staphorst to pay a trip to the idyllic lake town of Giethoorn – named after the large number of goat horns found here by settlers in the 12th century.

It was they who built the canals on which you’ll cruise by motorised punt. Float beneath a series of narrow arched bridges to Giethoorn’s central island, now a nature reserve. Here a shallow lake is inhabited by many rare birds.

There are no roads in the centre of the village, so locals use punts to get around and cars remain outside the village. After your punt excursion you can look forward to refreshments served with a slice of delicious Dutch apple cake.

Walking Grade 1

Four hours

Amsterdam City and Canals

This cosmopolitan capital delights visitors with its tree-lined canals – criss-crossed by over a thousand bridges – exquisite architecture and world-class art collections.

Enjoy a sightseeing tour, followed by a canal cruise to see the famous Skinny Bridge, Maritime Museum, Adam Tower, Central Station, Golden Cirkel area, the Montelbaanstoren tower and seven bridges of Amsterdam.

Walking Grade 3

3 hours 30 minutes

Culinary Walking Tour of Amsterdam

Meet your guide and take a tram to Central Station from where you will begin a walking tour of the Dutch capital.

Along the way look forward to tasting local delicacies including herring, cheese and croquettes and rounding it off with a sweet treat from a bakery.

Walking Grade 4

3 hours

Volendam, Edam & Katwoude Cheese Farm

This excursion takes you to a farmhouse in Katwoude, where cheese is still made. Here you’ll enjoy a practical demonstration of the craft and taste various cheeses.

Head for Edam, which grew wealthy as a trading town and became famous for its red-waxed cylindrical cheese. Set off on a walking tour and visit the famous Edam cheese weigh house.

The final stop is at the nearby village of Volendam, which lies on reclaimed land along the former Zuiderzee, now known as the Ijssel Lake. Keep an eye out for locals wearing traditional Dutch costume and enjoy some free time in the harbour area.

During the excursion a local guide will explain the history of the fight to reclaim this low-lying land from invasion by the sea.

Walking Grade 3

3 hours 30 minutes