South Holland: Holiday apartments and holiday homes

South Holland combines more than 1,000 kilometres of navigable waterways with coastal landscapes, wetlands, historic cities and extensive paths. The waterways are used for recreation on the water; at the same time, the province of Zuid-Holland’s network of routes provides access to walking, cycling, horse-riding and water trails. This means that different landscapes and activities exist side by side, without the region being defined by a single character.

Water and paths

Water sports available in Zuid-Holland include swimming, sailing, boating, fishing, kitesurfing and diving. At Vlietland, the Noordplas and Meeslouwerplas lakes offer opportunities for swimming, windsurfing, sailing, canoeing, rowing and motorboating. Vlietland combines expanses of water and woodland with wetlands rich in birdlife, where creeks and reed beds can be found. This landscape is complemented by dedicated nature, cycling and horse-riding trails.

The walking routes at Groene Halte in Rhoon are also clearly defined: they are 7.5 to 20 kilometres long and are either signposted or integrated into regional or local walking networks. Bentwoud has 80 kilometres of walking and cycling paths. This includes the three-kilometre Woudloperspad running trail. In Nieuwkoopse Plassen, the paths through pasture landscapes and around Lusthof De Haeck can be explored on foot or by bicycle; the area can also be accessed by boat.

At Nieuwkoopse Plassen, visitors can join trips with the rangers of Natuurmonumenten almost every day or rent a whisper boat, canoe or SUP. A ferry also takes visitors to Tiengemeten in ten minutes. These activities and routes therefore connect expanses of water, shores, pasture landscapes and open spaces in very different ways.

Nature

Zuid-Holland has two national parks: De Biesbosch and Hollandse Duinen. De Biesbosch is Europe’s largest freshwater tidal wetland. The area comprises creeks, willow forests, numerous islands, polders and dykes. Hollandse Duinen National Park stretches as a broad strip of coastline along the North Sea from Hoek van Holland to Hillegom. Here, nature, culture and history come together close to major cities.

In Bentwoud, woodland, shrubs, flower-rich meadows, wetlands and open spaces alternate. The area is home to special birds, butterflies and plants. The garden at Keukenhof was redesigned in the English landscape style in 1857; this style continues to form the basis of the grounds. Keukenhof showcases the Dutch horticultural industry, with a particular focus on flower bulbs.

Culture and history

In The Hague, the Prince William V Gallery was the Netherlands’ first public art collection. The Mauritshuis displays 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings, including Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer and The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp by Rembrandt. One time-related detail is important for visitors: the Mauritshuis is closed to the public from 24 August to 20 September for maintenance work.

Leiden preserves one of the city’s oldest monuments in De Burcht. The site dates from the 11th century and offers views over the city. Molenmuseum de Valk is a grain mill dating from 1743 and the last surviving original mill of the 19 mills that once stood on Leiden’s city walls. The exhibition De Wezen Spreken offers insights into the daily lives of the orphans who lived in the former orphanage in Leiden; the building can be visited.

Delft, too, leads visitors through several layers of the city’s history. Members of the Dutch royal family, including Willem van Oranje, are buried in the Nieuwe Kerk; visitors can also climb the church tower. The Oude Kerk is Delft’s oldest church and contains the graves of Johannes Vermeer and Antoni van Leeuwenhoek. Delft’s Oostpoort is the only surviving city gate of the original eight and dates from 1400. At the Royal Delft Museum, visitors can learn about the traditional production process of Delft Blue in the factory; the museum also offers workshops on painting tiles.

Landscape and cities

Zuid-Holland combines lively cities, charming villages, extensive nature and vibrant events. Possible activities include walks in the dunes, cycling tours through the Groene Hart and visits to historic cities. Leiden has 35 hofjes. Most of Leiden’s hofjes can be visited; visitors should be considerate of the residents.

Between the coast, water, nature reserves and cities, various geographical and cultural connections emerge: Hollandse Duinen stretches from Hoek van Holland to Hillegom, concrete buildings and sights in Leiden and Delft preserve distinctive traces of the cities’ history, and areas such as De Biesbosch, Bentwoud, Vlietland and Nieuwkoopse Plassen each display their own type of landscape.

More places in South Holland

Zuidplas, Katwijk, Zederik, Middelharnis, Leerdam, Lisse, Midden-Delfland, Alblasserdam, Albrandswaard, Alphen Aan Den Rijn, Barendrecht, Bergambacht, Bernisse, Binnenmaas, Bodegraven, Boskoop, Brielle, Capelle Aan Den Ijssel, Cromstrijen, Delft, Den Haag, Dirksland, Dordrecht, Giessenlanden, Goedereede, Gorinchem, Gouda, Graafstroom, Hardinxveld-Giessendam, Hellevoetsluis, Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, Hillegom, Kaag En Braassem, Korendijk, Krimpen Aan Den Ijssel, Lansingerland, Leiden, Leiderdorp, Leidschendam-Voorburg, Liesveld, Maassluis, Nederlek, Nieuwkoop, Nieuw-Lekkerland, Noordwijk, Noordwijkerhout, Oegstgeest, Oostflakkee, Oud-Beijerland, Ouderkerk, Papendrecht, Pijnacker-Nootdorp, Reeuwijk, Ridderkerk, Rijnwoude, Rijswijk, Rotterdam, Rozenburg, Schiedam, Schoonhoven, Sliedrecht, Spijkenisse, Strijen, Teylingen, Vlaardingen, Vlist, Voorschoten, Waddinxveen, Wassenaar, Westland, Westvoorne, Zoetermeer, Zoeterwoude, Zwijndrecht, Goeree-Overflakkee, Molenwaard, Bodegraven-Reeuwijk, Pijnacker-Nootdorp.

For the higher-level travel overview: Netherlands.