North Holland has been a center of history, art and crafts, and many museums are still dedicated to this cultural heritage. The South of Amsterdam has a neighborhood known as the Museum Quarter, which is home to some of the world's best museums — the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum. Other neighborhoods also have museums that are definitely worth the visit. Beat the crowds by visiting the Anne Frank Museum early, or visit the Rembrandt House.
Haarlem is also home to numerous museums. Teylers Museum is the oldest museum of the Netherlands home to a very diverse collection of cultural objects, such as fossils, minerals, scientific instruments, medals, coins and paintings (including several works by Michelangelo and Rembrandt). The Frans Hals Museum is home to more than a dozen paintings of the famous painter Frans Hals. There are three other interesting museums in the city, including the Ten Boom Museum, which is about a hiding place for Jews and other underground refugees during World War II.
Hoorn and Enkhuizen both lie north of Amsterdam and in the 17th century were port towns used by the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Both of these towns lie in West-Friesland, an area with a distinct dialect and culture. The Westfries Museum, that lies on Hoorn's beautiful central square Roode Steen, shows the importance of Hoorn in 17th-century VOC history. Much larger is the Zuiderzee Museum in Enkhuizen. Many old Dutch houses from the 19th and early 20th-century have been moved to this open air museum in order to preserve them for future generations. In the summer old Dutch professions are shown by museum employees.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about North Holland
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in North Holland - updated Apr 2024
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North Holland Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
