Mostly jutting northward from its largest city of Amsterdam and its capital of Haarlem, the Noord-Holland region has much more to offer beyond those two wonderful cities. At Muiden is the magnificent Muiderslot Castle, as if it stepped out of a fairy tale. Showing more wear but no less interesting is Brederode Castle at Santpoort. At Zaanstad is Zaanse Schans, one of Holland’s top tourist destinations and a family-friendly open air museum of windmills, traditional buildings, crafts and shops.

Encompassing two of the Netherlands’ three largest cities (Rotterdam and The Hague), Zuid-Holland (South Holland) is also home to important towns like Leiden, Gouda and Delft. And many lovely smaller towns dot the gorgeous green landscape. Alphen aan den Rijn has several interesting attractions, including Dutch history theme park Archeon. Picturesque Kinderdijk, birthplace of the legend of the Cat and the Cradle, also has many windmills that together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

At over 2000 years old, Nijmegen has had a pretty full life. Its transition from Roman military camp to modern municipality has not been without growing pains, but today Nijmegen is thriving, largely because of its lively student population and its status as a hub for political activism. Try to visit during the internationally popular Nijmeegse Vierdaagse four-day walking festival and the epic Zomerfeesten summer party. They happen at the same time, because why not?