Days trips from Amsterdam: 1hrs train journey

Clive Reid wrote:

The quickest train to Brussels Midi is around 2h38m (Thalys) with stops in
The Hague, Rotterdam and Antwerp. The InterCity has more stops and takes
about 2h47m.
www.ns.nl can be used to plan train journeys in the Netherlands.

If you are interested in Art (you will have plenty of opportunity in
Amsterdam) you may want to visit Mauritshuis in The Hague (walk from the
central station) as it displays many fine paintings by Vermeer and other
Dutch painters. http://www.mauritshuis.nl/english/index.html (english
version).

IMHO the Mauritshuis is rather overrated and invariably far too busy.
Other museums at least equal to it are the Rijksmuseum and Stedelijke
Museum in Amsterdam, the Stedelijk in Den Haag (with the Museon next to
is) and internationally relatively unknown, but considered the second
museum of the Netherlands, the Boijmans-van Beuningen in Rotterdam. They
have everything from Hieronymus Bosch and Rembrandt to Dali and Warhol.

But in any event 1 hour is a rather arbitrary limit, Belgium (in
particular Antwerpen, Gent and Brugge) are more than worth the extra
travel. Brugge in particular is phenomenal, it was the largest, richest
city in northern Europe in 1400 and most of that city is still standing.
There are no major museums or cultural centres there, but just walking
around the city is an incomparible experience, not to mention the ducal
tombs in the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (St. Mary's), where amongst others
Philips the Good of Burgundy (and about 40 other princedoms, all listed
on his sarcophagus) is buried.

Freda wrote:

approx 60Kms is Gouda
worth a visit to the cheese museum in centre of town and also the
Dutch reformed cathedral has 32 magnificent stained glass window
and worth a look even if you arent religiously minded.
Freda

If you want cheese you can also go north to the Zaanse Schans, about 20
mins by train. As for Gouda, that church is certainly impressive,
although no cathedral (the Dutch reformation did away with bishops and
thus also cathedrals).

Other notable churches:
- the Dom in Utrecht (30 mins from A'dam, the tallest church tower in
the country, offering breathtaking views overthe medieval city centre.
Due to the collapse of part of the huge cathedral in the 14th century
(then by far the largest in the low countries) the tower now stands
about 50m from the church itself)
- the Laurenskerk in Rotterdam (1h, 13th century, bombed in WW2 but
beautifully restored and satisfyinly 'uncluttered')
- the Nicolaaskapel in Nijmegen (1h25 mins, tiny, but the oldest free
standing building in the Netherlands, dating back to somewhere between
980 and 1040. Built in a mix of Carolingian and Byzantine styles,
although the roof was renovated in the early 15th century. Roman roof
tiles were used in the construction, the Roman potters' seals can still
be seen on some)

P J Wallace wrote:
Delft, Leiden, Keukenhof (gardens, in spring/summer), Zandvoort
(beach, in summer). You can get bus trips to (rather touristy,
perhaps) villages like Marken and Volendam, or to the Muidersloot
(castle).

The Hague is a bit further, and Belgium a good 3 hrs by train.

PJW

On 26 Nov 2003 01:08:59 -0800, (apietro) wrote:


Any ideas for days trips from Amsterdam within about 1 hrs train
journey?
So far I have Haarlem and Utrecht on my list.
Are the Belgian towns/cities within striking distance: Antwerp,
Brussels for instance.

Thanks
AP


Den Haag certainly isn't over an hour from Amsterdam, 45 minutes max,
slightly less by intercity...

Any ideas for days trips from Amsterdam within about 1 hrs train
journey?
So far I have Haarlem and Utrecht on my list.
Are the Belgian towns/cities within striking distance: Antwerp,
Brussels for instance.

Thanks
AP

"apietro" wrote in message
om...
Any ideas for days trips from Amsterdam within about 1 hrs train
journey?
So far I have Haarlem and Utrecht on my list.
Are the Belgian towns/cities within striking distance: Antwerp,
Brussels for instance.

Yes Antwerp isn't far. Also you might consider a trip to Apeldoorn, then a
short bus ride through the Hoge Veluwe national park which will take you to
the Kroller-Muller museum. Fantastic collection.

On 26 Nov 2003 01:08:59 -0800, (apietro) wrote:

Any ideas for days trips from Amsterdam within about 1 hrs train
journey?
So far I have Haarlem and Utrecht on my list.
Are the Belgian towns/cities within striking distance: Antwerp,
Brussels for instance.

You could try the IJssel Meer towns of Enkhuizen and Hoorn - both
scenic and historic and on the same railway line from Amsterdam.

Enkhuizen has some lovely old warehouses of the Dutch East India
Company as well as the open-air Zuider Zee Museum.

On 26 Nov 2003 01:08:59 -0800, (apietro) wrote:

Any ideas for days trips from Amsterdam within about 1 hrs train
journey?
So far I have Haarlem and Utrecht on my list.
Are the Belgian towns/cities within striking distance: Antwerp,
Brussels for instance.


Rotterdam and The Hague are about one hour traindistance.
To Antwerp is about 2/2.5 hours.


Adiós,

Cheche

The quickest train to Brussels Midi is around 2h38m (Thalys) with stops in
The Hague, Rotterdam and Antwerp. The InterCity has more stops and takes
about 2h47m.
www.ns.nl can be used to plan train journeys in the Netherlands.

If you are interested in Art (you will have plenty of opportunity in
Amsterdam) you may want to visit Mauritshuis in The Hague (walk from the
central station) as it displays many fine paintings by Vermeer and other
Dutch painters. http://www.mauritshuis.nl/english/index.html (english
version).

Clive Reid





"Cheche" wrote in message
...
On 26 Nov 2003 01:08:59 -0800, (apietro) wrote:

Any ideas for days trips from Amsterdam within about 1 hrs train
journey?
So far I have Haarlem and Utrecht on my list.
Are the Belgian towns/cities within striking distance: Antwerp,
Brussels for instance.


Rotterdam and The Hague are about one hour traindistance.
To Antwerp is about 2/2.5 hours.


Adiós,

Cheche

Derek McBryde wrote:

On Wed, 26 Nov 2003 03:17:14 +0100, dion_b wrote:


Freda wrote:


approx 60Kms is Gouda
worth a visit to the cheese museum in centre of town and also the
Dutch reformed cathedral has 32 magnificent stained glass window
and worth a look even if you arent religiously minded.
Freda

If you want cheese you can also go north to the Zaanse Schans, about 20
mins by train. As for Gouda, that church is certainly impressive,
although no cathedral (the Dutch reformation did away with bishops and
thus also cathedrals).

Other notable churches:
- the Dom in Utrecht (30 mins from A'dam, the tallest church tower in
the country, offering breathtaking views overthe medieval city centre.
Due to the collapse of part of the huge cathedral in the 14th century
(then by far the largest in the low countries) the tower now stands
about 50m from the church itself)


I was very disappointed with this church in Utrecht (although I did
spend a lot of time absolutely fascinated by the length of the cables
holding the lights and wondering just how long they were). I wasn't
hugely impressed by Utrecht itself either.

I was much more impressed by Haarlem as a city with its museums and St
Bavo kerk with its wonderful organ (which I heard being played).

I keep feeling I must have missed all of the important areas of
Utrecht but I would be happy to return some day for another go. What
should I have seen?

Utrecht...

Well, for starters it's a city best seen in late spring, summer or early
autumn, when the terraces are out on the quays along the canals and the
trees are in full leaf. That improves the atmosphere hugely (right now
it can be a bit dreary).
As for what to see, well a walk along the Oude Gracht in the late
afternoon is definately a good idea, but one of the highlights is the
Catherijnenconvent, an old convent converted into a museum of Dutch
church history, which in itself is interesting enough, but the building
is a splendid 14th century edifice with courtyard (once again with a
greate terrace in season). Apart from that right down the other end of
the Oude Gracht is the 'Nijntje Pleintje' (translateble as the 'Miffy
square), dedicated to Nijntje/Miffy, a small white rabbit from colourful
childrens' books. It's a hit with the local children (and the
Japanese...) and is also something of a rest from the usual tourist fare.
Another place to be is Neude, the triangular square (if that's not a
contradiction in terms) which is arguably the centre of Utrecht's nightlife.
Speaking of nightlife, Utrecht has one of the grandest Art-Nouveau cafes
this side of Praha, in the shape of the Winkel van Sinkel, inevitably on
the Oude Gracht of course.

But as you can read, Utrecht's tourist charm is largely seasonal, so I
can well understand it was a bit of an anticlimax if you hit it on a
dull, cold day. The only real exception to this rule is if it snows, in
which case the narrow old streets become almost magical. Unfortunately
the chances of that happening in these days of global warming is
negligible, Utrecht is usually as much of a muddy, drizzly swamp in
winter as the rest of the Netherlands.

approx 60Kms is Gouda
worth a visit to the cheese museum in centre of town and also the
Dutch reformed cathedral has 32 magnificent stained glass window
and worth a look even if you arent religiously minded.
Freda


Please reply to the list as my email address is a fake
"apietro" wrote in message
om...
Any ideas for days trips from Amsterdam within about 1 hrs train
journey?
So far I have Haarlem and Utrecht on my list.
Are the Belgian towns/cities within striking distance: Antwerp,
Brussels for instance.

Thanks
AP