Travel expert, guidebook writer, and beloved TV show host Rick Steves has plenty of great suggestions for visiting museums, often citing the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam as great places to start. Voted as
the most walkable city in Europe
, you won’t leave the city’s art and cultural scene behind even if you head outside its boundaries for a day of exploration. As you navigate the Dutch terrain, you’ll find an entirely different but equally fascinating kind of museum. Known as open-air folk museums, these provide an engaging and interactive experience to help you learn about the history of the Netherlands.
On his website,
Rick Steves’ Europe
, the travel expert encourages travelers to visit three of these fascinating museums: the Enkhuizen Zuiderzee Museum, The Dutch Open Air Museum, and the Zaanse Schans Open-Air Museum. One of the wonderful things about a Dutch vacation is that nothing is ever too far away. While you’ll certainly need more time to explore everything that these unique museums have to offer, you could technically see all three of Steves’ recommendations in a single day. If you aren’t making any other stops, you could drive between the locations in just about three hours.
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Experience Living History By The Water At The Zuiderzee
If you want to learn more about Dutch life in the past, there is no better destination than the Zuiderzee Museum. This fascinating living history museum is located in Enkhuizen, which Rick Steves has dubbed
one of the best day trips from Amsterdam
It brings back to life a small fishing community from 1905. The authentic cobblestone pathways and historic structures remain intact, whereas performers dressed in period costumes depict the daily routines of those who resided and labored here over a hundred years ago. Dive into the ambiance and wander through this recreated settlement.
Although the Zuiderzee Museum looks like an authentic village where people seem to be living normally, everything is designed for learning. You’re welcome to explore inside the “houses” within the museum as well; this isn’t required though. Advance booking could help you save some cash—when I wrote this, a daily ticket was priced at just above twenty dollars.
If you’re eager to catch a snapshot of how the Netherlands used to be, consider pairing your visit to this outdoor folk museum with additional immersive historical activities. The Zuiderzee Museum lies just slightly over an hour from Amsterdam via train. Nevertheless, Steves suggests a delightful, campy, yet informative option: embarking on a journey aboard a steam train followed by an antique boat ride, which can be arranged through Museumstoomtram. Known as the Historic Triangle route, this experience comes with a price tag of around $30 when written.
Explore The Biggest Outdoor Folk Museum In Holland
The Netherlands Open Air Museum, often referred to as the Dutch Openlucht Museum, located in Arnhem, stands as the pioneering outdoor folk museum in the country. Spanning more than 100 acres, it continues to be the biggest one around. Instead of accurately recreating just one specific era and location, this remarkable museum allows visitors to traverse two hundred years of Dutch history. Here, guests can observe and interact with various historic structures and environments ranging from agricultural facilities and residential houses to palla-malli courts and places of worship.
On his site, Rick Steves recommends savoring tasty Dutch pancakes and exploring the village plaza where you can engage with antique toys from the 1800s. He points out that ascending the steps within the park’s windmill offers an impressive perspective of the surrounding museum area. However, he emphasizes that the must-see attraction includes viewing recreations of historical living spaces typical for working-class families in the region.
Don’t eat before you go. Whether you’re in the mood for pancakes or not, there are plenty of places to eat within the museum, including a cute ice cream parlor and a classic brewery. You can even get a coffee here (but don’t be disappointed; we’re talking about actual coffee, not
the cafes of Amsterdam
As of now, the admission fee ranges from $20 to $30, varying based on whether your visit falls on a weekday or a weekend. While you have the option to reach the museum via public transport from Amsterdam, expect this journey to last approximately one hour and forty minutes with at least one change required along the way.
Get Your Fill Of Windmills At Zaanse Schans
If you’re visiting the Netherlands, you’ll probably see windmills. One of the best places to learn to truly appreciate them may be at the open-air folk museum Zaanse Schans, just outside Amsterdam. All you need to do is hop on a train at Amsterdam Central Station, get out at Zaandijk Zaanse Schans station, and then walk about 15 minutes to the museum. This unique place recreates life on the Zaan River in the 1600s but in a less structured way than other open-air folk museums.
Steves states on his
website
that this site is less of a cohesive museum with a single-day pass fee and more like a variety of related attractions that you have to pay for. He described it as: “… crassly commercial…you’ll be nickel-and-dimed for your cultural education.” Despite the extra expenses, the admission prices are worth it to see the pretty windmills along the water. You’ll also have the opportunity to see how some traditional Dutch products are made, from cheese to clogs.
Although this museum might be slightly lacking in cohesion, you can organize your visit utilizing the interactive map available on the Zaanse Schans website. Proper timing plays a crucial role as it’s an exceptionally busy spot. Without efficient planning, you could find yourself vying with fellow visitors for prime spots within the attraction. As suggested by Steves, arriving later in the day would likely serve you better since many of the day-trippers will already be making their way back to Amsterdam.
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original article on Islands
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