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This country of tulips, windmills and bicycles stretches out over a predominantly flat landscape of reclaimed land. Sophisticated urban centres and sleepy rural towns are contained within the expansive vistas broken here and there by canals, castle walls and dikes. Europe's most densely populated region is located within an area of the Netherlands called the Randstad. This urban hub is spread in a circle from Amsterdam, and includes The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht and the smaller towns of Haarlem, Leiden and Delft. The metropolitan centres buzz with the activity of seasonal festivals, cultural activities, vibrant art scenes and excellent pubs and restaurants.

Most people travelling to the Netherlands head for the unique experience of its capital city, Amsterdam. The other parts are largely unaffected by tourism, particularly the areas outside the Randstad. The southern parts of the country are transformed by undulating landscapes of shifting sands and heath moors, best experienced within the Hoge Veluwe National Park. Still south, tucked between the German and Belgian borders, lies the historical city of Maastricht.