Emplacements de camping aux Pays-Bas

The Netherlands, this small country at the heart of Europe, is often associated with images of windmills, multicoloured tulip fields and historic towns criss-crossed by canals. But these are not just clichés. You’ll find it all if you go on a camping holiday in the Netherlands. But there’s more, too. This small country has a rich culture, which is expressed in museums displaying works by the great Dutch painters, from Van Gogh to Vermeer and Rembrandt. The Netherlands is also home to beautiful natural areas such as the Friesland Lakes and the Hoge Veluwe National Park. So many places to discover on your next caravan or van holiday in the Netherlands.

Our campsites with pitches in the Netherlands

Cities of Art and History

A first visit to the Netherlands usually begins with a stroll along the canals of Amsterdam. The Dutch capital has a lot to offer, starting with its canals lined with narrow gabled houses. The city boasts 75 kilometres of canals spanned by more than 1,000 bridges. Art lovers will love Amsterdam. The city is home to some of the finest museums in Europe, including the Rijksmuseum, which houses paintings by the great Flemish masters, including Rembrandt’s famous Night Watch.

In a different style, Rotterdam is an open-air museum of contemporary architecture. Completely razed during the Second World War, the city was rebuilt in the second half of the 20th century. As a result, the city boasts some original buildings, such as its impressive covered market. As night falls, photographers will be delighted to snap a few shots of the skyline that stretches around the Erasmus Bridge, a sight not to be envied in Manhattan.

The seat of Parliament, The Hague is often referred to as the political capital of the Netherlands. This seaside resort with its old-fashioned charm is dotted with Art Nouveau buildings that bear witness to its opulence in the early 20th century. The Scheveningen district is undoubtedly the most elegant on the seafront, with its luxurious hotels. When visiting The Hague, be sure to visit the Mauritshuis. This museum houses one of the finest collections of Dutch painters.

While art is usually experienced in the cities, one of the country’s most important museums is located in the heart of the 5,400-hectare De Hoge Veluwe National Park. The Kröller-Müller Museum houses collections spanning the 19th and 20th centuries. Among other things, it has a large number of paintings by Van Gogh, making it a must-see for admirers of the painter with the severed ear during a camping holiday in the Netherlands.

As well as the big cities of the West, the Netherlands has a plethora of pretty little towns, less famous than Amsterdam but still full of charm, such as Maastricht. Nestling among the rolling hills of Limburg, Maastricht has a rich heritage dating back to the Romans.

Camping in the Nature in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is famous for its vast fields of tulips, which stretch as far as the eye can see during the spring flowering season. The Keukenhof gardens, near the town of Lisse, offer one of the world’s largest floral displays, with millions of tulips, hyacinths and daffodils in bloom, creating a dazzling show of colour that will delight photographers. But this is just one aspect of the Netherlands’ natural riches. The north-east of the country boasts superb landscapes of lakes and canals that criss-cross the lush green countryside. Elegant traditional sailing boats, the Skutsje, sail on these lakes, and you can also hire boats without a licence to explore these vast stretches of water and discover the North of the Netherlands from a different angle.

The Netherlands is also home to some stunning coastal landscapes, most notably the Wadden Sea National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This unique park is famous for its expanses of mudflats, dunes and diverse wildlife, offering visitors the chance to explore unspoilt coastal ecosystems and discover a variety of migratory birds. In the north of the Netherlands lies a string of islands known as the Wadden Islands, some of which can be visited and are ideal for long walks on fine sandy beaches. The island of Texel, the largest, can be reached by ferry.

De Hoge Veluwe National Park, with its 5,400 hectares inland, is an oasis of unspoilt nature. Located in the Veluwe woodlands, the park is renowned for its vast expanses of forest, moorland and dunes. Visitors can explore the park by bike (1,800 bikes are available free of charge to take advantage of the 40 km of cycle paths that criss-cross the park), following the many signposted trails, or set out to discover the local wildlife, including deer, wild boar and foxes. De Hoge Veluwe is the perfect destination for a camping holiday in the Netherlands, surrounded by nature.

cheese country

Let’s be honest, you don’t go to the Netherlands for the food. The country does, however, have a few surprises in store for food lovers. Cheeses such as Gouda and Edam are high on the list of Dutch gourmet specialities. If you get the chance, visit one of Holland’s folkloric cheese markets (Kaasmarkt). The one in Alkmaar is a must!

Don’t forget the mills

Les moulins font définitivement partie des clichés qui circulent le plus sur les Pays-Bas. Avec plus de 250 moulins, essentiellement répartis dans l’Ouest du pays, serait dommage de ne pas en admirer quelques-uns lors de vos vacances en camping en Hollande. C’est à Kinderdijk que vous trouverez le plus beau paysage de moulin des Pays-Bas. Ces 19 moulins destinés à assécher les polders sont classés au patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO composent un des grands classiques des paysages hollandais. Nul doute que vous ferez une des plus belles photos de vos vacances en camping aux Pays-Bas.