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Historical cities to visit in the Netherlands

There's plenty of information on Amsterdam and Leiden elsewhere on this website.
Leiden, relatively unknown, but a city fabulously rich in history and museums. Although other Dutch cities are becoming increasingly popular, most visitors still choose Amsterdam as main destination.
Therefore, I will mention historical towns within easy reach from Amsterdam.
Mind you, this being a small country, in the perception of most foreign visitors, all of the Netherlands is nearby. It will not be easy to find a destination that takes more than 3 hours to reach. Towns below have historical centres and/or museums making it certainly worth the trip. All have a train station in or within walking distance of the centre.
Approx travel times by intercity train from Amsterdam Centraal station. There's much, much more, of course. If you're looking for something specific, feel free to ask : please get in touch. About ¼ hour : Haarlem, About ½ hour : Alkmaar, Amersfoort, Hoorn, Leiden, Utrecht, About 1 hour : Arnhem, Delft, Enkhuizen, Gouda, The Hague, Zwolle, About 1 ¼ hour : Rotterdam, About 1 ½ hours : Nijmegen, For the full picture, in Belgium. Train times from Amsterdam also : Antwerp : 2 to 2½ hours (with Thalys international high-speed train 1¼ hour) Brussels : 2½ to 3 hours (with Thalys international high-speed train 2 hours) Ghent : 3 to 3½ hours (with Thalys international high-speed train 2½ hours) Bruges : 3 to 4 hours. With the centennial of World War I, many commemorations these years.
For your information : Flanders Battle Fields in Belgium are quite a journey away from Amsterdam. The train ride to Ypres takes 4 to 5 hours. And then you will want to visit the surroundings.
Driving there, or organized travel may be an option. Or staying around there longer, of course.
other interesting places in Holland

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