Holland
Your choice of bases
Koudum Friesland
Giethoorn Overilssel
Sneek Friesland
Strand Horst Gelderland
Famed for its canals, Holland offers endless choice for laid-back cruising through pretty villages and picturesque countryside.
The country is well known, for its flat landscape which makes for easy cycling terrain, so why not hire bicycles with your cruiser, and travel around country as the locals do.
We have four bases in the north of Holland, all well placed for easy access to the waterway network. The pretty village of Koudum is just one of many in this traditional area where many of the locals still wear national dress, and where you may feel you have stepped back in time into a Rembrandt painting.
Cruising from Sneek you may want to enjoy some of the many water sports on offer, or just admire the scenery and soak up the sun. If you are cruising to Makkum, make time to visit its pottery and maybe pick up some unique souvenirs.
Overijssel
The base at Giethoorn is central to a delightful rural region criss-crossed by canals, and aptly described as Green Venice. Chocolate-box houses line the waterways and the understated charm of this lesser-known Holland is sure to captivate you. Each village seems to get prettier and the people more friendly with each day of your cruise, and you'll feel less and less like going home.
Gelderland
By cruising west along the Vecht from our base at Strand Horst, you can moor up at Weesp and take one of the frequent trains into central Amsterdam. Holland's vibrant capital is surely one of the most colourful cities in the world, with its several world-famous museums and galleries, excellent shopping, diamond polishing factories, twenty-one markets and twenty-eight parks; there is really something for everyone!
Regional food and drink
The traditional diet of the Dutch has paid much homage in the past to the humble potato, often served with meat, vegetables and gravy. Nowadays, though, every culinary taste is catered for, and you will eat well wherever you go. Simple fare is the staple of Dutch cuisine, so why not try the famously thick Pea Soup, a meal in itself that you can usually stand your spoon upright in!
