This website www.hilversum.nl has information about Hilversum in English (also listed below).

Start with a media experience for this media oriented city. You can explore this museum in many ways, making your own TV program or visiting the pavilions, each one with interesting items, showing special effects, the making of news, celebrities, reality shows and others that discuss subliminal messages and politics, and of course, a lot of Dutch TV history. As you can see, there are attractions for all ages at the museum, and when you click on the main icons of the site there will be an option for you in English, at the bottom of the page.

Although the city has existed since 1424, you will find more monuments that date from the end of the 1800’s, such as a Church at Melkpad 12, a water tower at Jacobus Pennweg 16 and the Train Station platform roof. During the Radio era the population and the architecture started blooming, especially from the 1920’s, therefore a lot of the buildings are from that period. You could be living in a monument, and besides your house there are other interesting architectural sights to be explored. The website is a good option to find a nice architectural route, as you can become acquainted, for instance with the buildings made by the famous Dutch architect Dudok, that include, among many schools, the City Hall (raadhuis), where you can learn more about ‘the man’ at the Dudok. The building where the ISH is currently housed was built in Dudok style in the 1920’s, by architect Nic.Andriessen.

This museum is located at the city centre and it offers exhibits at least twice a year, sometimes with local subjects, sometimes with architecture and design. If you click on the icon ‘tentoonstellingen’ you will be able to get more information about the exhibit that is taking place at the moment and the visits to the City Hall and the Dudok Dependence, also organised by the museum. The Visit Gooi & Vecht Tourist office is also located in the same building.
☏ www.visitgooivecht.nl

Vue Cinema is a new cinema complex with multiple screens featuring new release films, plush seating and concession stand. It’s conveniently located in the centre of Hilversum. The Filmtheater features more contemporary and artistic films with the emphasis on promoting European films, usually shown in their original language with Dutch subtitles.

The Netherlands has one of the finest concert houses in Europe, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, but Hilversum also offers a season of classic concerts to enjoy. 

Located in Hilversum and displaying a world relevant collection of conifers and other rare trees, such as the sequoia.   

There is a little children’s farm in Hilversum, with deer, sheep, peacocks, cows and other animals that children would love to see. Admission is free and there is a nice playground for the little ones. These little farms are usually available in many cities in the country.

Founded in 1930, with a large variety of wild plants from the Gooi region and the admission is free.

A great museum with a beautiful original collection but also temporary exhibitions, plus a theatre with different performing arts.

A city with an outstanding preserved 17th century fortress that can be visited by boat in guided trips from April until October, some nice design shops, including a famous one, Het Arsenaal and a restaurant at the same address owned by a famous chef, Paul Fagel.

This region is very nearby and has lots of water, so that you can perform different sailing activities and at some areas you can even swim. In the winter it is possible to skate on the water (Dutch love to), when the temperature is low enough. There are many places where you can rent a boat, from big boats to small canoes, like Ottenhome.

This is a preserved 17th century typical Dutch castle and there are activities made for children but the tour will interest everybody. You can climb the towers, check typical furniture, gardens and learn more about the history of the most famous inhabitants.    

This palace was the residence of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard until their deaths is 2004. Now it is open to the public many times during the year, giving us the opportunity to admire its beautiful gardens and explore the palace itself. During the summer months there are concerts, festivals and art exhibitions.

A wonderful place to visit with or without children. They organise all kinds of nature activities such as boating on the Naardermeer before dawn, midsummer night runs, geocaching and lots of other fun activities, particularly for children. 

The country may seem small, but there is a lot to do and see. The website www.holland.com/global/tourism.html has a lot of tourist information and you can plan day trips and longer stays in several different ways. It has options in English with all the information you need concerning addresses and opening hours.

If you want more attractions with our friends from the animal kingdom you will find a traditional zoo in Amsterdam, a big zoo in Rotterdam, a big one with ecosystems in Arnhem, Apenheul a park with different monkey species in Apeldoorn and a nice area to enjoy sea animals.

You will find here, besides the typical zoo animals, a Dinoforest where you can learn more about the creatures and nice playgrounds spread in the zoo area. With its ideal location (it is only 30min drive from Hilversum) many people will buy a yearly season ticket so they can enjoy the wooden parks and playgrounds as well as the animals on a frequent basis. See their website for costs and other information.

A large area to enjoy some peace and quiet, with a chance of spotting wild animals. You can walk or use the bikes that are offered for free. You can explore the National Park on your own or enjoy one of the many organised events. There is also a museum, named the Kröller-Müller, which is home to a large collection of Van Goghs and top works by modern masters. It is set in one of Europe’s largest sculpture gardens. The park has much to offer.

A park with several rivers, islands and a vast network of narrow and wide creeks. It is one of the few remaining fresh-water tidal areas in Europe and a place for birds and other wild animals to rest. As the area is very big there are two visitor centres, one at Drimmelen in the province Noord-Brabant and another at Dordrecht in the province Zuid-Holland. You can see nature related exhibits and explore recreation facilities, including water sports.

Here you will find a variety of watersports, resorts, some spots to see wildlife and of course, beaches. The site www.holland.com has a lot of information for you to make a perfect holiday at the coast.

The Delta Works are an impressive structure built to control the water, as part of the country is below sea level and about 40% of the land is reclaimed from the sea. You can visit the Delta Expo at Neeltje Jans Waterland near Burgh Haamstede to understand how it was made.

Mudwalking is a nice way to explore the coast, but more suitable from ages 12 yrs and over. You can walk on the sea when the tide is low for 3 to 5 hrs and reach one of the islands of the Wadden Sea area. You can spot birds, fish and plants on the way while the very little ones and older ones who don’t want to walk can go to the Islands by boat. There are good hotels in the area. Check the website for details of their guided walks.

You will be busy enough just trying to see them all. Amsterdam has the most famous, such as the Anne Frank museum, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh museum, the Stedelijk museum and the Hermitage of Amsterdam, just to name a few. It is recommended to book online for the Anne Frank and Van Gogh museums. Others worth seeing include the Mauritshuis in Den Haag, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam and the Catharijne Convent in Utrecht.

The Museumcard is a cheap way to explore more than 400 museums in the Netherlands. This personal pass is valid for one year and it is quite easy to purchase. You can order online or purchase it in selected musea.

If you don’t mind the crowds, some of the most typical tourist attractions include the famous flower park, Keukenhof. Here you will see millions of tulips and other flowers in a breathtaking display of colour. Only open for the season from mid March to mid May you will not want to miss it. If windmills are your thing you can see 19 of them in a typical Dutch landscape at Kinderdijk. The Madurodam in Den Haag is a great family day out where you can visit the whole of The Netherlands and its most famous landmarks in one day, in its miniature version. Gouda and Alkmaar are famous cheese destinations, where you can experience and taste the best Dutch cheese..