Top Things to do in South Holland Province
Top Restaurants in South Holland Province
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What to do and see in South Holland Province, The Netherlands: The Best History Museums
Encompassing two of the Netherlands’ three largest cities (Rotterdam and The Hague), Zuid-Holland (South Holland) is also home to important towns like Leiden, Gouda and Delft. And many lovely smaller towns dot the gorgeous green landscape. Alphen aan den Rijn has several interesting attractions, including Dutch history theme park Archeon. Picturesque Kinderdijk, birthplace of the legend of the Cat and the Cradle, also has many windmills that together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Restaurants in South Holland Province
1. Panorama Mesdag
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,992 reviews
A magnificent experience in time and space.
Reviewed By 512saskiav - Oisterwijk, The Netherlands
Awesome Panoramic scenery, hand painted end of 19th century. Overview of seaside fishing boats and little town. Take your time to view this awesome panoramic painting and indulge yourselves in this 19th century surrounding.
2. Wereldmuseum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 267 reviews
This place is temporarily closed.
3. Museum Bescherming Bevolking-Bunkercomplex Overvoorde
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
4. Museum De Lakenhal
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 190 reviews
Museum De Lakenhal is the visual arts, history and crafts museum of the city of Leiden. The city’s illustrious past is highlighted in seven collection presentations, including The Cradle of the Golden Age, Leiden University City, The Siege and Relief of Leiden, and Seven Centuries of ‘Leids Laken’. The internationally renowned collection contains numerous highlights such as Lucas van Leyden’s ‘Last Judgment’ (approximately 1526-27), beautifully stained glass, and paintings by Rembrandt and contemporaries. Since 1874 the museum has been located in a monumental 17thcentury hall for woollen fabrics, carefully restored in 2017-2019 and expanded with modern architecture. The unique encounters between past and present that occur here make Museum De Lakenhal a source of inspiration for all!
Reviewed By mireilleb554 - Ramnicu Valcea, Romania
First of all ,I realized that Leiden is a city opened to culture.I would have liked to find an English booklet about the history of the museum .The building that looked like an elegant palace impressed me by its beauty ,I was curious to see what gems It hides inside ,I had a Museum Card ,but I had to wait at the desk ,there were many tourists there in the afternoon . The history and art museum tells several stories ,I was confused upstairs ,but step by step ,I painted ''my own painting''about the highlights of the collection .I was lucky to catch the temporary exhibition of Rembrandt ,the star of it was for me The peddler selling spectacles ,an early work of art and '' History painting ''. A real challenge was the woolen cloth Merchant hall where I could see for the second time ,the masterpiece of Lucas van Leiden ,The last Judgment ,seen by me in Amsterdam two years ago ,in a temporary exhibition .I also liked the Lamentation of Christ by another significant painter from Leiden ,Cornelius E . Gerrit Dou ,a student of Rembrandt danced in a small cabinet with The Astronomer as well as Jan Steen with the joyful The Merry Couple for example ,they were my favourite Dutch painters of the Golden age ,too. Upstairs I learnt that Theo van Doesburg stayed in Leiden where he founded the famous de Stijl movement ,The collection of decorative art and applied art was also interesting.
5. Leiden American Pilgrim Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 95 reviews
Reviewed By Tijs_CityGuide - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This was a very nice experience, walking straight into the early 17th century. It was as if we'd visit William Bradford himself in his humble home. It's tiny, but the collection and the explanation of the host made up for this. I'd recommend reserving a visit when in Leiden.
6. National Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 546 reviews
The National Museum of Antiquities is housed in an old monumental building and ‘Begijnhof’. It is the Dutch centre for archaeology. A large part of the collection consists of objects related to ancient Egypt. Unique is the two thousand year old Egyptian temple in the central hall of the museum. Besides ancient Egypt, the museum covers the Middle East, the Classical world and the early history of the Netherlands. The entire collection consists of more than 80,000 objects, including statues of Roman emperors, Etruscan tomb finds and mummies.
Reviewed By 500dank - The Hague, The Netherlands
Had a wonderful visit with my family. Loved the collection which is marvellous! Especially the artefacts covering ancient Egyptian time. To my personal opinion, only the British Museum in London can match this. The temporary exhibit (untill 15 march 2020) was on Cyprus. The museum consists of three floorws and is housed in a fantastic, historical building, in the middle of the historical town centre of Leiden (Rapenburg). It's completely accessible: we brought our 8 month old son in his buggy and had no problems in navigating the museum. Baby changing facilities are located in the disabled toilet on the ground floor. In the entrance hall of the museum you can find and visit the Temple of Taffeh (free of charge, as it is before the ticket barriers), which was gifted to the Netherlands. The audio tour is free of charge too (but behind the ticket barriers). Museum staff was very friendly and helpful. One note in regard to parking: some reviews here complain about parking, but this has absolutely nothing to do with the museum itself. People who complain about parking, have themselves to blame for not planning their journey properly: The museum is located in the middle of the historical city centre of Leiden. so it's completely logical that there isn't a large parking garage to accommodate visitors. My advice is to plan your journey ahead, be sure you know where to park in Leiden or check the museum website if you don't and/or are not familiar with the historical centre of Leiden. If you come by public transport: the museum is about a ten minute walk away from the Leiden Central station. Concluding this review: this is a must visit if you like museums with ancient artefacts!
7. World Heritage Kinderdijk
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,973 reviews
The Kinderdijk UNESCO World Heritage site is a unique icon of seven centuries of Dutch water management. All phases of the history of our struggle against water are still visible here. The unique collection of 19 mills in an authentic Dutch landscape is a true eye catcher. With your ticket you'll have access to all visiting locations and tour boats for four hours. The Nederwaard Museum Mill shows how families lived and worked in our mills around 1900. At the Blokweer Museum Mill, you’ll experience what life was like in the fifties of last century. In the Overwaard Museum Mill and the adjacent education barn everything revolves around technology. Watch our multi-screen film in Secondary pumping station 'De Fabriek' and visit the historic Wisboom pumping station from 1868. Get on board of our tour boats and enjoy Kinderdijk from the water. Feel the wind, smell the water and listen to the sound of the windmills. The Kinderdijk World Heritage site is open almost the entire year!
Reviewed By 607jayb - Fairhope, United States
If you are anywhere near to this area, this is simply a MUST DO! This UNESCO site is one of the most interesting and fun sites we have seen. There are several working windmills, and with a guided tour, you will learn more than you can imagine about the amazing water management history of the Dutch, and the critical role windmill technology plays in that history. You will explore the cramped, yet efficient, interior of a working windmill and see how "millers" ply their trade and live in those windmills. The grounds, like most of The Netherlands, are very green and gorgeous. They have two souvenir shops (I prefer the one in the brick building closest to the entrance) and a snack bar. Take your time and ENJOY!
8. Schiedam Windmills
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 97 reviews
The eight Schiedam windmills are officially the highest classical windmills in the world. The eight mills are surrounding the inner city of Schiedam, and it is easy to walk from one to the other. A must-see for travellers visiting the Rotterdam, Delft and Den Haag area. The Windmill De Walvisch (which is both a museum and a shop) is where most tours start, either by foot or by boat, as there is a tour boat (called the whisper boat) embarking at the entrance of the museum and sails around the canal that surrounds all of Schiedam with a tour guide. The museum is operated by the Jenever Museum (Dutch gin museum) and is currently closed due to Corona. The shop in Walvich offers a wide range of traditional and healthy biological flour products made in windmill De Vrijheid. The Walvich shop is currently open from Wednesday to Saturday.
Reviewed By Mactoek - Schiedam, The Netherlands
Nice scenic walking tour across the old historical city of Schiedam. Enjoy the museum and see how they turn on the wheel of the windmill.
9. Het Hof van Nederland
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 127 reviews
Reviewed By nanimonaiw2018 - Leiden, The Netherlands
If you have time for only one museum in Dordrecht then I would recommend this. Wonderful interaction, a funny but also carefully-made film, interesting display in the entire museum focussing not only the history of Dutch independence but also the story of Dordrecht. English brochure is offered at the ticket desk by the friendly staff. The entire atmosphere is friendly and relaxing, and one can really actively join the visit since the very beginning rather than receive a flow of information without feedback. Having studied quite a lot on the independence of the Netherlands, I have to say that the museum offers a 'Holland-centric' narrative, which is quite common in Holland [not in the entire Netherlands], a version easily understandable but may be complemented by other perspectives [not the job for this museum]. However, it is still worth a visit. During my visit, there is a temporary exhibition about the State Bible of the Dutch Protestant Church. Focussing on the printing history, it shows many copies of this Bible and tries to tell a narrative about the Bible in Dutch. Well-done, but to some extent a bit simple. You may need more information from the temporary exhibition in Dordrechts Museum. Unfortunately, the temporary exhibition is only in Dutch.
10. Municipal Museum of Goeree-Overflakkee
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 19 reviews
The Regional Museum of Goeree-Overflakkee offers an overview of the rich history of the island. Learn the habbits, the people, the archaeology. The museum is located in a nice little and historical street in the centre of Sommelsdijk. Take a journey through 2000 years of history!
