Tag: amsterdam

Where to go in 2024

Hidden in the rolling hills of Limburg, Valkenburg isn’t just another pretty Dutch town. Yes, it’s got cobbled streets and a fairy-tale castle on a hill. But adventure, nature, food, and festivities await you at this trending travel destination.

Why Valkenburg? 

Step back in time with a visit to the iconic Valkenburg Castle ruins or explore the labyrinthine caves beneath the town. You can’t miss the timeless Dutch architecture as you wander through Markt Square.

Ditch the city grid and enjoy the lush countryside? Hiking, biking, and kayaking down the Geul River will keep you busy. Or unwind in the town’s many parks and gardens. 

Valkenburg’s sprawling Thermae 2000 has pools, saunas, steam rooms, and more for a relaxing break. And when you need to refuel, seek out the city’s Michelin-starred restaurants, cozy cafes, and lively pubs.  

The town likes to party and comes alive with festivals around the year. Keep the Christmas Market and Carnival on your radar. 

Getting there

Valkenburg is easily accessible by train from Maastricht or Amsterdam.  

You can fly into Maastricht Aachen Airport from various European cities. Trains depart every 15 minutes, and the short ride to Valkenburg takes only 10-15 minutes. You can also reach Maastricht by train from Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht. International trains are also run from Belgium and Germany.   

Flights to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) are available from New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto. A road trip from Amsterdam to Valkenburg will take you about 2.5 hours.  

Where to stay 

Boutique hotels, cozy B&Bs, modern apartments, and quirky hostels–take your pick. Here are a few popular options: 

The Hotel Valkenburg by Mercure is right below Valkenburg Castle, while the Dormio Wijnhotel offers spacious apartments and family-friendly amenities.  

Hotel Botterweck is a good budget-friendly option. But if you don’t mind splurging,

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This Charming Hotel Outside Amsterdam Is an Old Master Painting Made New

One way to arrive at the small fishing town of Durgerdam—just 20 minutes from Amsterdam’s city center—is by car. In the final moments of the journey, the dual carriageways slip away to reveal a wide slice of sea against pure sky; to the left, rows of quaint clapboard houses unfurl, lining the crest of a dyke that overlooks a sweeping landscape of wetlands.

But that’s not the way you should arrive. If you’re looking to experience the chocolate box charm of the town at its fullest, you’ll need to make the journey by boat—preferably, the boat belonging to De Durgerdam, the new 14-room hotel that just opened in one of the historic buildings that sit atop the ridge of the shoreline. On a misty spring afternoon, the town appeared through the briny air like a hallucination. (As one of my hosts later explains, the houses are all painted either a bracing shade of white or various other pale colors to serve as informal lighthouses.) As I stepped off the dock and walked along the cobbled lane to the front of the hotel, the tall windows overlooking the water glowed with warm orange light like an old shipping inn from a period novel—the convivial warmth presumably generated by the flow of vigorous conversation, and the just as vigorous pouring of drinks.

<cite class="credit">Photo: Chantal Arnts</cite>

Photo: Chantal Arnts

Step inside, though, and the hotel’s altogether more contemporary design scheme makes it evident De Durgerdam has a few surprises up its sleeve. The long, central room houses a lounge area for arriving guests, a bar topped with sinewy pink marble, and seating that looks something like a velvet-covered church pew—offering an object lesson in how to take the design codes of decades past and make them feel entirely fresh. A 17th-century still life

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