Things to Do in North Holland, Netherlands: City Guides

North Holland is a Dutch province shaped by the sea, reclaimed land and lively historic towns. From Amsterdam and Haarlem to the fishing heritage of Volendam and the island landscape around Texel, it offers a mix of cities, polders, open water and protected nature. Neywo has free audio guides for 6 cities in North Holland, with 338 narrated places in total, 20 walking tours and narration in 11 languages.

What to see and do in North Holland

Explore Amsterdam

Amsterdam is North Holland’s largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. It is also one of the province’s main cultural and institutional centres. The city’s narrated places on Neywo include the Rijksmuseum, the Concertgebouw, the Oude Kerk and the Gemeenlandshuis.

Its position within the province reflects North Holland’s contrasts: a major international city sharing the same region as polders, islands and wide bodies of water. For a closer look at the city’s landmarks, museums and historic streets, visit the Amsterdam city guide.

Discover Haarlem, the provincial capital

Haarlem is the capital of North Holland and one of the province’s main historic cities. Its important narrated places include the Grote Kerk, De Vishal, the Janskerk and the Cathedral of Saint Bavo.

Haarlem is a useful stop for understanding the province beyond Amsterdam. Its landmarks represent different parts of North Holland’s cultural and religious history, while the city itself remains a significant urban centre. The Haarlem guide covers more of the places to explore there.

Visit Alkmaar

Alkmaar is one of North Holland’s best-known towns and has 48 narrated places available through Neywo. Among them are the Grote or Sint-Laurenskerk, the Sint-Laurentiuskerk, the Cheese Merchants and Ondermolen D.

Together, these places point to several sides of the town: religious architecture, local commerce and the engineering of the province’s water-managed landscape. Alkmaar is therefore a good place to see how North Holland’s historic communities developed alongside its practical relationship with water. Continue with the Alkmaar city guide.

See the waterfront traditions of Volendam

Volendam is a town with a strong fishing and religious heritage. Neywo’s narrated places include the Palingsound Museum, the Volendams Museum, the Stolphoevekerkje and the Sint-Vincentiuskerk (Volendam).

The town is also part of the province’s wider pattern of local identities. North Holland is not culturally uniform: communities differ in their traditions and religious histories, and Volendam is one of the places where those local characteristics remain especially visible. Find more places in the Volendam guide.

Walk through Zaandam

Zaandam has 42 narrated places, including the Czar Peter House, the Hembrug Museum, In de Gecroonde Duyvekater and Kalverringdijk 5, Zaandam.

Its sights connect the town with North Holland’s industrial, military and urban history. Zaandam also represents the province’s network of substantial communities outside Amsterdam, where historic buildings and later institutions share the same landscape. The Zaandam page introduces its narrated places.

Discover Texel from Den Burg

Den Burg is located on Texel, one of the West Frisian islands included in North Holland. Neywo’s 11 narrated places in Den Burg include Texel, Kogerstraat 1, Den Burg, the Georgian uprising on Texel and Hoge Berg.

The island adds a different dimension to a North Holland itinerary. Here, the province’s relationship with water is not only about drainage and reclaimed land: the sea also defines the setting and connects the mainland province with its islands. The Den Burg guide helps you explore this part of North Holland.

A province shaped by water

More than half of North Holland is reclaimed polder land, much of it below sea level. The province lies between the North Sea, the Wadden Sea, the IJsselmeer and the Markermeer, so water is present on several sides and remains a major part of the landscape.

One of the clearest examples of land-making came in 1855, when the Haarlemmermeer was drained and converted into arable land. The new land then became part of North Holland. This history explains why the boundary between land and water is so important here: it is not simply a natural line, but the result of centuries of work, planning and changing borders.

North Holland also includes open water, polders and protected natural areas. Its neighbours are Friesland, Flevoland, Utrecht and South Holland. The province’s geography is therefore varied, combining densely populated cities with broad landscapes shaped by reclamation and the sea.

History and local identities

The modern province began to take shape during a period of changing government and borders. The area had long formed part of the County of Holland, and West Friesland was incorporated during that period. Under French rule, the old provincial order was reorganised several times, with the northern area at one point called Amstelland.

In 1840, Holland was formally divided into North Holland and South Holland. The province continued to change afterwards. Haarlemmermeer joined North Holland following its drainage in 1855, while Vlieland and Terschelling later returned to Friesland. The former island of Urk was ceded to Overijssel.

This layered history is still reflected in the province’s communities. Amsterdam is the largest city, while Haarlem is the provincial capital. Other major municipalities include Zaanstad, Haarlemmermeer and Alkmaar. North Holland contains 45 municipalities, each contributing its own historical and local identity.

The province is also home to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, the Netherlands’ busiest airport, as well as major companies and international organisations based in and around Amsterdam. At the same time, its population includes a wide range of religious and cultural communities. Official statistics from 2015 showed that most inhabitants were religiously unaffiliated, alongside Roman Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and people of other faiths. Almost half of all Dutch Jews live in North Holland, mainly in and around Amsterdam and Amstelveen.

These differences are visible across the province. Catholic enclaves can be found in northern areas including Edam-Volendam and Opmeer, while Marken is known as a strongly Protestant village. North Holland is best understood as a collection of places and traditions connected by a shared landscape of land and water.

Explore North Holland with Neywo

Neywo offers free audio guides for 6 cities in North Holland, covering 338 narrated places in total through 20 walking tours. Narration is available in 11 languages.

Download the app and choose a city: the story of each place plays as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. It is a simple way to explore North Holland while connecting its towns, landmarks and water-shaped landscapes.