Things to See in Netherlands

With a collection worth billions, the Rijksmuseum is the cream of Dutch classical art, but until renovations finish in 2008 only 400 masterpieces are on display. If all goes well, the building will be returned to its original 1885 glory. But never mind the building dust, the much-loved Dutch and Flemish paintings from the Golden Age remain on display.

The Keukenhof is the world's largest garden. It is seen by 800,000 people each year, but its beauty is something of an enigma, unfurling for just two months each year. Nature's talents are combined with Dutch precision to create a garden where millions of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths bloom every year, perfectly in place.

The Netherlands' largest national park, Hoge Veluwe would be a fantastic place to visit for its marshlands, forests and sand dunes alone, but its brilliant museum makes it unmissable. The park was purchased by Anton and Helene Kröller-Müller, a wealthy German-Dutch couple, in 1914. He wanted hunting grounds, she wanted a museum site. They got both.

The Zuiderzeemuseum consists of two parts: the Buitenmuseum with 130-odd rebuilt dwellings and workshops, and the Binnenmuseum devoted to farming, fishing and shipping. The capitivating Buitenmuseum (open-air), opened in 1983, was assembled from houses, farms and sheds trucked in from around the region to show Zuiderzee life as it was from 1880 to 1932.

One of the best Impressionist galleries in the world, the Van Gogh Museum houses about 200 paintings, predominantly by the world's favourite tortured artist, including famous works like The Potato Eaters and The Yellow House in Arles. There are also works by some of his friends and peers, such as Gauguin and Monet.