Don’t let the whimsical Dutch architecture and cobblestone
streets fool you: Nijmegen might be the Netherlands’ oldest city,
but its sustainable prowess is very much of this century. Explore
on two wheels, coasting along the 60km of cycling highways that run
through the university town. First stop on a pedal-powered tour?
Lange Hezelstraat, a storied shopping district home to numerous
independent boutiques, including vintage haven Le Petit Rêve,
homeware emporium Dille & Kamille and – where the road merges onto
Burchtstraat – sustainable department store Het Duurzame
Warenhuis. Stock up on Dutch-made vegan cosmetics, then head
across town to the budget-friendly, hostel-style Hotel
Nimma. It’s not particularly luxurious, but you can save your
pennies for a forest-foraged dinner at the three-starred (one of
which is green) Restaurant De Nieuwe Winkel, a leader in the city’s
sustainable dining scene.

Notice something fresh-faced about Almere? This is the newest
city in the Netherlands, a metropolis conceived in the late 20th
century as part of the world’s largest land reclamation project.
Ergo, striking and colourful contemporary architecture abounds,
thanks to a forward-thinking planning consensus that gave
architects free reign. Located in Flevoland, a 20-minute train ride
from Amsterdam, Almere embraces its innovative origins: spot the
minimalist De Kunstlinie Cultural Centre, The Wave, a
scaly-faced, zinc-clad apartment building, and the iridescent
angles of the La Defense office complex on an architecture tour
through the city centre. Then, head out to the Regenboogbuurt
suburb to spy its three scarlet, grain silo-like apartment blocks,
the Red Devils, before taking a 20-minute stroll to Buitenkans, a
sustainable housing project from the 1990s conceived with
anthroposophist Rudolf Steiner’s unique philosophy of cosmic
inspiration in mind. For a design-focused stay, consider Hotel
Finn.

Situated in the south of the country, less than an
hour-and-a-half by train from Amsterdam, this modish city has
garnered a reputation for its design credentials, gritty green vibe
and all-hours nightlife. Considered the Netherlands’ centre of
industry, the city now pairs techie know-how with a reputation for
choice design. Manufacturing is still present, but old factory
buildings are as likely to house galleries, indie businesses and
community-driven projects as they are production lines. Discover a
leading collection of contemporary European art at Van
Abbemuseum (think more Picasso and Kandinsky than Hirst and
Emin), explore boundary-pushing works at MU Hybrid Art House and witness the brilliance
of Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek at his workshop, showroom, shop,
hotel
and restaurant. Elsewhere, a still-in-use roundabout has been
transformed into an ever-evolving, open-air graffiti showcase, the
Berenkuil. For a concise encapsulation of the city’s urban
transformation, head to the Strijp-S district. This former
industrial park, once a working plant for electronics company
Philips, now houses natural wine bar Ketelhuis, a 700sq
m bouldering wall at climbing gym Monk and the vast
city skatepark Area 51.

Who knew the Netherlands had such beautiful beaches? We didn’t.
The country has over 230km of coastline, and 75 per cent of it
consists of porcelain-white beaches and grass-tufted dunes.
Domburg, just a three-hour train ride from Amsterdam, is one of the
country’s oldest and prettiest seaside resorts, with looks that
have enticed European artists past and present. Jacoba van
Heemskerck, Lodewijk Schelfhout and Piet Mondrian all put their
paintbrushes to canvas in an attempt to capture the “Zeeland
light”: you can spot it at work in swoon-worthy sunsets above
Domburg’s jolly beach huts. A walk along the In het licht van
Toorop en Mondriaan trail will let you delve deeper into the
artistic connections of the coast. Otherwise, we’d book into the
hot tub-equipped Royal Suite at the biophilic Duinhotel Tien Torens (one tiny town over),
then hire a bike and make like the Dutch, pedalling through the
Manteling, a biodiverse seaside forest behind the beach.

The Netherlands isn’t lacking in historic old cities jam-packed
with canals, windmills, gothic architecture and stroopwafel stalls,
but Gouda? It’s a cut above the rest. Home to the eponymous cheese,
which has been made here since 1184, the South Holland city is
delightfully dairy-obsessed (there’s a Gouda
Cheese Experience, a Gouda Cheese Museum and a weekly summer cheese
market for those inclined to gorge), but its culinary prowess
extends beyond the wheel. In the Middle Ages, this was the
lowlands’ beer capital, and it never lost its taste for a good
brew. You can sample the surrounding region’s hop offering from
biercafé De
Goudse Eend’s 140-strong menu. You’ll also find old-fashioned
Dutch pubs – like Kamphuisen – famed for their hearty local fare
(waffle desserts, guaranteed), and modern, seasonal menus at
contemporary spots around town. Our favourite is De Kleischuur.
Sated? Roll down to the 25-key Weeshuis Gouda, a recently opened hotel located
within a renovated 16th-century orphanage. Here’s hoping for a
sleep free from cheese-induced nightmares.