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Itinerary: Eastern Experience
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This seven-day excursion through the Netherlands’ eastern provinces covers 530km and touches on the country’s less-visited towns, cities and natural attractions.
The Netherlands’ eastern expanse is largely ignored by tourists who settle for the big guns of the Dutch lowlands, but there are some hidden highlights among the polders waiting to be discovered.
Begin your trip in Groningen, a vibrant city populated by students, bars, cafés, and a couple of fine museums. Spend the morning roaming the inner city, the afternoon in the first-rate Groninger Museum, and the evening enjoying the city’s thriving nightlife. If your hangover allows, greet the next day early and bus southeast to Bourtange, a perfectly-preserved 17th-century fortified town on the border with Germany, before moving onto Borger and its pre-historic hunebedden, stone arrangements once used as burial chambers. From nearby Emmen, catch a train to Zwolle , capital of Overijssel province and a compact, easy-going town. A bike trip through the eerie expanse of nearby Weerribben National Park is a good way to spend the afternoon.
From Zwolle, it’s only a short train ride to Deventer, an unhurried town that’s big on relaxation and small on tourism. Deventer is also a good base for exploring the Hoge Veluwe National Park, a natural oasis that’s home to one of the finest art museums in the country. After a night in Deventer, head for Den Bosch, a city ringed by canals and defensive walls; its quiet back streets are a pleasure to stroll. Breda is your next stop, where a day and a night can easily be spent appreciating the city’s compact centre. To round the trip off, it’s back to nature at Biesbosch National Park.
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