The Home of Vincent van Gogh 🎨: Netherlands

4. Royal Palace

This resplendent building, which was originally designed as a town hall in 1655 and became a palace in the 19th century, is a shining example of Amsterdam's wealth. The interiors are particularly impressive, including the marble work in the great burgerzaal (citizens' hall) at the heart of the building.

5. Mauritshuis

This splendid museum offers a wonderful introduction to Dutch and Flemish art. It is set in a 17th-century mansion that was built for wealthy sugar trader Johan Maurits and became a museum housing the Royal Picture Collection in 1822.

It acquired a swish modern wing in 2012-14. The 800-strong collection of paintings focuses on works created between the 15th and 18th centuries and includes masterpieces such as Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring (c1665) and Rembrandt's intriguing The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp (1632).

6. Groninger Museum

The striking structure that occupied the three islands in the ring canal in front of the train station, Groninger Museum, is also another can't miss out spot. Within the museum, there is a scintillating mix of international artworks from throughout the ages.

The architecture is the brainchild of Alessandro Mendini, who invited three of his fellow architects to each tackle a section. This explains why, to many, the museum has little consistency and appears thrown together on a whim. However, inside the museum, the bright, pastel colours add life to the exhibition halls, and natural light seeps in from all angles.

7. Lighthouse

The iconic red-and-white banded lighthouse on Ameland's west end is open to the public and is 55m tall. The cast-iron structure can be climbed (236 steps) for expansive views over the entire island and across the Waddenzee. Exhibits on the way up explain the history of the lighthouse, and you can listen to digital stories by lighthouse keepers.

The tulip is synonymous with the Netherlands, you have never visit the country if you didn't get surrounded by tulips!

8. Tulip Island

The tulip island is a peninsula shaped in the form of a tulip extending from the coast of Zeewolde. Last September, Zeewolde local council had 150,000 tulip bulbs planted here, all of which are primed to bloom this coming spring .

A marina has been created on the ‘island’, located in the Wolderwijd bordering lake, with space to accommodate up to eighty boats. Various amenities are currently being developed for visitors, which will include catering services and water sports facilities.

9. Texel Dunes National Park