Winter shows a different side of the Netherlands entirely. Historic city centres light up for the season, Christmas parades and markets appear in town squares across the country, and cafés become warm refuges serving hot chocolate and apple pie. Each winter, the Amsterdam Light Festival strings glowing artworks along the canal ring, turning a boat cruise or an evening walk through the centre into a route through an open-air gallery of light.
If temperatures stay below freezing for a stretch, canals and lakes can freeze over - and when they do, ice skating becomes one of the country's most-loved seasonal traditions. Ice skating rinks also appear across the city – a hallmark of the season is ice skating in front of the Rijks museum, surrounded by Christmas markets and others, simply taking in the breathtaking view. Even without ice, winter is a genuinely good time to visit museums without the queues, and hotel prices outside the Christmas period are noticeably lower than any other season.
Snow is possible but not guaranteed, so pack for cold rather than count on a white postcard scene.
→ Continue planning: Christmas in the Netherlands
