The Randstad
The Randstad
The Randstad literally translates as ‘Urban Agglomeration’. It’s the Netherlands’ most densely populated region, spreading in a circle from Amsterdam, incorporating the Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht, and smaller towns like Haarlem, Leiden and Delft.
The area’s most spectacular sight is the bulb fields near Leiden which explode into colour between March and May. Even from the window of a train they’re intoxicating, but a back-roads bicycle trip is the best way to enjoy them. The Keukenhof, south of Haarlem, is the world’s largest garden.