The Dutch responded unequivocally when asked which city in the country they would want to spend the weekend in Maastricht.
In a poll conducted by Columbus Travel, 3000 Dutch citizens were asked to choose their favorite municipality for a day trip within the nation. About half of the respondents said they would want to visit Maastricht.
Maastricht might be the ideal vacation spot with all the impending holidays and extended weekends, and it’s only a train ride away for the majority of people.
Maastricht is the most popular city in the Netherlands for a day trip
With its historic city center, surrounding natural beauty, and boat rides along the Maas, Maastricht exudes charm.
Several tourists come to the city for a stroll through the historic district. Also included in the enormous historic Dominicanenkerk is a distinctive, exquisite bookstore.
Among all of the parks strewn around the city and along the river Maas, there are also boat trips that you can step onto and go up the Maas. From there, you briefly cross into Belgium on the river and can smell the crisp Belgian waffles.
In addition, Maastricht can boast of being one of the highest peaks on the Dutch continent. Despite only being 171 meters high, the St Pietersberg peak is visible from the majority of boat journeys.
Haarlem is the second
Over one-third of the respondents chose Haarlem, a cultural mecca, as the second most popular destination for a weekend getaway, according to the Dutch.
In addition, Haarlem offers a lovely old city center with many of cultural attractions, including numerous museums dispersed around the area.
Several people also mention how much they like the quaint, Burgundian vibe in Haarlem.
Top 10 most popular Dutch cities for a day trip
| Ranking | City |
| 1 | Maastricht |
| 2 | Haarlem |
| 3 | Ede |
| 4 | Deventer |
| 5 | Leeuwarden |
| 6 | Groningen |
| 7 | Nijmegen |
| 8 | Den Bosch |
| 9 | Leiden |
| 10 | Arnhem |
“The Dutch have become more interested as a result of the economic crisis and are more inclined to look outside the established tourist favorites,” claims Mark Mackintosh, editor-in-chief of Columbus Travel.
A growing number of Dutch tourists are being drawn to charming cities that aren’t the typical popular tourist attractions. Now that Amsterdam is only ranked 17th on the list for Dutchies, it is facing some competition.
