Where to spend a romantic weekend getaway in the Netherlands?

When looking for a romantic destination, you often think of the classics such as Venice, Paris. And for those of us who dare to dream a bit bigger, the beautiful Maldives. But what if I tell you that you can also experience the best of these places closer to home. A place where you can sail on romantic canals, soak up culture, dine in style and enjoy long walks along beautiful sandy beaches. That is why I’m taking you on a romantic weekend getaway to the area of surprises located in the Netherlands.

On my blog you have already read about our unforgettable city trip in the city of discoveries, Leiden. It is therefore no surprise that the area of surprises is situated around this beautiful city. A region that has so much to offer and is the ideal destination for a romantic weekend getaway with or without the kids.

Waking up in a green environment, that’s possible on the domain of castle Oud Poelgeest. This domain is located in the green town of Oegstgeest that’s known for its beautiful walking and bike trails and local shops.

The domain of castle Oud Poelgeest consists of an impressive castle, a coach house and a beautiful, lush garden. The castle dates from the 17th century. Today the historic rooms have been transformed into elegant meeting rooms with still a few authentic elements. But that isn’t everything. The castle also has a castle bar with a beautiful sunny terrace on the water. This is the ideal place for conferences, team buildings, but also festive occasions such as weddings. The hotel rooms are located in the coach house that was added to the domain in the 19th century. But the icing on the cake is definitely the extensive, goregeous castle garden. Nothing better to go out into the garden for a romantic morning stroll after the delicious breakfast buffet.

An activity that can’t be missing on your romantic weekend getaway in the Netherlands is a boat trip on the canals of the beautiful city Leiden. Although this wasn’t our first time, we were eager to go on the water. This time we sailed with the boat company de Leidse rederij. Our captain picked us up in a beautiful, authentic boat in the garden of castle Oud Poelgeest, talking about a VIP treatment …

The captain took us along the canals from Oegstgeest to Leiden. In the meantime he told us about the history of the city, with a few fun anecdotes. It was great that, despite our second visit, we learned a lot of new things about Leiden.

But what makes Noordwijk so special? The beautiful coastline, the extensive sandy beach with adjacent dunes, the hip and trendy beach bars, the more secluded, cozy, historical centre of Noordwijk and so much more. So many different factors that make Noordwijk a top destination for a romantic weekend getaway in the Netherlands.

One of the typical Dutch ways to discover the area of surprises is of course by bike. This way you can fully explore this region at your own pace and discover even the most hidden gems. The best cycling routes can be found on fietsnetwerk.nl. We ourselves intended to cycle from Oegstgeest to Noordwijk, but unfortunately the weather was too bad.

We opted for the dune and beach tour along the hotspots of Noordwijk and the surrounding area. In this way we also got to know Noordwijk in a different way and we came across many unknown places for us.

It was great that while we were exploring we could listen to interesting facts and fun anecdotes about the region via the audio guide. And the best bonus was that we could easily stop and park somewhere with this car. So whenever we saw a cool spot, we could just park and go explore.

The second museum we visted was the Voorlinden museum in Wassenaar. Arrived at the parking lot, we were immediately impressed by the gigantic domain with imposing buildings and enchanting garden. The museum houses several exhibitions of modern art. The great thing about modern art is that it is limitless and that is definitely noticeable in the various exhibitions and rooms. Around every corner there was another surprise.

The weather was very bad at the time, so unfortunately we couldn’t explore the surrounding gardens. It’s said that you can find a food truck here with coffee, tea and homemade delicacies during summer . Too bad we had to miss this. If you would like to explore the entire domain, make sure you take your time. We already did 3 hours to cover the entire museum. It’s also best to book your tickets in advance here.

Admit it, you can’t have a romantic trip without a tête à tête. A delicious lunch or dinner for two should certainly not be missing on a romantic weekend getaway in the Netherlands.

During our previous visit to Leiden and Noordwijk, we discovered that this region has many tasty and cozy restaurants. So that we would find the perefect locations to have a delicious dinner for two in the area of surprises was not a surprise to us.

Lunch or dinner with an ocean view maybe sounds a bit cliché when we talk about romantic getaways … But still recommended if you are in Noordwijk. On the beach you will find Breakers beach house, a beautiful beach pavilion with Victorian influences, where you can enjoy a delicious meal with “yes” a view of the Noordwijk coastline. I advise you to taste the delicious fish dishes here. In good weather you can also take a seat on the terrace. In short, the perfect place to end a fun day at the beach in Noordwijk.