(On your way up, stop at Muiderslot Castle: Just a short drive from Amsterdam, Muiderslot is a well-preserved medieval castle. Kids can explore the fortress, its drawbridges, and even dress up in costumes.)
1. Zwolle is one of the larger Hanseatic cities and a good starting point for exploring the area (somewhere to stay) and a good alternative to staying in over touristed Giethoorn (“Venice of the North”). Old streets, cozy boutiques, art galleries and the famous Peperbus Tower from the 14th century characterize the center of this city. With a cruise boat you can sail through the canals of the city, including the famous star shaped canal. Six km South of Zwolle lies the very cute Hanseatic city of Hattem with historic center and merchant houses. Here is also the Anton Pieck Museum, who is known for his beautiful drawings and fairy tale books and as the designer of the Efteling theme park. In the Dutch Bakery Museum (Kerkhofstraat 13) you can learn everything about baking bread and on Saturday there are workshops for children. In Kampen, also very beautiful, it’s an an historic center and many old monuments such as the city gates, the Church of St. Nicholas and a replica of a medieval merchant ship. In museum The Elephant you can see how cigars are made and view the longest cigar in the world.
