Amsterdam is a vibrant city with lovely tree-lined canals, a wealth of museums, and an anything-goes attitude. The city is centrally located within the Netherlands, so after you explore the urban sites, day trips from Amsterdam are a convenient way to explore the rural Dutch countryside and learn about their local culture.

Explore the Netherlands with these 3 favorite day trips from Amsterdam:

From Miniature to Expansive – Madurodam and Scheveningen Beach

If you’re short on time and want to see the entire country in a couple hours, Madurodam is the place to go. Located in Den Hague, about a 45-minute train ride from Amsterdam, Madurodam is a delightful park with detailed, 1:25 scale representations of all the must-see landmarks in Holland. There are Dutch Royal Palaces and historical buildings, complete with manicured gardens; the intricately detailed Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House and canals of Amsterdam; working windmills, trains, ferries, container ships and locks; and 3-meter airplanes moving on the runways of Schiphol Airport. Madurodam is greatly educational for both adults and children. Plan for at least two hours to wander the dozens of replicas and marvel at the incredible detail. Admission is €15.50 per person, or buy three, get one free.

Spend the rest of the day at the nearby seaside resort of Scheveningen Beach with its wide sandy beach, more than 100 restaurants and beach clubs along the Boulevard esplanade, a pier and Sealife aquarium.

Flower Power – Aalsmeer and Keukenhof Gardens

Practically next door to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, you can visit Aalsmeer, the largest flower auction on earth. The auction is open to the public at 7:00 am on weekdays – be sure to arrive early to see the most action. A self-guided tour (€6 adult) allows visitors to watch from a gallery as a parade of colorful flowers come before the auction clock. After the auction, Combi-ticket holders (€13.50 adult) can visit the historic garden that spans 13,000 square meters, and enjoy a boat ride on the lake.

For flower lovers who visit the Netherlands between mid-March and mid-May, Keukenhof Gardens is absolutely a must-see attraction. About 20 miles southwest of Amsterdam, these gardens come alive with 7 million tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other spring flowering bulbs during a short, exuberant spring. A Keukenhof garden designer creates a special design for each of nearly 100 bulb suppliers/exhibitors and the colorful landscape is nothing short of spectacular. Admission is €16 per adult, open March 24 – May 16, 2016.

Dutch Ingenuity – the UNESCO Windmills of Kinderdijk

Approximately 10 miles east of Rotterdam, 19 authentic windmills spin in a natural landscape that would be underwater if not for the resourcefulness of the 18th century Dutch farmers. Unlike watermills that grind grain, these windmills pumped excess water from the low-lying Alblasserwaard polder and discharged it to the Lek River. Modern pumping stations were installed in the 1950s, and now the historic windmills of Kinderdijk are designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a reminder of the Netherlands’ 1,000-year battle against water.

At several of the historic mills you can go inside to see the cramped quarters and internal mechanisms of the working mill (€7.50 adult). A real miller is on hand to tend the mill as the wind changes and share his lifestyle. All 19 windmills are connected by a canal-side walking and cycling path and canal boats offer water tours (€5 adult). You’ll want to spend at least a half day exploring Kinderdijk – longer if you enjoy a picnic along the way or lunch in the quaint town nearby. The mills are closed January through mid-February for maintenance, but the public foot and cycle path is always open and free.

For a small country, the Netherlands is packed with culture, history and beauty and you can see a lot of it with day trips out of Amsterdam. For assistance planning your trip, contact the vacation experts at Covington Travel today.