4x The most beautiful winter road trips through the Netherlands

This versatile road trip shows you the most beautiful spots in the northern Netherlands. Take the car or rent an electric vintage volkswagen van and go on a journey of discovery in West Groningen. Groningen is full of great spots and even in the winter cold, these are good to visit.

Start the winter road trip at the Suikertuin, the creative hotspot of the city of Groningen. Walk around this large area and meanwhile enjoy hot chocolate or a soup at Stadslab. If you get tired of the winter cold, spend the night in the Bamboo Lodge, where you can imagine yourself in the tropics. A great advantage of the winter cold is that Dutch nature is still in hibernation. With a layer of frost on the plants, the De Onlanden nature reserve is the best place to resume your road trip early in the morning. Then seek warmth again at Koffie & Theehuis Tante Til and finish this diverse winter road trip at Camping Marenland in Winsum.

This winter road trip takes you along the four most beautiful castles and country estates of the Netherlands. You start the route in Overijssel and after almost 185 kilometres you finish in Utrecht. From castles with the richest history, to castles with beautiful sprawling gardens, they all feature in this road trip.

Start the route at Twickel Castle in Overijssel. This fairy-tale castle stands on a site of up to 4300 hectares. Not surprisingly, the garden here attracts most attention. Stroll through the many sandy paths in this area and then continue the route to Amerongen Castle. Here it is bursting with history. Learn stories of Franco-Dutch war and English landscape style. Along the way, stop at Teahouse De Heerlijke Huiskamer, where you can enjoy a drink and the warmth of the fireplace. There is also plenty of history at Slot Zuylen, the third castle of the road trip. The history of this Slot starts as early as the ^13th century. End the roadtrip at Landgoed Oud Amelisweerd, where volunteers tell enthusiastic stories about the estate and its history.

Would you like to read more about this? In this blog, Honeyguide Yalou takes you on a tour of these four beautiful castles.

The Elfstedentocht in Friesland has been a phenomenon in the Netherlands for years, but in my young life it has never been possible to actually ride it. That is certainly no excuse not to visit these Dutch cities in winter, which is why this Elfsteden road trip in Friesland is definitely among my favourites.

Start the route in Friesland's capital, Leeuwarden. Here, visit the Fries Museum or have a drink at Proefverlof. From Leeuwarden, the road trip along the other 10 cities begins. Visit the historic watergate in Sneek, take a city walk through the small town of IJlst or visit the Frisian Skating Museum in Hindeloopen. There is plenty to do and see in each of the 11 towns. End the winter roadtrip with a typically Dutch herbal drink in characteristic Dokkum.

Read more tips on the Eleven Cities road trip in Honeyguide Amanda’s blog.

An adventurous trip along the largest national monument in the Netherlands, that is what you can expect during this winter road trip. The New Dutch Waterline is an important line of defence, where invaders were stopped by water. Forts, fortresses and castles can be found all along the line.

There are no fewer than four forts on the Eiland van Schalkwijk. Start your route here and get a taste of an important piece of Dutch history. Hidden in the winter landscape you will find Fort Honswijk, a large and imposing fort. A stone's throw away from this is Fort Lunet aan de Snel, which is a slightly smaller but more characteristic fort. Visit both forts and get a taste of an important piece of Dutch history.

The roadtrip continues via the Waterlinie to Fort Everdingen, but before heading to this unique fort, stop at the drowned forest. Take a walk on the plank path and wander through a mysterious and mangrove-like area. At Fort Everdingen, recover from the walks with home-brewed dark 'German & Lauret' beer. Fort Everdingen has a very rich past and was bought up a few years ago and converted into a real brewery. With its special setting and a sustainable way of brewing beer, this fort is definitely worth a visit.

End the road trip at Slot Loevestein, a worthy conclusion to this route full of culture. From the castle rampart, look out over Monnikenland where the ice crystals are still visible in the nature reserve. Spot herds of horses, grazing sheep or flying geese here. Slot Loevestein is a real hidden gem!