... but if you can’t bear to fly, try
IT HAS never been easier to pop across to the Netherlands for a mini-break, thanks to new direct Eurostar services from St Pancras and Amsterdam.
But why stop at Amsterdam? You could hop on the superefficient Dutch rail network and explore a host of towns and cities. On a stick-a-pin-on-the-map basis, I chose the small town of Harderwijk, east of Amsterdam, a place where the Dutch themselves go for a spot of R&R.
The 8.31am from St Pancras gets into Amsterdam Centraal at 1.12pm, leaving enough time to catch the 1.30pm to Amersfoort. From there, take the Sprinter service, which gets into Harderwijk at 2.38pm precisely.
Harderwijk is a reasonably sized town with a population of about 46,000. I checked into the Hotel Baars (hotelbaars.nl), a Best Western establishment on Smeepoortstraat that has been family-run since 1875.
DAY ONE
IF YOU pitch up in Harderwijk in the early afternoon, there is still plenty of time to sightsee. Wander past the busy independent shops of Donkerstraat to the main square, the Markt, then head down Bruggestraat to the waterside. From there go through a surviving gate of the old city wall to the Vischmarkt, a gorgeous, old cobbled rectangle of houses, restaurants and shops.
There’s a market on Saturday mornings where you can buy the local delicacy, eel, and foodies should also check Zuivelhoeve on Wolleweverstraat for cheese and nuts, or Egbert van Der Vegt on Smeepoortstraat for more cheese and Belgian chocolates.
For a relatively small town, Harderwijk has lots of places to eat, many of them top-quality. Vischmarkt alone has three very swish and fairly expensive restaurants – ’t Nonnentje, Basiliek and Ratatouille – as well as a pizzeria and a bistro.
I didn’t bother reserving a table for dinner. Big mistake. At the weekends especially, Harderwijk’s restaurants are jam-packed. That’s why the town centre seemed so quiet on my first evening – everyone was inside, eating.
I ended up tumbling into a large waterside restaurant called Johannes, which did have a spare table, but the kitchen had just closed – at 8.30pm. As a favour, the chef managed to rustle up a huge plate of kebbeling (Dutch fried cod). It was delicious and certainly worth the €15 (£13.50) cost.
I also recommend a drink at the quietly buzzy cafes, De Boterlap or the Baron, and relish the eminently civilised atmosphere.
DAY TWO
THE only options for breakfast are your hotel or cafes on the Markt. Afterwards, if you’re not
venturing beyond the town, then there are two old churches to visit, a museum on Donkerstraat, and the Dolfinarium, which claims to be the largest marine mammal park in Europe (dolfinarium.nl).
A good idea is to hire a bike from a shop such as Kleijer on Smeepoortstraat or directly from your hotel (mine charged €11 a day).
Harderwijk borders the Veluwe, a nature reserve and national park, which are worth exploring. Alternatively, take a train to one of the other towns on the edge of the Veluwe, such as picturesque Kampen or Nunspeet, and go for a hike or bike ride.
After a hard day’s cycling or walking in the Veluwe, reward yourself with coffee and apple cake in Nunspeet at the charming Hotel Villa Vennendal.
Bear in mind that dinner is eaten early in Holland. On Sundays, the last bookings at Ratatouille are at 6.30pm.
Watch out too for the Dutch habit of naming vegetables first and meat as an afterthought – at Ratatouille, for example, they offer puffed parsnip with Jerusalem artichoke, salsify and mushroom, and stew of beef.
...AND GETTING BACK
THERE is still no direct train back to St Pancras from Amsterdam, so take a train to Brussels and change for the Eurostar. Although you board at Amsterdam, you go through security and passport control at Brussels.