Must-see shopping in The Netherlands

  • Weduwe Joustra

    Friesland

    No drink is more traditional to seafaring Sneek than beerenburg, a local herb-infused gin originally drunk by sailors to warm their cockles at sea and…

  • Roosje Hindeloopen

    Friesland

    A mooch around the workshop and boutique of Hindeloopen's oldest furniture maker is a highlight. Founded in 1894, the family business is run today by…

  • HetFotoAtelier

    Utrecht

    Whichever side of the lens you prefer to be, if you love pre-digital, black-and-white photography, this specialist shop-gallery will probably be your…

  • Hôtel Droog

    Amsterdam

    Not a hotel, but a local design house. Droog means 'dry' in Dutch, and these products are full of dry wit. You'll find all kinds of stylish versions of…

  • X Bank

    Medieval Centre & Red Light District

    More than just a concept store showcasing Dutch-designed haute couture and ready-to-wear fashion, furniture, art, gadgets and homewares, the 700-sq-metre…

  • De Pure Markt

    Amsterdam

    On the last Sunday of the month De Pure Markt sets up in Park Frankendael, with artisanal and organic producers selling delicious gourmet foodstuffs…

  • Wereldwijven

    South Holland

    A shop associated with a social enterprise, Wereldwijven (Worldpeople) trains migrant women in sewing and embroidery, giving them a potential income…

  • Cottoncake

    De Pijp

    Painted cotton-white inside and out, this chic little shop makes and sells its own scented candles and perfumes, and stocks fashion, jewellery and…

  • De Bierverteller

    Utrecht

    Obliging, knowledgeable staff can help you make sense of over 700 varieties of beer, arranged by flavour rather than provenance.

  • De Groene Passage

    Rotterdam

    An emporium of eco-conscious and sustainable products, this indoor market hosts small businesses selling food, soaps, clothing, homewares, furniture and…

  • Holtbar

    Groningen

    With its organic coffee bar, homemade cakes and impeccable choice of Dutch brands, this small concept store is worth lingering in. Among its designer…

  • Groos

    Rotterdam

    Its name is revived local slang for 'pride', and this concept store in the Het Industriegebouw creative industries building is clearly proud of the…

  • Grote Markt

    Haarlem

    Haarlem is at its liveliest during its regular Monday and, especially, Saturday market, when its namesake square fills with stalls selling fresh produce,…

  • Pied à Terre

    Amsterdam

    Travel lovers will be in heaven in the galleried, skylit interior of Europe's largest travel bookshop. If it's travel- or outdoor-related, you can dream…

  • Welcome to craft beer heaven: Bier Baum stocks an endless choice of tipples

    J&B Craft Drinks

    Amsterdam

    J&B Craft Drinks offers a huge range of craft beers, ciders and tasty soda from all over the globe, which are available cold from the fridge, making them…

  • Kaashandel van der Ley

    Groningen

    In business since 1934, this cheesemonger sells the finest cheese from the Netherlands – more than 300 types – and around the world. Look for local…

  • Locals

    Medieval Centre & Red Light District

    Jeweller Suzanne Hof set up this boutique to showcase designs from her own label, Sugarz, but also to provide a platform for small-scale designers from…

  • Het Faire Oosten

    Amsterdam

    The perfect place to pick up an interesting gift or souvenir, Het Faire Oosten is stocked with beautiful homewares, quirky books, accessories and clothing…

  • Posthumus

    Medieval Centre & Red Light District

    Established in 1865, this wonderfully preserved shop with original timber cabinetry produces lacquer stamps for wax seals (and sells sealing wax), brass…

  • Mark Raven Grafiek

    Medieval Centre & Red Light District

    Artist Mark Raven's distinctive vision of Amsterdam is available on posters, coasters and well-cut T-shirts that make great souvenirs. Prices are…

  • Boekhandel Dominicanen

    Maastricht

    A cathedral of books – literally. Don't miss the relaxed coffee-house area that takes the place of the altar.

  • Waterlooplein flea market in the Southern canal belt.

    Waterlooplein Flea Market

    Amsterdam

    Covering the square once known as Vlooienburg (Flea Town), this flea market isn't huge but there are some good finds (and a bit of tourist tat, too)…

  • Schorem, front view

    Schorem

    Rotterdam

    Styled on the barbershops of old, Schorem offers traditional gel-thick haircuts like pompadours, flattops and contours. However, it’s the atmosphere that…

  • Discover three floors of English-language books at the American Book Center

    American Book Center

    Medieval Centre & Red Light District

    Rambling over three storeys, this excellent bookshop is the biggest source of English-language books in Amsterdam. Its greatest strengths are in the artsy…

  • Stop into Het Fort van Sjakoo for your alternative bookshop fix

    Het Fort van Sjakoo

    Amsterdam

    For anarchist, communist and feminist tomes and zines on everything from pirates to punk, try this long-running not-for-profit bookshop (since 1977 and…

  • Jackets for sale at Ij Hallen flea market

    IJ Hallen

    Amsterdam Noord

    This whopping flea market takes place once a month, with 750 stalls outside in a huge area at NDSM-werf. It goes indoors into two NDSM warehouses from…

  • Window display of Condomerie Het Guiden Vlies shop.

    Condomerie het Gulden Vlies

    Medieval Centre & Red Light District

    In the heart of the Red Light District, this brightly lit boutique sells condoms in every imaginable size, colour, flavour and design (horned devils,…

  • Local cheese heaven awaits at 't Kaasboertje, Amsterdam

    't Kaasboertje

    De Pijp

    Enormous wheels of Gouda line the walls of this enticing cheese shop, and more cheeses fill the glass display cabinet. Crispbreads and crackers are on…

  • Get your fix of hip magazines at Athenaeum boekhandel

    Athenaeum

    Medieval Centre & Red Light District

    Amsterdam's savviest bookshop is a bit of an intellectual and style hub. Its adjoining newsagent has a selection of cutting-edge international magazines,…

  • Boutique shopping in the heart of De Pijp

    Brick Lane

    De Pijp

    Individual, affordable designs for women arrive at this London-inspired boutique every couple of weeks, keeping the selection up-to-the-minute.

  • Afûk

    Leeuwarden

    For an excellent selection of books about Friesland, including a couple of translations of Frisian poets and novelists, duck into this Frisian bookshop…

  • Sunday Market

    Amsterdam

    Browse quality craft, fashion and design produced by talented locals. Markets typically take place at Westergasfabriek on the first Sunday of the month,…

  • Wei Design

    Haarlem

    Dutch designers whose works are stocked at this design shop include Elke van den Berg (porcelain clocks, vases and bowls), Dirk Vander Kooij (3D-printed…

  • Arti Choc

    Amsterdam

    Chocolate is almost too beautiful to eat at this luxury choc stop, with homemade pralines and truffles ready to melt in the mouth. There are over 50 kinds…

  • Magna Plaza

    Medieval Centre & Red Light District

    This grand 19th-century landmark building, once the main post office, is now home to an upmarket shopping mall with more than 40 boutiques stocking…

  • Hempstory

    Medieval Centre & Red Light District

    Everything at this light-filled contemporary boutique is made from hemp: skincare ranges (soaps, moisturisers, and body washes such as hemp and ginseng),…

  • Booij Kaasmakers

    Rotterdam

    Making cheese for close on four centuries, this family business specialises in buurenkaas (neighbourhood cheese), which it makes on a farm outside…

  • De Bijenkorf

    Medieval Centre & Red Light District

    Amsterdam's most fashionable department store has a grander exterior than interior, but it occupies the city's highest-profile location, facing the Royal…

  • Oudemanhuispoort Book Market

    Medieval Centre & Red Light District

    Secondhand books weigh down the tables in the atmospheric covered alleyway between Oudezijds Achterburgwal and Kloveniersburgwal, where you'll rub tweed…

  • De KaasKampanje van Haarlem

    Haarlem

    Premium Dutch cheeses, such as Roomano (a hard Gouda-like cheese from Friesland) and Zeekraalkaas (sheep's-milk cheese with samphire from the West Frisian…

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