The Beauty of Huis Ten Bos

Enjoy hours of free time in Huis Ten Bosch, a meticulously manicured theme park that is a re-creation of a quaint Dutch town. Named for the royal palace in the Hague, Huis Ten Bosch is a sincere homage to the Dutch, who opened a Dutch East India Company trading office nearby in the 17th century.

While wandering about the canals, you may see a replica of the palace, clusters of windmills, fields of colorful tulips and every other imaginable Dutch icon. As you might expect, large areas of the park are devoted to shopping, entertainment and restaurants. More unusual aspects include the horror-themed Thriller City, where you might ramble through a digital haunted mansion.

There is truly something for everyone, including a carousel, porcelain museum, robot kingdom and virtual-reality fishing. Perhaps the best place to start your adventure is atop the Domtoren observation platform, which offers a sweeping view of this wonderfully bizarre theme park.