As the name implies, the Southwest Michigan town of Holland is proud of its Dutch heritage. Get comfortable at a Holland bed and breakfast and discover this wonderful and unique place on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Admire elegant Dutch art at the Holland Museum, and visit Nelis’ Dutch Village, which features early 20th-century Dutch architecture, crafts, music, and dance. Be sure to try on a pair of traditional wooden shoes after watching how they are carved. Visit Windmill Island on the edge of town and admire the only genuine Dutch windmill in the USA.
The Dutch connection even reaches into the agriculture of the area; each spring, thousands of tulips toss their colorful heads in the wind. The region is said to have more varieties of tulips than any other place in the country. Be sure to travel to Holland’s bed and breakfasts in early May for the Tulip Time Festival, which boasts over 1,500 authentically dressed Dutch dancers and millions of tulips.
It is wonderful to stay in a bed and breakfast during the Dutch Winterfest. From November to January, the town comes alive with a Holiday Kerstmarkt (or European-style open-air market), where it is always possible to find a delectable Dutch treat. Witness the arrival of Sinterklaas, who (according to Dutch tradition) visits towns each December on a white horse, accompanied by mischievous Zwarte Piet helpers. It is absolutely delightful to experience a town with such deeply embedded, culturally distinct traditions.
There is so much to do and see around Holland that you’ll want to return to a bed and breakfasts in Holland again and again. Snap a photo of the aptly named Big Red Lighthouse, one of the most famous Michigan Lighthouses of all. Tour the numerous Michigan wineries in and around Holland. Spend time walking along the white sandy beaches of Holland State Park, or hop on a boat and head out onto Lake Michigan. Simply wonderful.
