I've lived in the Netherlands for 15 years. These 4 cities have canals and culture — and fewer crowds than Amsterdam.

Zutphen is full of gorgeous architecture that always makes me feel transported back in time.

Dana Marin

I've loved Amsterdam since my first visit as a tourist — so much so that 15 years ago, I moved here.As someone who now calls Amsterdam home, I'm the first to admit you won't find another city quite like this in the Netherlands. In recent years, however, I've noticed that the crowds coming to adore Amsterdam just keep growing.It feels like everywhere I turn, there's someone else snapping the same photo I was planning to. The Red Light District becomes packed with tourists, and there are social-media-generated queues stretching along some of the city's most beautiful bridges.So, when my friends visit Amsterdam, I always recommend they take a day or weekend trip to one of these other Dutch cities, where they'll find historic centers, waterways, museums, and café culture, all with a fraction of the crowds.Utrecht has cool canals and delicious food

I think Utrecht's canals are some of the coolest in the country.

Dana Marin