Holland in Bloom

January 19, 2016

In the springtime, Holland is one of Europe’s most colourful and vibrant countries, thanks to its love for plants and flowers. The country is famous for its wonderful tulip fields, mostly located in the Kop Van Noord Holland region, but there’s plenty more for green-fingered travellers to check out!

One of Holland’s most famous botanical destinations is Keukenhof Gardens, which open throughout the spring and summer. The gardens are home to over 7 million bulbs in bloom, made up of a range of over 800 varieties of plants. There are also restaurants where you can grab a bite to eat, themed exhibitions and rotating displays and shops where you can buy bulbs, gardening guides and more.

If you’re looking to buy your own bulbs and plants to take home, then head to Bloemenmarkt, the floating flower market in Amsterdam. The boats are permanently moored in the city’s canals, near Singel, and open year-round, offering the chance to get your hands on fantastic Dutch tulips at a great price.

Holland’s annual 2-day flower parade sees over 20 colourfully decorated floats and over 30 cars coated in flowers cruise along a 42km route from Noordwijk to Haarlem. Setting off on the 23rd of April, the parade passes through Keukenhof Gardens, and the floats are available to view until 5pm in Haarlem on the 24th.

From mid-March to mid-May it’s tulip season in Holland, which sees the fields of the countryside transform into a colourful patchwork quilt. This makes Holland the perfect place for horticulturalists to visit in the spring, and to learn the story of these fascinating flowers, which were such an important part of Holland’s cultural history for so long.

Head from Amsterdam to Den Helder for a look at the beautiful countryside of Holland, and why not stop off at the Alkmaar Cheese Market on the way home for another typically Dutch experience?

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