There’s never a bad time to visit Amsterdam, but go in the spring and you’ll get to experience the breathtaking beauty of Holland’s world-famous tulips, which blossom for just a few weeks each year. Here are three outdoor experiences you need to enjoy while you’re there…
Amsterdam is synonymous with canals, and the charming waterways will no doubt play a starring role in some of the most beautiful photos you take on a trip to the Dutch capital.
There are 165 canals that run for more than 100 kilometres, and more than 1,200 bridges. Amsterdam’s nickname might be “Venice of the North” but it actually has more canals than its Italian counterpart – and more than three times as many bridges!
The Canal Ring became part of the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2010, and a cruise along these beautiful waterways is one of the best introductions to the city you can get. Choose ahop-on-hop-off service, intimate guided boat tour, dinner tour or romantic candle-lit tour, or you can even rent out the services of your own gondolier and really show those Venetians who’s boss! Prices for a gondola ride with Gondel start from €160 (around AU$250) for up to six people.
If you love tulips you’re sure to love Amsterdam’s most popular green space, Vondelpark.
Beloved by tourists and locals alike, it’s the largest city park in Amsterdam (47 hectares), and its location – southwest of the city centre – is conveniently near the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum (two more stops you’ll want to add to an Amsterdam itinerary).
Paths wind through the park, taking you past fields, ponds and playgrounds, an open-air theatre, restaurants and cafés, and a rose garden featuring more than 70 types of roses (just in case you want a rest from all the tulips).
Best of all, Vondelpark – which was named after Dutch poet Joost van den Vondel, and opened to the public in 1865 – is free to visit.
From flower auctions to endless flower markets, including Bloemenmarkt, the floating flower market, Amsterdam positively bursts with pretty blooms in the spring. The dates vary and it all depends on Mother Nature, but in general spring flowers bloom from March to May.
And if you fancy a little day trip, not too far from Amsterdam in the town of Lisse (about 40km away, and easily accessible by car and train) lies Keukenhof, a.k.a “the Garden of Europe”.
Established in 1949, this is the most famous tulip garden in Europe, if not the world. Featuring 32 hectares planted with literally millions of tulips and other flowers, Keukenhof is only open for a few weeks every year, to coincide with the tulip season. So if you happen to be there during this special time, the extraordinary experience will stay with you forever.
Read more: 5 non-traditional things to do in Amsterdam