Floriade: Visit Now or Never

May 8, 2012 by Andrea 4 Comments

Ok so visiting Floriade isn’t really a matter of now or never but being a once in a decade event means you’ll be waiting quite some time until the next expo in 2022.

Before arriving at Floriade I wondered if it was going to be like the Keukenhof flower festival but as it turns out, it’s a completely different kind of event. While there are many beautiful flower displays, Floriade is focused on green living and sustainability; promoting new ideas and technology in the horticultural world.

One of the main trends was to focus on reducing, reusing and recycling within the home and this included some interesting design and decorating ideas.

Using espaliered trees was also popular and is a great way to save space if you only have a small garden.

If you time your visit right you can watch some cooking displays using fresh, local ingredients. Of course, I didn’t time it right but did get to see the beautiful looking fruit and vegetables on display. These white eggplants actually look like eggs!

My favourite part of Floriade was the international section where countries from around the world showcase their gardens, culture and way of life. Afghanistan in particular had a great display although it didn’t seem to have much to do with agriculture. Their building was a mix between a museum and a bazaar. Traditional costumes and jewellery were on display and they were doing a great trade in scarves and semi-precious stones. Some of the walls were lined with photos from Afghanistan.

There was also a bunch of Afghan currency lying around but I guess there wasn’t a problem having it out in the open as I imagine it’s virtually worthless. I regret not buying some.

Floriade is in a massive showground which takes quite some time to wander around. To get a quick overview of the grounds you can take a cable car ride from one end to the next which is well worth the €5 price tag.

Floriade wouldn’t be much of a horticultural show if they didn’t have some wonderful flower displays and not only can you see popular Dutch tulips and hyacinths there are also many unusual flowers on show like hippeastrums and orchids.

Food at Floriade

There are many places to stop and eat reasonably priced, healthy food, much of which is organic. For something unusual head to the international area to try some street food from around the world. I had one of my favourite Dutch treats called poffertjes which are like little pancakes covered in melted butter and liberal amounts of icing sugar.

Then there were these freshly peeled and cut potatoes which were deep fried and salted. I don’t know what they’re called but I’d definitely recommend them.

Visiting Floriade in 2012

Floriade is located near Venlo in the Netherlands very close to the German border (near Cologne) and not far from Belgium. If you happen to be in the region, it’s worth stopping by Floriade to spend the day discovering unique plants and design from around the world. It’s particularly worthwhile if you have young kids who can learn about nature and play with the many interactive displays.

Floriade is open until the 7th October 2012.

Where to Stay

The closest town to Floriade is Venlo but I’d recommend staying in a hotel or bed and breakfast in Arcen which is a very cute town 20 minutes from the showgrounds. If heading to Floriade by car make sure you get good directions on getting there as your GPS won’t be of any help, trust me.

Filed Under: Netherlands Tagged With: expo, floriade, netherlands, venlo

Keukenhof Tulip Festival

April 30, 2012 by Andrea 4 Comments

Keukenhof is the home of the Netherlands’ annual flower festival and the most well known tulip festival in the world. Located just south of Amsterdam in the small town of Lisse, it’s a fun day trip from the capital for flower and garden enthusiasts.

Keukenhof has always been a dream destination for me and I was overwhelmed by the stunning flower displays when I visited in early April. Early spring sees mostly hyacinths and daffodils in flower but there were 1000s of early flowering tulips on display too.

Hyacinths are one of my favourite flowers and you can pick up their sweet smelling scent as it wafts throughout the gardens. If you love hyacinths, be sure to visit Keukenhof early in the season.

Hyacinths are great but the main attractions are the tulips gardens. There were mass displays of mixed colours and many smaller plantings too. All were beautiful.

More tulips will be in flower in the outdoor beds as the season progresses but the massive indoor tulip pavilion has every tulip colour and shape imaginable all festival long.

These feathered tulips were so pretty and one of my favourites.

You can also see the much sought after black tulip.

I was surprised to see there is also an indoor pavilion for orchids. I have never seen such variety before. If only I could grow these myself somehow.

It goes without saying I took an awful lot of photos so here are a couple more of my favourites.

How to Get There

Keukenhof is located near Lisse, not from from Amsterdam to the north and Leiden to the south. Buses run regularly from Amsterdam and Leiden or if driving there is plenty of parking at the event.

Where to Stay

I stayed in Lisse at the modern Hotel de Duif for the convenience of being able to walk to the gardens. Many visitors choose to stay in Amsterdam or Leiden and then do a day trip to Keukenhof.

When to Visit

The Keukenhof flower festival is open from the 22nd March til 20th May in 2012. Check the Keukenhof site for 2013 dates. I would recommend visiting in early April to avoid the crowds and to see the hyacinths and daffodils or late April til early May for the chance of better weather and to see more of the outdoor tulip displays. No matter when you visit there will always be 1000s of flowering bulbs throughout Holland’s Keukenhof gardens.

Filed Under: Netherlands Tagged With: festivals, keukenhof, lisse, netherlands

Stopover in Utrecht

April 19, 2012 by Andrea 10 Comments

Utrecht is like a mini version of Amsterdam but without the red light district. Canals, bikes, bulbs and street food abound along with the (unfortunately) gloomy weather typical in that part of the world. Utrecht is a university city so even though it’s fairly small it’s bustling with young bike-riding people from around The Netherlands.

The canals are lined with cafes and little boutiques and of course more bikes.

Utrecht has a mixture of architectural styles including Medieval, Art Nouveau and Brutalist architecture. It’s an odd mix but the centre of the city is mostly made up of pretty medieval buildings.

Getting Around

The small Medieval centre of Utrecht is pedestrian friendly and perfect for wandering on foot. If that’s not your thing you could rent a bike and travel like the locals do, just don’t forget where you parked it.

What to Eat

Utrechters seem to love their street food but most of the cafes I passed at lunch time were full too so no one is shying away from eating out. If you’re feeling brave you could try a snack from one of the fast food vending machines but I doubt it will be the foodie highlight of your trip.

For something more civilised, head to Bond en Smolders for their delicious Dutch desserts, chocolates and breads. The specialty is the appelbollen which is kind of like an apple pie but in a ball of pastry or I can recommend the berry cake.

This part of The Netherlands is well known for its dairy products so anything with lots of butter, cream or cheese is sure to be good.

Not surprisingly, the drink of choice in Utrecht is beer but for something different try the egg liqueur Advocaat. It’s often served as an aperitif but is also used in desserts or topped with cream and chocolate.

I haven’t spent much time in The Netherlands but I find cities like Utrecht to be adorable so I hope I’ll have the chance to visit more of the country in the future. Where are your favourite places to visit in The Netherlands?

Filed Under: Netherlands Tagged With: dutch, netherlands, utrecht