CLASSIC HOLLAND – FLOWERS, WATER AND HISTORY
From late March to mid-May the world famous Dutch flower garden is open. This is a must see if you are in the country during this time but there is so much more to see in this diverse area!
Designed by Exquisite Experiences
This one day excursion starts just after breakfast when your guide picks you up at your hotel in Amsterdam. You visit the world famous Keukenhof Gardens, where each year approximately seven million flower bulbs are planted turning an area of 322 hectares into the world’s largest flower garden.
At other times of the year you will start your day on weekdays with a very early morning visit to The Aalsmeer flower auction. Each day 19 million flowers and two million plants are sold at auction here. From the visitors’ gallery you can walk through the complex, view the gorgeous flowers and experience the hustle and bustle of the auction. After your visit enjoy a taste of smoked eel, which is a Dutch delicacy, at a local smoke house in Aalsmeer.
Carry on to the national heritage site Museum de Cruquius, which is on the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH). This museum occupies an old steam pumping station that became an internationally known engineering landmark when in 1751 it took three years to pump dry the area of Haarlemmermeer, which is where Schiphol Airport is located.
Continue to the medieval city of Haarlem for a city tour passing the square called Grote Markt, the Gothic Cathedral of Saint Bavo and the historical WWII-hiding place The Corry ten Boom House. In Haarlem, if time permits, you also visit the oldest museum in The Netherlands, The Tylers Museums for art, natural history and science.