Holland in Bloom

Visit the charismatic town of Gouda, also known as the Cheese Valley, where its famous namesake cheese is sold every week. Revel in the opportunity to attend the theatrical open-air market, dating back to Middle Ages when it was the only place farmers could legally sell their cheese. Sellers arrive in horse-drawn carriages and weigh each massive wheel before cheese porters stack them neatly in the middle of the town square. Watch as buyers and sellers negotiate – a process of tasting the cheese, shouting prices, and clapping each other’s hands until an agreement is reached.

Explore the largest and most luxurious castle in the Netherlands, a medieval fortress with towers, moats, gates, and drawbridges. Admire stained glass windows, intricate woodwork, and fairytale rooms with lavish furnishings for a glimpse into the life of nobility. Then, stroll among thousands of flowers in the gardens.

Spring blooms enhance the already remarkable beauty of this impressive and picturesque open-air museum! Explore Dutch history while viewing iconic windmills, distinctive green houses, barns, and workshops that showcase 18th and 19th-century life in Holland. Stroll past the bakery museum to smell freshly baked cookies and enjoy an interactive chocolate-making exhibit. Marvel at the talent of local artisans as they create wooden clogs and other authentic crafts, then visit the cheese factory, a replica of a traditional farm in Oostzaan, to learn about the production of this golden delicacy and indulge in delicious samples.

Explore the Netherlands’ charismatic capital city, nicknamed “Venice of the North.” Take in its rich history at Rijksmuseum, home to nearly a millennium of Dutch art with a magnificent collection of 16th and 17th-century masterpieces by renowned artists, such as Rembrandt. Later, marvel at how the city is shaped by water with 165 canals that make up the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Canal Ring and experience it for yourself on an enchanting canal boat ride. There’s also time to independently browse shops, visit nearby attractions, or savor regional cuisine.

Known as the Garden of Europe, this is the biggest flower garden in the world! Every fall, hundreds of varieties of bulbs are planted by hand in a unique design - totaling roughly seven million bulbs altogether. Spanning nearly 80 acres, it boasts an English landscape garden, a garden maze, a natural garden, a Japanese landscape garden, a spring meadow, a historic garden, and seven one-of-a-kind gardens that are planted in accordance with each year’s new theme. Your senses will be amazed by the colors, patterns, and sweet smell of freshly bloomed flowers.