Woman’s history of Holland heritage
She’s on a small platform of the Gouda city hall. It’s almost as if she steps forward to offer us the chalice she holds in her hand. Her whole being radiates with gratitude and humility. Or is it a sign of resignation? Does she know she is going to lose her Holland heritage?
Delft route blue love & kisses
On this Delft route blue love & kisses you'll pass the unseen borders of the city and countryside. You'll step on the crossroad of farms and greenhouses accompanied by the famous Delft kissing couple. You follow the water and feel the city's connection with its green surroundings and watermanagement. Use these route suggestions on Valentine or at dusk or dawn and fall in love with the city and its amazing Dutch landscape.
Delft route: blue kiss, royal love
Two shy teenagers, waiting for the other to take the first step. It makes sense to start our Delft route blue love & kisses at the Delft blue factory. The place where love stories are told through ceramics. While we're looking for the famous Delft blue kissing couple, we bump into these two farmers' kids. Is this the moment before their famous kiss or did they just have an argument?
One of my favorite stories in this museum is about the royal love. Every celebration or big event the Dutch royals immortalize in a plate, cup or even a full dinner set. To mark their love for their better half and for Delft pottery. And the Delft blue factory is proud of its connection to the royal family.
The park where Delft city connects with countryside
A few kilometres further on the Delft route blue love & kisses we pass Land Art Delft. In this park they've found a fascinating way to show the connection between city, urban life and the countryside, the land surrounding Delft city center. Near the A13 highway they've placed a gigantic tulip vase. In the 17th century Queen Mary Stuart was in love with tulips. To display these expensive flowers she ordered special tulip vases made of Delft blue ceramics. This giant tulip vase pyramid is an art work Land Art created in collaboration with Royal Delft. More about it in the video below or via this link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqTVnhkCNXY
Delft route water management
Now we have to get to the other side of the water to continue the Delft route. If we take the longer option we see beautiful examples of Delft's connection with water management
Delft heart beats on a bridge
It's the view on the bridge on a warm summer night that takes your breath away. Romance is in the air tonight.
Having crossed the water, we follow it into one of Delft's neighborhoods where tourists are hard to find. It's fascinating to again see the connection made between city and countryside. This part of the city literally is connected to its green surroundings. By bridges. Bridges with beautiful imags of all Delft is proud of. From William of Orange to Hugo Grotius. And when it comes to love, it is the depiction of the iconic Delft heart & the endless expression of love: the Kissing Couple.
Delft route connecting flowers & food
One of the many bridges leads straight into the beautiful nature area around Delft, Midden- Delfland. As we hit the water, it might well be we spot the Kissing Couple again, this time floating by on one of the decorated boats of the Floating Flower Parade.
Didn't get the chance to see the famous Delft couple? There will be other signs of love passing by. The Delft - The Hague- Westland Flower Parade is one big expression of love. Love for all things they produce on their land and in the greenhouses. Flowers, vegetables are creatively combined in arrangements.
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https://veritasvisit.nl/en/2016/08/07/impressions-flower-parade-westland-hague-float/
The forbidden marriage of Vermeer
We follow the water and the flower parade to one of my favorite places. This church always reminds me of the marriage of Delft painter Vermeer. He was a protestant, his fiancee a catholic. At that time a marriage between these two religions was forbidden. So they went to Schipluiden, a small village near Delft. In a barn that served as church they got married. The church on the picture is part of another story in which green plays an important role. Happy to share the story with you on a tour or celebration.
From this magical & romantic spot it's a 15 minutes bike or boat ride to Delft city centre where we'll end with a kiss. A kiss of death.
The final kiss of Delft
The market square is usually the spot where many historical events happened. Same goes for the main square in Delft. To me it always seems cold there. Now that I know Jacqueline's story, it makes me think. Maybe the gloomy vibe I get there is the result of her tragic story.
Her kiss is one of the few on this Delft route blue love & kisses that has little to do with love. The Kiss of Delft is a famous one. In 1428 Jacqueline of Bavaria kissed her nephew after having signed a peacetreaty. In the Middle Ages it was common to seal a deal with a kiss. With the kiss she lost her titles, her fortune her land. Was it a kiss of death as well? Read it in my next blogpost.
Hope you enjoyed our Delft route blue love & kisses. Off course there are many more off the beaten path stories & alternative daytrip programs in Delft and its green surroundings. Check the link below for some ideas or contact me for your customised Delft group activity.
https://veritasvisit.nl/en/destination/delft-en/
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Visit flower fields in summer around tulip gardens
Less tourists, more interaction with locals. Visit flower fields in summer around the tulip gardens Netherlands and you'll feel that burst of happiness. The colorful explosion of dahlias and other bulb flowers will make your heart go b(l)oom like tulips do. And, when that's not enough there are still the highlights of the Flower Region. And the local festivals. All best to be explored by bike. A great way to taste the local culture in a relaxed way and live the Dutch life. Even if it's just for 1 day. Read more
Gouda celebration crafts & food - a family day trip
There is no better place to taste traditional Dutch food than the province South Holland. Dutch cheese and stroopwafels are in the top 3 of things to eat in Gouda. Before we literally get our hands on these artisanal products, let's start our mini Gouda celebration of crafts & food by diving into Gouda and her history of handmade products.
Heritage Days South Holland Open Monuments
Local festivals and public holidays in the Netherlands are based on ceremonies and traditions. Nature is linked to century old involvement by humans. Even seasonal Dutch food and artisanal products are not the same without looking at history. The European Heritage Days in South Holland make you live the Dutch life in present, past and future. Here are my 4 favorite places to visit on Open Monuments Day.
Keukenhof day trip: fruit blossom & plucking
This Keukenhof day trip is not what you expect. Yes, in spring you'll be surrounded by flowers, but it's not just the tulips. This is another off the beaten path travel tip in the countryside around the world famous flower garden. Less crowded, charming places which are great for a family activity or just to bring out the child in you in spring or fall.
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Dutch food & festival in June
In Holland Dutch food & festivals go hand in hand. We take every opportunity to create a celebration around a seasonal product. In June intense flavors come straight from the herby green pastures and salty water.
Why summer is the best time to visit Keukenhof area
The tulip may be the queen of the Netherlands in spring. Summer is the best time to visit Keukenhof area and here’s why.
5 years ago, when I started Verita’s Visit Holland I believed the best time to visit Keukenhof area was spring. March till May, when daffodils are followed by hyacinths and the season ends with the tulips. Then I discovered the Amsterdam flower strip holds a big local secret.
Don’t get me wrong, the spring flower fields still make my heart go b(l)oom. I love how nature wakes up beginning of March. How the spring bulb flowers pop their heads out of the ground as soon as the first rays of sunlight warm their beds. Spring is special and tulips are definitely the queens of the Netherlands in spring. So why is summer the best time to visit the Keukenhof surroundings?
In this article I'll answer the following questions:
What is the best way to get around in the Keukenhof area?
Are there Holland flower fields in summer?
What makes summer the best time for a daytrip from Amsterdam to Keukenhof region?
Why do I recommend traveling to the Keukenhof area in summer?
What is the best way to get around in Keukenhof area?
Whether you visit the Keukenhof surroundings in April, July or October, the best way to get around in the Bulb Flower region is by bicycle. As you can read in an earlier article, traveling to the Keukenhof from Amsterdam by public transport is easy when the spring gardens are open. In 2021 the Keukenhof tulip park is open from 21 March till 9 May. There are direct busses from Amsterdam Schiphol airport, Haarlem and Leiden. Although the trip is relatively short, the busses are often crowded and you have to wait in line to get on them.
In summer there are no direct busses. In a previous article I wrote about an alternative route to Keukenhof from Amsterdam. This is also a good option for when you visit the Bulb District in summer, fall or winter. Taking your own car will give you more freedom on where to go and where to stop. It brings the difficulty of finding an -affordable- car parking though.
I would recommend exploring this part of Holland by bike.
- It is a typical Dutch way of getting around.
- It gives you less stress.
- There are bike rental options near many train stations in the flower bulb region.
- Using a bicycle is also great to combine visits to different attractions. We'll see this later on in this article.
With Verita's Visit Holland guided tours it becomes even easier to get the best out of your visit of the Keukenhof surroundings. Whether you come with friends, family or are looking for a company outing in the flower fields in Holland, I can create a customised day program for every season. And although the bicycle is my favorite mode of transport, I also offer tours and events using other modes of transport. Let me take care of all the details, so you can relax and enjoy your company and the typical Dutch surroundings. Here you'll find examples of tours & events offered by Verita's Visit Holland in the Flower region.
Are there Holland flower fields in summer?
It is one of the best kept secrets of the locals living around Keukenhof. The summer flower fields in Holland! I only found out about it a couple of years ago. I received many requests for a bike tour tulips in June. It made me wonder if spring was the only time to visit Keukenhof area for the flower fields. So, I took my bike and pedalled through the Dutch countryside between Leiden and Haarlem. As you might expect, all tulips were gone. What I did see was amazing: a huge variety of different flowers as far as the eyes could see. I soon discovered there is a whole array of bulb flowers that color the fields of the Bulb district in summer and fall. From early June to really off season - late September, early October that is - you will always be welcomed by flower fields in this part of Holland. And best thing is that there even is a dahlia festival late August. Great to combine with the summer flower parade. So, summer is best time to visit Keukenhof surroundings because of the flower fields. Are there any other reasons why you should visit the area around the famous Dutch flower gardens?
What makes summer the best time for a daytrip from Amsterdam to Keukenhof?
Besides the Holland flower fields blooming in summer, there are several other reasons why this season is the best time for a daytrip from Amsterdam to Keukenhof area.
- Compared to spring, summer temperatures are really nice. Wind in the Netherlands is not as cold as in spring either, so perfect to explore the Flower region in between Haarlem and Leiden by bike.
- It is your moment to relax: get away from the Amsterdam city centre. Summer is the best time to visit Keukenhof area, because there are way less tourists in the countryside. Less tourists than in Amsterdam, less tourists in the flower fields than in spring time.
- As the summer flower fields in Holland are not that well known yet, local farmers, flower growers or millers have more time for you. It is your time to connect with locals. Ask them everything about growing bulb flowers like dahlias or tulips. Or, as I say, get #socialwithalocal
Why do I recommend a visit to the Keukenhof area in summer?
A visit to the summer bulb flower fields can easily be combined with other lesser known attractions in the surroundings of Keukenhof area. Take windmill, a cheese farm on an island, an orchard where you can pick your own apples or have a great picnic or have lunch at a cosy café near the lake. Think of all the local events and food and flower festivals celebrated in summer, big and small. And you can always make a stop at the beach or shop at beach resort Noordwijk. If you explore Keukenhof area by bike, I am sure you will go off the beaten path once in a while. That's when you'll discover the hidden gems of the Keukenhof area. Don't feel that adventurous or love to hear more about the combinations mentioned in this paragraph? You can always contact me for a private and/ or group tour.
Ok, Keukenhof gardens are only open from 24 March till 15 May 2022. I hope this article made clear why I think summer is the best time to visit the Keukenhof area. I would love to hear in the comments below if you have visited the Amsterdam flower strip outside of the tulip season. Also let me know if there are any other reasons why summer is the best time to visit Keukenhof surroundings.
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https://veritasvisit.nl/en/uitje/leiden-tulip-bike-tour-personal-vip/
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