The beginning of Spring 2018 has been quite tumultuous with snow, rain and cold weather! The Dutch saying April doet wat het wilt! has been so true! Fortunately for the warm weather liefhebbers, this coming weekend will be warm and sunny so get your spring gear ready for the following activities!

Photo taken by Roman Boed found on Flickr.com with license CC BY 2.0

Go see some tulips!

Spring in the Netherlands means that tulips are in full bloom! The Keukenhof, known for its amazing display of tulips each year, is open and ready for visitors. This year’s theme is Romantiek in Bloemen and the park is in full theme! There will be music, a roze show, cupids running around (I might be stretching it with this one) and lots and lots of flowers! The following video is of the opening ceremony of this year’s Keukenhof.

Visit the Dutch Venice!

Giethoorn, the Dutch Venice, is truly a gem! The town is located in Overijssel, north of Nijmegen, and has no streets. People move around by foot or with a boat. There are many ways to enjoy Giethoorn such as taking a canal tour, renting your own boat or just walking around and getting lost in this calm and magical town.

Have a drink outside!

Nice weather means that restaurants will make sure their terrasjes are ready for customers! You can enjoy een wijntje, een biertje or a drankje at your local restaurant. Remember that there are two important things to do when you are on a terrace: you must sit facing the people walking by and you must find the spot with the most sun! Don’t forget your you zonnecreme!

In the following video, the cabaretier Hans Lebbis talks about the perfect terrasje.

Lekker wandelen of fietsen

A dry and sunny weekend means that people will be out and about taking walks in forests and natural areas. Many cities organize community walks, but if you fancy a walk on your own, you can check the website for Natuurmonumenten for walking routes in your area.

You can also take part in the favorite past time of the Netherlands: cycling! Lange aftsand fietsen is something of a religion here and people spend many sunny days cycling throughout the country. There is also a website with some pretty great fietsroutes so you can put on your gear, hop on your bike and enjoy the country!

If you are feeling adventurous and want to keep the spring feeling going for longer than a weekend, you could cycle to China! In the following video, you can see what you should pack for a longer trip.

Let op!

If you choose to do anything in the outdoors where there is grass and/or fields, make sure to check yourself for teken. The warm temperatures mean that these little creatures will be out and about!

What is your favorite spring activity?