Written on 4th of May, 2022
Spring has by far been my favourite season in the Netherlands, with the rise in temperatures I have been able to take advantage of all the green spaces available in this beautiful European country! Here are a few springtime activities, on a budget, I have enjoyed thus far!
The Hague
On Easter Monday a big group of us took a trip to the beach. Top tip – we got a group ticket which ended up being eight euros cheaper than a single return ticket (it ended up being 15 euros per person)! It was beautiful weather and we got to spend half a day basking in the sunshine, reading and playing ball games on the beach! If you have any spare time in the Netherlands, take a trip to the Hague, it’s a must!
Haarlem National Park
On my flatmate’s birthday we visited a national park in Haarlem, it was the only incline I had encountered in the Netherlands so far! We walked around 20 Kilometres and our end point was at a serene beach. It only cost eleven euros for a day bus pass and we were out all day! I think it’s so important to experience nature and to take advantage of the beauty that lies in this country!
The tulips
During April and May the tulips start to bloom, it is not surprising to see that this is the Dutch national flower as they bloom everywhere you look. We took a train journey to Sassenheim and biked around for four hours seeing the plethora of different tulips in a variety of colours! It was breathtakingly beautiful and free to see the majority of the fields! If you’re ever in the Netherlands in the springtime you must make it your mission to see these flowers.
Cherry Blossom Trees
Another beautiful gift of springtime nature is the cherry blossom trees in Amsterdam. We biked for twenty minutes through our nearby park and had an evening picnic under the pretty pink blossom trees – not only were the trees perfect for pictures, but the park was also free to enter (another cheap springtime activity)!
Kings Day
On the 27th of April, the King of Amsterdam’s birthday is a Dutch National Holiday. We wandered around the city centre and stopped at a variety of free music stages and the city dressed in the National Dutch colour of orange. It felt like being at a British festival which was strangely nostalgic. The day was filled with fun and I feel so thankful to have experienced a uniquely Dutch day!
The advantages of doing a full year in another country means you are able to experience all the seasons and pick and choose which periods of time are your favourite! I hope this list gave you some ideas of what to do in the Netherlands during springtime!