Netherlands: Flower Route, tailor-made by car

Holland is fascinating, especially in spring. This is when it is covered with an real "sea of ​​flowers" and becomes the garden of Europe, shaping bucolic landscapes featuring colourful and infinite fields of flowers -perfectly arranged in primary colours- and topped by hundred-year-old mills. The "Flower Route" is one of the most beautiful and fascinating car journeys in Europe, bringing the traveller closer to the history and idiosyncrasy of the Dutch through the rich world of flowers. You take an unforgettable route peppered with beautiful contrasts, beautiful fine sand beaches like Noordwijk aan Zee and Scheveningen; big cities full of life, art and leisure such as Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Delf; picturesque villages full of tradition like Edam, Marken or Gouda ... There are so many reasons to fall in love with this corner of Europe. Undoubtedly, the idyllic landscapes will be one of them. Between March and June, the flowers "explode" in all the colours of the rainbow showing travellers unique landscapes that seem to come from the palette of some of the great Dutch masters. And Holland is the land of flowers par excellence! On your road map, there are kilometres and kilometres of crops, greenhouses, gardens and landscapes of your dreams like Bloembollenstreek, Flevoland, Westland, Kop van Noord-Holland ... The Dutch link with flowers dates back several centuries, and ever since then they have been able to make a living from flowers and horticulture, becoming the world's main exporter. One of its most famous flowers is the tulip, the distinguishing symbol of the Dutch. After the first tulip from Turkey was planted in the Golden Age, it was not long before it became an object of worship and speculation, giving rise to the so-called "tulipmania" and becoming the protagonist of the first economic bubble of the modern economy. Today flowers are an essential aspect for understanding Dutch history and daily life. Prepare to chat with the happy florists; to wander through the lively markets and look at amazing flower auctions like those in Aalsmeer; to visit museums devoted entirely to bulbs and their history; to witness magnificent flower shows such as the "Bloemen Corso" (Floral Parade) of Lisse; to be ecstatic in gardens as spectacular as Keukenhof, where every year more than 7 million flowers are in bloom ... And, throughout the trip, enjoy Dutch culture and cuisine. Do leave without taking some bulbs with you!