Only two months left！Tulip seas in the Netherlands & dreamy European-style architecture

Text by Qidou Travel Network; Photos by Phoenix Tourism

When tulips come to mind, one naturally thinks of the Netherlands. The tulip is the national flower of the Netherlands, and its history of tulip cultivation spans hundreds of years. In particular, the Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands is world-renowned for its abundance of tulips, attracting a large number of tourists every year to admire the beautiful sea of tulips.

Keukenhof: The Netherlands' exclusive tulip season　

Keukenhof Gardens is the largest tulip garden in the world, with over 800 varieties of tulips as well as bulb plants such as daffodils and hyacinths planted in the park, totaling more than seven million plants. The garden is open from late March to mid-May (March 22 – May 13). If you love wandering through flower fields, don’t miss it. Keukenhof has a different theme each year, and the 2018 theme was the “Year of Floral Romance.” Additionally, the annual Dutch Flower Parade will be held on April 21, with the parade route starting from Noordwijk and heading to Haarlem, passing by Keukenhof.

▲ A mix of tulips in different colors creates a more vibrant visual effect (Photo downloaded from the Keukenhof official website)

▲ Flowers of various colors intertwine to form a picturesque scene (Photo downloaded from the Keukenhof official website)

▲ The Netherlands' annual flower parade, with a parade route stretching 40 kilometers (Photo downloaded from the Keukenhof official website)

▲ Flower floats crafted from colorful blooms (Photo downloaded from the Keukenhof official website)

▲ Captivating tulips (Photo downloaded from the Keukenhof official website)

▲ The delightful Keukenhof Gardens (Photo downloaded from the Keukenhof official website)

In the Netherlands, you can also see scenery reminiscent of Venice, the city of water. Nowadays, Giethoorn features many dreamy European-style buildings nestled amidst lush greenery, where visitors are often seen leisurely enjoying the village’s scenery from the canals. But in the past, Giethoorn had poor soil, and residents had to extensively mine the area’s only resource—underground peat—for a living. After continuous land excavation, ditches gradually formed here. Later, residents widened these ditches to create canals capable of transporting goods, resulting in the water town landscape seen today.

▲ The roofs of houses in Giethoorn are almost all woven from reeds, offering rainproof and sunshade benefits, as well as keeping homes warm in winter and cool in summer.

▲ Known as the “Venice of Green,” Giethoorn

The Dutch Windmill Village shares similarities with Giethoorn. Upon entering the village, you’ll see small bridges, waterways, wooden houses, and stretches of grassland, all filled with rural charm. Here, you can learn about the way of life of the Dutch in the past at the museum, or visit cheese workshops and clog factories to witness the process of clog-making by skilled artisans.

▲ The Dutch Windmill Village

Can a vegetable market be as stylish as an art gallery? In Rotterdam, the Netherlands, there is a vibrant market called Markthal, which has the shape of a horseshoe and covers an area equivalent to a soccer field. The market's interior features a curved ceiling adorned with large, brightly colored murals of vegetables, fruits, and flowers. The overall architecture exudes a modern, fashionable vibe, and the stalls are neatly arranged. Grocery shopping can be a “trendy” experience!

▲ The glass facade outside the market reflects the Dutch streetscape and offers a faint glimpse of the colorful murals inside. (Photo downloaded from the Markthal official website, photographer: Ossip van Duivenbode)

▲ The modern Markthal market (Photo downloaded from the Markthal official website, photographer: Steven Scholten)

▲ Stalls inside the market

The adjacent Cube Houses are privately owned residences. The individual cube-shaped units perched on pillars present a tilted appearance, making it hard to imagine the interior layout before stepping inside.

▲ The bright yellow Cube Houses add a lively touch to Rotterdam’s cityscape

The Royal Delft Blue Pottery Factory is the only remaining pottery manufacturer in Delft since the 17th century. The blue porcelain products sold here evoke associations with Chinese blue-and-white porcelain. Originally, due to the Chinese civil wars in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Dutch merchants were unable to purchase blue-and-white porcelain and began learning to make their own pottery with patterns similar to blue-and-white porcelain. This eventually evolved into the blue pottery we see today.

▲ Tile paintings in the factory

▲ Blue porcelain works

Explore the exciting twin cities of Belgium

It takes only about half an hour by car from Rotterdam in the Netherlands to Antwerp in Belgium. When visiting Belgium, you can’t miss its capital, Brussels. Brussels is also the largest city in Belgium, and many major EU administrative institutions are located here. As a result, Brussels is known as the “Capital of Europe.” In Brussels, you can see both medieval Baroque architecture and modern-style buildings.

▲ Known as the most beautiful square in Europe—the Brussels Town Hall Square

▲ The world-famous Manneken Pis (Peeing Boy statue)

Another highlight of Belgium is Bruges. The city’s old town is lined with centuries-old European architecture, and many modern shops are also housed within these historic buildings. Rather than clashing, the blend gives Bruges’ streets a distinctive charm.

▲ Known as the "Venice of Belgium," Bruges reveals its romantic side when viewed from a canal boat.

More related information:
Flowering Netherlands & Belgium – How to Enjoy Spring　
https://goo.gl/njV3co
▲ A Light Journey Through Major and Minor Cities in the Netherlands and Belgium8-day trip
▲ Hidden Gem: Purple Forest ~ Flower-Themed Journey Through Cities and Towns in the Netherlands & Belgium (10 Days)
▲ Love Letter to the Low Countries: Keukenhof Flower Tour (10 Days)

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