One of the reasons I chose Amsterdam to begin my trip in was that at this time of year, the tulips are in bloom and the flower fields are supposed to be amazing. I started the morning by going about an hour south of Amsterdam to the Keukenhof gardens. The gardens were huge and took several hours to walk through. They did not disappoint!!! This alone would have been worth the trip. Then, after spending the morning at the gardens, I returned to Amsterdam for what turned out to be quite an experience.
As amazing as the gardens were, even better (and unexpected) turned out to be the King’s Day festivities in the city of Amsterdam. When I booked my hotel, I was surprised that it was much harder to find a place than I expected, considering it was not the peak of tourist season. But it all made sense when I realized that I’d be visiting on the day of the biggest party of the year in Amsterdam.
To celebrate the King’s Birthday, public drinking and noise rules are suspended, and people come out into the streets for a huge citywide party. Over a million people filled the streets along the canals, and the energy and excitement were unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The canals are full of partying boats, and every block has a different DJ playing music for dance parties in the streets. Everyone wears orange (the color of the King), and in some areas, the canals are completely gridlocked with boats. I was told that it’s a rite of passage for college students to cross the canal by stepping from one boat to another (taking a shot at each boat along the way, of course). I walked around for over 4 hours and only managed to see a fraction of the city’s celebration.
What made this feel so special was that, despite it being so huge, there was a real sense of community that you could feel. Businesses opened their doors not to sell anything, but just to provide access to restrooms and hand out water. There was no big police presence. And although there was lots of alcohol flowing freely, I didn’t see a single fight or anyone misbehaving the whole time. Just people of all ages enjoying each other.
What an incredible (and completely unexpected) experience!!!
