t Carpets of tulips and grape hyacinths snake through the Keukenhof gardens
t Carpets of tulips and grape hyacinths snake through the Keukenhof gardens
Experience Beyond Amsterdam
Amsterdam is at the heart of a region known as the Randstad, the economic powerhouse of the Netherlands. Within easy reach of the capital are the ancient towns of Leiden and Utrecht, as well as Den Haag and Haarlem with their exceptional galleries and museums. The Randstad extends south as far as Rotterdam, a thriving modern city full of avant-garde architecture.
North of Amsterdam, the traditional fishing communities that once depended on the Zuiderzee, before it was closed off from the sea in 1932, have now turned to tourism for their income. Much of the land comprising the Randstad has been reclaimed from the sea during the last 300 years, and the fertile soil is farmed intensively. Spreading to the southwest, dazzling colours carpet the fields in spring, and the exquisite gardens at Keukenhof are the showcase of the Dutch bulb industry.