Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
Queen's Day bric-a-brac sale
Right
Queen's Day revellers
Festivals and Events
Nationaal
Museumweekend
Most of Amsterdam's state-run
museums participate in this
scheme, run by SMK (Stichting
Museumkaart), to offer free or
reduced-price entry for one
weekend. Details are published
through the Tourist Board in mid-
March.
d
mid-Apr
Open Monumentendagen
An exciting opportunity to
see what lies behind the gabled
façades and medieval doorways
of some of the city's most
historic buildings, which are
open to the public for free over
this weekend.
d
020 422 2118
•
www.openmonumentendag.nl
•
Second weekend in Sep
Koninginnedag
On the Queen's birthday, the
whole city becomes a gigantic
street party. The locals sell bric-a-
brac from stalls outside their
houses, there's a fair in Dam
Square, and people dressed in
monarchist orange throng the
streets. Music blares, fireworks
fill the night sky, and the party
goes on till dawn.
d
30 April
Bloemen Corso
In a spectacular procession,
floats proceed from Aarlsmeer,
home of the flower industry
(see
p72)
, to Dam Square, weighed
down by countless varieties of
flowers - but not tulips, which
are out of season. Watch from
Vijzelstraat rather than join the
crush in the Dam. The illumin-
ated floats make a magical return
journey.
d
First Sat in Sep
Bevrijdingsdag
The day after
Herden-
kingsdag
(Remembrance Day),
Liberation Day celebrates the
end of the Nazi occupation with
impromptu speeches, concerts
and open-air markets in the
Vondelpark, Leidseplein,
Museumplein and Rokin.
d
5 May
Grachtenfestival
National and international
stars perform classical music
concerts at 20 historic locations
around the three canals of the
Holland Festival
An exciting programme of
theatre, music, opera, ballet and
art staged at various venues in
and beyond the city, the Holland
Festival has earned itself a
prestigious reputation, attracting
top-flight performers from the
Netherlands and abroad.
d
020 530
7110
•
www.hollandfestival.nl
•
Jun
Bloemen Corso
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