Floriade 2012: Living nature!

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If the Netherlands would have had the honor to organize this year’s Olympics it might have been different, but this year the Floriade is the biggest event in the Netherlands. This year marks the 6th edition of this event, which is only held once every 10 years, and it is already showing great potential. But before we are going to discuss this years edition we will have a quick look at the history of the Floriade.

The Floriade officially dates back from 1960. With the first edition in Rotterdam. However even before that time there were 'Floriades' in Groenendaal. The first edition of the Floriade was combined with the opening of the Euromast (which was featured in our Zuid-Holland blog). It is the only physical remnant of that edition. In 1972 the second edition was held in Amsterdam. This edition is listed as the largest agricultural expo of its time with a staggering 5 million visitors. Remnants of this edition can still be found in the Amstelpark in Amsterdam.

The third edition was held in a different part of Amsterdam and was less successful in terms of visitors. Its location was also unfortunate, as Amsterdam had different plans for the terrain after the expo. The only part of the expo that remained was the Gaasperpark.

The fourth edition marked the introduction of the cable-car ride. Visitors were able to travel through the park by cable-car, which made the park significantly more friendly for elder people or people with a disability. The cable-car has been part of the Floriade ever since. This edition was held in Zoetermeer and remnants of it can be found in the area Rokkeveen-West.

The fifth edition of the Floriade was held in Haarlemmermeer. Its mayor attraction was a manmade mountain, which gave a stunning view over the park. This edition also received its very own Suske and Wiske comic.


And this brings us to this year’s 6th edition, which is held in Venlo (Limburg) from the 5th of April till the 7th of October. This year’s edition will be made with a Cradle to Cradle design. Which means that all the materials that are used are renewable and should not in any way harm our future generations.

Two of this edition mayor attractions are the buildings designed by Jón Kristinsson and Jo Coenen (which can be seen in the picture) and this years cable-car ride. Which is a state of the art piece of technology. A total of 130 participants will create a part of the Floriade. In total this year’s Floriade will cover 66 acres, of which 22 will be forest, 2,5 will consist of buildings and 4 acres will consist of water. The rest will be filled with various creations and other places of interest. Content based a total of 1700 trees will be present, together with 20.000 shrubs, 200.000 perennials, 65.000 aquatic plants 1,5 million flower bulbs and 95.000 ephemeral plants.

But why bother about the data. The Floriade is something you should experience yourself. An average human being will only have 8 chances to do so in its entire life. So do not waste this opportunity and visit the Floriade 2012. Tickets and more can be found on their website.

Also if you happen to work or study at a place where the company Sodexo is managing the catering then it is possible to order tickets with €2,50 discount and extra food coupons. This can be done on http://nl.sodexo.com/nldu/floriadetickets.asp. We will finish this special with a video coverage by Eindhovens Dagblad. 
Also you can still enter in our Bath Cupcakes contest today. Visit our Facebook page and answer the 4 questions correctly for your chance to win!




  

Contest!

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Dear Holland Hopping fans!

This week you can win a nice price, a BathCupcake, in our Holland Hopping contest!
This BathCupcake is made by Amy and can be used while bathing. This cupcake has a lovely smell and it will make your skin nice and soft. You don’t have a bath? Don’t worry! This BathCupcake is also a nice present! (for example for Mothers day ;) )
You can win this amazing BathCupcake by liking our Facebook page and by answering the next three questions. You can give us your answers by leaving a reaction here.
The answers of these questions can be found at the blog posts of Holland Hopping.
This contest stops on Friday 30-03-2012 at 16:00.
The winner will be announced this weekend on Facebook.



Good luck!
1. Name two local delicacies of Zuid-Holland.
2. Which two sporting things to do in Brabant are mentioned in the Holland Hopping blog?
3. What’s the name of the recommended restaurant in Middelburg?

(Interested in these BathCupcakes? You can find more information on https://www.facebook.com/BathCupcakes, www.twitter.com/bathcupcakes and www.bathcupcakes.tk )

Caves, hills and so much more can be found in Limburg

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Limburg is the southernmost province of the Netherlands. Its location is unique, sharing borders with both Belgium and Germany (and at one point even sharing them at the same time!). In many ways Limburg is very different from the rest of the Netherlands. The proximity to Germany and Belgium has had its influence on the language and society. The countryside is also a big change from the rest of the Netherlands. Limburg is the only place in the Netherlands where you will find many hills and caves. Some of these caves were manmade for mining operations, while others are natural. While there are no longer any active mines in the Netherlands. Many shafts can still be visited with a guide.

One of the places where this can be done is Valkenburg. Located in the southern part of Limburg, Valkenburg has grown into a touristic hub after the closing of its mines. Valkenburg offers an unique experience within the coal mines. For more information, visit http://www.steenkolenmijn.nl/ENG_home.htm.

Valkenburg is also home to one of the Dutch luxury spa's: the Thermae 2000. This spa offers a wide variaty of sauna's, relaxing pools and baths. It also has a large sunbathing area, a cocktail bar, a restaurant and a lounge. It is also possible to stay overnight in the nearby hotel. All of this and more can be found on their website. 

The capital of Limburg is the city of Maastricht. It alone is worth a day of your stay, but most information about that can be found in general tourist brochures. Worth pointing out are the marl pits underneath the Sint Pietersberg and the fortress on top of the Sint Pietersberg. More information about both activities can be found on the dedicated website about the Sint Pietersberg.

If you are more interested in sightseeing and nature, you should definitely visit the park of Mondo Verde in Landgraaf. This park contains gardens with plants from around the world. It truly is a sight to behold. Since 2007 a zoo, dinosaur area and an amusement park have been added to Mondo Verde. Increasing its size by quite a bit. Mondo Verde offers an unique experience for each season. More information can be found on their website. 

This year Limburg is even more special then it normally is. Since 2012 marks a new edition of the Floriade, which is held every 10 years in a random town or city in the Netherlands. This year it will be held in Venlo in Limburg. On the 5th of April the Dutch queen Beatrix will open the Floriade, a horticultural expo. The exposition will remain open till the 7th of October. After that you will have to wait another 10 years. A short special about the Floriade will be posted later this week!

Local delicacies

- Limburgse vlaai (a special version of a pie, which originates from Limburg)
- Kiersekook (a pancake with cherries)
- Limburgse Balkenbrei (A mix of bacon, minced meat and flour)
- Brand, Alfa, Hertog Jan, Gulpener, Lindeboom, St. Christoffel & Leeuw (Beer from Limburg)
- Asperges (asparagus)

                Limburgse vlaai    Limburgse balkenbrei            Asperges

Come and explore the Regions of Gelderland

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In this week’s blog, we will take you to Gelderland, a province that is located on the eastside of the Netherlands. In Gelderland there are not many metropolitans and you will find a lot of nature. Though, this province is worth a visit during your stay in Holland.

At first there are a lot of zoo’s in Gelderland you can visit. The fun thing is that these zoo’s are all very different, so you could even visit more than one zoo during your stay. For example, in ‘het dolfinarium’ in Harderwijk, you will find all sorts of animals who live in the sea, including dolphins and sealions. You can take a look at these animals while they are in their habitats, but you can also attend some shows. Especially the dolphin show is a must-see. Next to the animals, there are also a couple of playground for the kids.

If you are more a monkey-person, you will love the Apenheul in Apeldoorn. In this zoo you can find a lot of different monkeys. These monkeys live in their habitats, but in some areas of the zoo you will find  monkeys that run free. You can get some discount on your tickets and find more information on http://www.apenheul.nl/ (also in English). To end our list with zoo’s, you can also visit the zoo in Rhenen, where you can find all sorts of animals.

Not interested in the zoo? You can also visit some of the cities in Gelderland like Nijmegen or Apeldoorn. In this time of the year, you can have a nice day of shopping, followed by a midday relaxing on one of the terraces in Apeldoorn or Nijmegen. Moreover, you could  also get a nice high-tea, for example in het koffiehuys in Apeldoorn or you can visit the historical centre.

Because Gelderland has a lot of nature, you can also spend your day enjoying this. For example, you can go horse riding in the forest. Many riding schools rent some horses for a (mid)day and there are many routes you can take. In the map below, you will find some of these riding schools and their addresses :Maneges - Paardrijden - Actief - Gelderland levert jou mooie streken

Finally, if you aren’t able to spend the whole day in Gelderland, there are also some nice locations you can spend in the evening. If you want to go out, there are a lot of clubs and pubs in the cities (Apeldoorn, Arnhem, Nijmegen, Doetinchem). Here you can have a nice chat and enjoy some music. Moreover, if you want to attend a soccer match or a concert, you can visit het Gelredome in Arnhem. In this football stadion, there are often concerts, like Jay-Z and Kanye West at the 15^th of June or Ilse de Lange at the 14^th of September. Also you can attend the Monster Jam in het Gelredome in at the 29^th and 30^th of September. More information and more events in this stadion can be found at http://www.gelredome.nl/evenementen.html.

To end this blog, here are some delicacies of Gelderland you should try J

·         Crepes

·         Oliebollen

·         Waffles

·         Balkenbrij ( a winterdish, a kind of sausage)

·         Arnhems meisje ( a local cookie)

 Enjoy!

Holland Hopping

Head north and discover Groningen

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Located in the north-eastern corner of the Netherlands is the province of Groningen. The province is not known for its tourism, but it is just that, that could possibly suprise you. In particular the province capital (which is also named Groningen) has seen a rise in tourists visitting the city and we are about to tell you why.

Groningen has largely been untouched by the modern expansion of society. This has attracted the love of artists. Groningen offers a largely untouched land that varies from the fields of a farm to the sea and the wadden isles. Experiencing art yourself can be done in the Groninger museum. The museum is hard to miss when you are in the area, since the building is very able to distinguise itself from its surroundings. For more information about the Groninger museum visit their website.

If you are looking for an unique experience you should experience the 'bare feat path' (blote voeten pad) in Opende. This is a route that allows you to experience your sences in a way you haven't ever done before. The entire route will be travelled on foot. And when we say on foot we mean it, since you will not be wearing your shoes the entire route. The route is suited for all ages (although young children should be kept near you), but animals are not allowed. More information can be found on http://www.blotevoetenpad.nl/index.php (site is in Dutch).

You can also spend your day in the town of Pieterburen. Pieterburen is home to the Dutch care center for seals. Which can be visited every day from 9.00-18.00. There are additional activities for young children, if you decide to bring them allong.
You can also decide to finish your day at Pieterburen with a walk over the Dutch wadden. This can be done in other provinces aswell, but why would you when you are in Pieterburen already.
The staring time for the tour is dependant on the tide. Therefore it is wise to inform in advance when the tour will be departing.
This can be done by contacting info@wadlopen-pieterburen.nl or info@waddenweelde.nl.
More information can be found on their site.

Groningen is also home to quite a few museums. Besides the Groninger museum, Groningen is also home to the University museum in Groningen, the ice skating museum in Sappermeer and the tea museum in Houwerzijl (ice skating and tea museum websites are in Dutch).

If you are looking for more exiting things to do, you should consider going wall climbing in Groningen. This is not your ordinary wall climbing centre. Since it features a massive outdoor climbing tower. The outdoor tower should only be climbed during the warmer seasons, but can be climbed the whole year. The facility offers equipment and training if required. For more information you can visit their website (site is in Dutch, but also available in German).

Local delicacies

- Snert (Pea soup with pieces of sausage)
- Groninger koek (Similar to Dutch spiced cakes, this variant is made from rye bread and syrup)
- Groninger metworst (A local sausage)
- Spekdikken (A pancake made from rye, covered with sausage and bacon).
- Hooghoudt jenever and Fladderak (Gin from the area of Groningen)
- Grunn bier (A beer from the area of Groningen, with multiple variants)

                                Snert                                    Spekdikken

Beach and Sea.. Check out Zeeland!

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Zeeland is located in the south-west of Holland, to the left on Noord-Brabant (see the previous blogs) and consists of peninsulas. In Zeeland you can also find the ‘Deltawerken or Deltaworks’. This is a ‘connection system’ that protects Holland in times of high water. A part of this, the ‘stormvloedkering’ protects Zeeland and Noord-Brabant and is also a 9 kilometer long  roadway. The Delta Works have been declared one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

For your visit here, the Delta Works are not only interesting because of its function and history, you can also visit it during your trip to Zeeland and combine it with other nice sights.
For example, you can start your day by visiting the Delta Park ‘Neeltje Jans’. In this way, you cannot only visit the ‘stormvloedkering’, but also a nice museum/park which is related to the Delta Works. The park Neeltje Jans also contains some attractions like the ‘Hurricane Machine’. This is a machine which simulates different wind forces, so you can experience what each wind force is like. Other attractions are a playground, slides and some sea lion shows. Besides sea lions, Neeltje Jans also has some sharks, seals and rays. At the site www.neeltjejans.nl you can find more information and you can also buy your ticket online with discount. The site is available in English J.

After your time at the Delta Works, you can go sightseeing in some cities and villages like Goes and Middelburg. In both cities you should visit the historical centers, with their beautiful old buildings and churches, which are definitely worth a try. Moreover, there are some nice restaurants in Middelburg where you can eat. For example the restaurant Auberge Provençal. This restaurant is settled in a former docters house (located in the cultural centre) with in the basement a cozy and intimate restaurant and offers local specialties.
If your want to spend more days in Zeeland, you can also pass the night in a hotel or Bed & Breakfast in Middelburg. For more restaurants, Hotels or B&B’s you can check www.uitinmiddelburg.nl.

Are you visiting Holland in the summer and the weather is really good? You can also relax and go to the beach in Zeeland! Because Zeeland consists of several peninsulas, there are a lot of beaches you can visit. At most beaches there are some simple restaurants, so after a day swimming and relaxing, you can also diner at the beach.

Finally, some local delicacies of Zeeland you really should try!

·         Zeeuwse Bolus ( a sweet roll with sugar and cinnamon)

·         Zeeuwse Mosselen (mussels from Zeeland)

·         Lobsters from Zeeland

·         Boterbabbelaars (candy made from butter, sugar, corn syrup, vinegar and water)

·         Peelander bier (beer from Zeeland)

Enjoy your visit! J

Holland Hopping

See South Holland flourish!

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Zuid-Holland is best known for its flower fields, but there are plenty of other things to do in the western province of the Netherlands. The largest cities in this province are the cities of Rotterdam, Den Haag, Leiden and Dordrecht. As is often the case, these cities offer plenty of touristic activities. We will list a couple of them, but will also list other fun activities.

One of the biggest cities in the Netherlands, Rotterdam offers plenty of things to do. While it lacks in old architecture due to the bombing in World War II, it compensates with a more modern city center.
One of the mayor landmarks of the city center is the Euromast. From a height of 185 meters you can enjoy an amazing view over the city. During the warmer seasons (and if it is not too windy) it is possible to rapel down from the mast. For more information visit the Euromast website.
Traveling through Rotterdam can be done by ordinary public transport and by car, but it also possible to use a water taxi. If you are just interested in the views from the river the Maas, it is probably wiser to take one of the tours offered by Splashtours.

Your main stay in Rotterdam should however consist of either a visit to the zoo of Diergaarde Blijdorp or the Maritime Museum. With Rotterdam being one of the world’s biggest harbors, the latter is more fitting for the city.
Of course it is also possible to go all out with shopping in Rotterdam. More information about that and many other things can be found on the official tourist information website of Rotterdam.

Den Haag (The Hague) is the political capital of the Netherlands and thus the city is more internationally orientated. For young adults it is probably wiser to go to the beach town of Scheveningen. Besides offering a large beach with accommodations, it also hosts Sealife, a zoo for aquatic animals. Since Scheveningen is one of the more popular touristic beaches, it also hosts more attractions like Powerboating (site is in Dutch). It is advised though to visit the beach between July and October due to the water temperature.
Not afraid of getting wet? Then you should definitely try the whitewater course in Zoetermeer. Zoetermeer is just east of The Hague and could perfectly fit in your plan for the day. For larger groups a reservation is advised.

The province of South Holland is, together with the provinces of Flevoland and North Holland, one of the biggest suppliers of flowers. Starting from the end of March, these flower fields will start to flourish, with the Tulips being the last to flourish between April and the first week of May.

One of the most famous flower fields are found between the cities of Leiden and Den Helder.
Of course it is also possible to see it all in the Keukenhof, which is opened this year between 22th of March till the 20th of May. This year’s theme is 'Poland, the heart of Europe'. On the 21st of April there is also a flower parade in the park.

Local delicacies:

- Haagse Bluf (whipped egg with berry juice)

- Goudse Moppen (cookies)

- Leidse Kaas/Komijnekaas (cheese with caraway)

- Goudse Kaas (Cheese with a higher rate of fat)

                                                - Haagse Hopje (a sweet with coffee/caramel taste)

 

                                                - Schiedammer Jenever (local gin)

                                                - Nieuwe Haring (fresh raw haring)