Adventures for Anyone: Where the Tulips Come From...My First Post About Holland for Merle!

Merle put Holland on her bucket list, and I suppose that most people would expect me to start out by talking about Amsterdam, but that's not my style. So, to start our discussion about Holland, I decided to concentrate on Flevoland.

Holland is part of the Netherlands, which can be confusing for most people. Like most countries in Europe, The Netherlands evolved over thousands of years into the organized country that it now is. Holland is where the Dutch folks are from and tends to be in the southeastern portion of the country with places like Gelderland (if you've ever seen "A Knight's Tale" surprise! It does exist).

Holland is one of the wateriest countries in Europe and sits largely on the North Sea. Land, or the lack of, and water have always been a topic, an issue, and conflict, and something that needs to be resolved. Flevoland, didn't used to exist. The Dutch have always been the leading edge of dealing with water. Long famous for their shipbuilding, they then turned to controlling the water against floods. Holland is filled with dikes that are there to control the water and where it goes in the Netherlands. Flevoland is a result of some of those projects. It is, in fact, the largest land reclamation project in the world. It is still creating land today.

It's called The Afsluitdijk. That's a mouthful. It's a 32 kilometer long dike and is quite literally a bridge across the sea. It was designed to block the North Sea from flooding all the areas inside the IJsselmeer. As a result 17% of the land in The Netherlands has been reclaimed from the sea, and a lot of it is in what they call the Polders. The area inside the IJsselmeer, that the Afsluitdijk cuts off from the North Sea is a lot of that area.

Now, there are dikes all over the country. The Dutch are quite accomplished in building them. There is a place called Deltawerk where you can look at art, based on dike building. It's a great stop along the way. There's a national park for birding in the area. There are archaeological sites all over that particular area since the land appeared digging up signs that there were people there thousands of years ago.

But, why on Earth did I pick a place that's over 30 feet below sea level and didn't exist a hundred years ago to talk about?

Because, you can tiptoe through the Tulips, baby! Flevoland is largely the home of the massive Tulip farms we've all heard about. Over 1 billion Tulip bulbs are produced and sold by the Dutch. From March to May, it becomes a symphony of colors as the tulips are blooming. You are perfectly welcome to go the opposite direction from Amsterdam and go to Keukenhof Park, famous for it's Tulip display, but the fields where they grow are largely in Flevoland.

First, some facts about Tulips. They aren't native to Holland. They come from Turkey. Back when the Dutch were famous for shipping and building ships, they discovered the flowers and transplanted them. Holland is now the biggest supplier of Tulips and Tulip bulbs around the world.

Second, the Tulips that you see in the fields are largely not sold as flowers. The Tulip bulb industry is far larger than the flower industry. Most of the Tulips that you see blooming in the spring will run their course and the bulbs will be harvested for sale. For this reason, you have a couple of months to look at them and enjoy the sight.

There are small, family owned farms in the area that you can visit, and have a great day among the Tulips while you are in the area. Check the links below.

Water and land go together like no other place on Earth in Holland. As you travel through the Tulip farms, you will find yourself along the shore of the inland sea, looking at miles of wind turbines both on land and in water. Holland has long since been at the forefront of wind power, and are famous for their wind turbine fields.

The Dutch love the water, and spend a lot of time enjoying it. They have beaches to hang out on and about a hundred different kinds of boats to enjoy on all kinds of water.

The people of the Netherlands are extremely progressive. Rotterdam is at the forefront of shipping and architecture. They've figured out how to control water. They thrive on wind power.

But, in lieu of boating, driving and other things; biking is the way to tour in The Netherlands if you can. You can drive anywhere you want to and go over some amazing water control projects. You can take a boat or ferry to a lot of places. But, the most Dutch way to go out and enjoy the Tulips is by bicycle. If you're able, I recommend it.

The Dutch have a laid back lifestyle when they aren't working. Biking allows you to meander. You can stop for a cup of coffee or tea and watch the world go by, or just enjoy the shore. You can stop and look at giant metal sculptures along the coast. You can thoroughly enjoy the Tulip farms. It's the best way to enjoy the flat, shoreline and countryside of The Netherlands.

As far as taking a tour to look at Tulips, I don't think that's necessary. There are lots of places that you can get a map. The roads are well marked. The locals are friendly and helpful. Meandering is a fun way to explore such a country, and it would be my choice. There are, however, a lot of companies that provide many different kinds of tours of the country. Be aware, that if you are coming from another country, you will probably be flying in and out of Amsterdam, so plan on that being your hub for travel.

Before I let this one go, I wanted to help out parents. If you have kids, I know for a fact that looking at Tulips is only going to last for so long. But, Flevoland has things for the whole family. As I said, they have beaches, restaurants, resorts and things.

One of the big attractions is Walibi Park. This roller coaster oriented amusement park is fun for the whole family and will keep the kids entertained.

So, Flevoland, the part of Holland that didn't used to exist is a delight, from scenic harbors and lighthouses, to amusement parks and Tulip farms, there's something for everyone. You can stop by an archaeological dig and see old ships that sank centuries ago. You can marvel at wind power and water control in this land that is so unique, they even have their own flag. If you enjoy something a little different, come to Holland in the spring and enjoy!

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/the-netherlands/articles/the-best-places-to-see-tulips-in-the-netherlands/

https://tulipfestivalamsterdam.com/tulip-farms-amsterdam/

https://www.booking.com/city/nl/Emmeloord.html?aid=346685&label=msn-wZz0t5Cg2l5u*00BUjHbTg-1394532415:tikwd-80607961337953:aud-807859093:loc-190:neo:mte:lp44736:dec:qsemmeloord%20netherlands&utm_campaign=Netherlands&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=bing&utm_term=wZz0t5Cg2l5u*00BUjHbTg&msclkid=91e93042a8781ce3123051a58db89df6

https://www.tripadvisor.com/SmartDeals-g1087508-Emmeloord_Flevoland_Province-Hotel-Deals.html

https://www.luxuryhotelsguides.com/?fullufi=-2144141&msclkid=cbe3776d873618b853c8168aa2f6b00f

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g1087508-Activities-Emmeloord_Flevoland_Province.html

https://www.holland.com/global/tourism/travel-inspiration/traditional/tulip-season-in-the-netherlands.htm

https://keukenhof.nl/en/discover-the-park/

https://www.holland.com/global/tourism/destinations/provinces/flevoland/noordoostpolder-3.htm

https://www.holland.com/global/tourism/destinations/provinces/flevoland/schokland-and-urk.htm

https://www.holland.com/global/tourism/destinations/provinces/flevoland/urk-en.htm

https://www.holland.com/global/tourism/destinations/provinces/north-holland/enkhuizen.htm