Heavenly Holland – at its blooming best
WITH fabulously pancake-flat, scenic landscapes and stunning tulip gardens, the Netherlands are a delight to explore, especially from the water.
A cruise here on a long, low river ship is a meander through a peaceful world – passing windmill after stately windmill and calling at historic settlements largely unchanged since the 17th Century, when Dutch merchants travelled the world in search of spices, silks and luxury goods.
While the watery wonderland of Amsterdam is where Rhine Gorge itineraries often start, in springtime river ships tend to linger locally to travel around the dense network of rivers, inland seas and canals known as the Dutch waterways.
Cruises often centre on a visit to the Keukenhof – the largest, most beautiful flower garden in the world, where seven million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths appear from late March to mid-May.
Next year is the 70th anniversary of this extraordinary focus of flower power, celebrating a bloom the Dutch have been hooked on since the 1630s, when ‘tulip mania’ took hold in Holland.
Standing in the Keukenhof you can see why. Sweeping arcs of glorious colour illuminate the 80acre landscape, the vivid swathes laid out in dazzling patterns amid the lakes, trees and pavilions.
It’s one of the wonders of the world, a true celebration of colour.
And it’s not the only awesome sight reached from these tranquil waterways, which feature strongly in next year’s river cruise programme from award-winning escorted tour operator Titan Travel.
Begin your Dutch discoveries in Amsterdam, where the 7,000 historic buildings remaining from the city’s golden age are best viewed from a tour boat on the narrow canals, just one of the included excursions in every Titan Dutch waterways cruise in 2019.
Must-sees include the Van Gogh museum, Anne Frank’s House, Rembrandt’s House and the Rijksmuseum, packed full of masterpieces. Or detour into one of the timeless and deliciously snug ‘brown cafes’ for the ultimate coffee-kick.
And there are some lovely smaller places to visit outside Amsterdam, such as Dordrecht, where you will find medieval churches, ancient monasteries and an old mayoral house with a gorgeous interior. In the beautiful little city of Zaanse Schans, a trading port at the time of the once-powerful Dutch East India Company, the West Frisian Museum takes you on a walk back in time to 1650.
An excursion to Zaanse Schans reveals a village filled with historic windmills and centuries-old Dutch barns and houses, venues for cheese and clog-making demonstrations. And in the authentic buildings of the Zuiderzee Museum you can hear, taste and smell the everyday life of yesteryear on what is now the dammed-off Ijsselmeer lagoon.
If you get the chance, don’t miss the Royal Delft factory, the last remaining earthenware factory from the 17th Century, where Delft Blue is still hand-painted.
And you’ll want to see the most quintessentially Dutch sight of all – Kinderdijk, where 19 windmills are strung out on both sides of the canal. It’s a starkly beautiful area, with the 17th Century working
windmills rising above the marshes and waterways like sentinels.
There’s so much heritage to experience on the picturesque Dutch waterways – and nowhere does spring quite as well. Plan a ravishing river cruise now and look forward to being dazzled by Holland’s heavenly tulips!
TITAN offers a full range of cruise itineraries on the Dutch Waterways, where everything has been carefully thought out to ensure a seamless holiday.
On board Titan’s elegant, light and airy charter ships, such as MS Bellejour, large portholes or French balconies in the roomy cabins reveal gorgeously dreamy landscapes, while the lounge, restaurant and sundeck feature further big views.
A seven-night Dutch Tulips and Windmills cruise, for example, costs from £999pp, and includes 20 meals with unlimited wine, beer, soft drinks and mineral water during lunch and dinner.
Four excursions and visits are included – with plenty more opportunities to explore independently. Wi-fi is available throughout. And coach travel is included, or fly for a supplement. Plus, Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service makes it easy to get from your home to your cabin (and back again) at no extra cost.
To find out more, visit titantravel. co.uk