Tulips have a long history in Holland, dating back to the 16th century.  Starting in March, part of Holland is transformed with crocus, followed by daffodils and hyacinths, and then finally tulips in late April / early May.

The country’s climate, with a long spring and cool nights, along with the right soil make it the perfect conditions for tulips.

During this season, there are a number of different places to find flowers.  The tulip farms can be found in the Noordoostpolder, there are a number of fields along the coast of The Hague and Leiden, and then there is Keukenhof, the world’s biggest flower exhibition, boasting more than 7 million flower bulbs, comprised of tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, orchids, roses and more.

We decided to visit Keukenhof, but admittedly, it was a Saturday and filled with tourists.  So following a quick walk through, we made our way to the fields themselves, which I enjoyed much more.

Following our afternoon of flowers, we stopped at the seaside to enjoy herring, a Dutch local favourite, and then made our way back to Delft.

Delft is most famour for its blue and white ceramics, but this town is also like a mini version of Amsterdam – gorgeous traditional architecture surrounded by canals.   We spent the evening strolling the streets, followed by dinner and then a hot chocolate along one of the squares.