When Should You Visit the Netherlands?
When I have first published this article within my blog I had not yet completed my first year in Netherlands. Now, after living here for four years, it was the time for me to edit it for a bit.
To start with, when you should visit Netherlands depends highly on your personal expectations and your bucket list. In the following paragraphs I have listed what are the activities you can enjoy in Netherlands in different seasons.
Autumn
My life changes according to the academic calendar, thus, September (2022) was my first full month to spent in Netherlands. This is exactly why I wanted my article to start with autumn.
September is one of the greatest months to explore Amsterdam, While walking nearby the canals, you can enjoy the red/yellowish colors of the trees and a slow wind that creates chill yet would not make you uncomfortable. For Netherlands, this is the final month you can experience long days before the sun leaves you.
On the other hand, October, alongside November, are one of the worst months to be in the country as the days get shorter and the weather gets colder. There are even points in life where you question about ways to leave the country as soon as possible. During this period, what makes the most sense is enjoying the closed spaces like museums and art galleries. Discovering new coffee places, like Pluk in Amsterdam, which has the best hot chocolates and taking things slowly is what I recommend for those who are visiting during this time period. I have mentioned a couple of museums you can visit in a Museum Guide into Amsterdam, which you can check by clicking here.
Winter
I once have seen a video online, a girl was telling the best thing to do in Netherlands during winter is leaving the country. I fully agree.
For those who like the winter tourism, you should know that the snow is not very common to see in Netherlands. Instead, we have a never-ending rain. Sometimes the videos of frozen canals come to my fyp online , yet, I have never in the past four years seen the canals frozen like that. The roads froze though, makes it trully a pain to cycle or drive around.
If you are willing to experience all those rains, just to see the Christmas markets, you are in the wrong country.
There are Christmas markets in Netherlands obviously, but not as good as Germany for example. Go to Cologne, go to Colmar, Strasbourg or even Ghent; but don't come to Amsterdam for it.
Spring
If I have bored you enough by mentioning the winter, now is the time for the good times where days start getting longer and life feels bearable again.
For those planning to visit the Netherlands in spring, I would recommend April. Although May is when the weather truly becomes pleasant and the sun doesn't set until around 9:30 p.m., the end of April is the ideal time if you want to see the tulip fields and feel as though you've stepped into a fairy tale filled with colorful flowers. By the middle of May, the flowers gradually begin to fade.
If you're wondering what you can do in the Netherlands during spring, you can cycle past the flower fields, explore beautiful gardens and have picnics, or visit Giethoorn. And if you'd like to see the Netherlands covered in orange, don't forget to include King's Day in your trip!
Summer
Now let's move on to the final season: summer
If you ask me what summer in the Netherlands is like, I'd say I'm neutral about it. I can't really call it either great or bad. The best part of the season is probably the incredibly long days as it can stay light until 10:30 p.m. at its peak. Despite the long daylight hours and warmer weather, I personally wouldn't choose to spend my summer in the Netherlands. That really depends on the kind of getaway you're looking for, though. If it were up to me, I'd rather spend my summer in one of the Mediterranean countries, where I could enjoy beautiful beaches and the sea breeze.
That said, if your idea of a great vacation includes festivals, then summer is definitely the festival season in the Netherlands. Over the next few weeks, I'm planning to put together a Guide to Festivals in the Netherlands, where you'll be able to find festivals taking place during the dates of your trip.
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