The Traveller's Magazine
Tomorrow is one of the biggest days in the Dutch calendar: Queen’s Day. The entire national celebrates spring and comes clad in bright orange for a day of parties, picnics and festivities. Spending April 30th in Amsterdam? Here’s how.
What’s Queen’s Day?
Queen’s Day is the Dutch monarch’s official birthday. Like Queen Elizabeth II, the Dutch Queen Beatrix has two birthdays: her real one and the “official” one. The official birthday, April 30th is actually her mother’s birthday, Queen Juliana, but when Beatrix ascended it was decided to keep the same date for official celebrations.
This year however is very special. Queen Beatrix will officially hand over the throne to her son Willem-Alexander, thus ending the long line of Queen’s Day celebrations as next year the holiday will be renamed King’s Day and will be moved to the new king’s actual birthday, April 27th.
Amsterdam 101: for first-timersCelebrating Queen’s Day in Amsterdam
There is no better place to celebrate this day than in the capital! Street parties will take place all over the country with most all restaurants and cafes opening up their patios and terraces for the season. It’s also the day that the entire nation has a flea market. Literally everyone empties their attics and set up stalls in the streets and it’s the best place to find some real treasures for very cheap prices. Even the children get involved by busking!
Here are the best places in Amsterdam to enjoy the day:
Vondelpark: if you’re visiting on holidays in Amsterdam with your family and kids, then this is the place!
Zeedlijk and Reguliersdwarsstraat: if you’re alternative, young or part of an LGBT community, this is where you’ll find the wildest and most colourful parities in town.
Sarphatipark: if you’re after some real flea market treasures from some of the oldest and most historic attics, this is where you’ll find them.
Will you be celebrating Queen’s Day in Amsterdam tomorrow?
