Put a spring in your step by booking a trip to Floriade 2022, Europe’s biggest horticultural extravaganza!
This eye-opening festival takes place only once every ten years in the Netherlands, so if you love flower markets, you won’t want to miss this. The first Floriade was held in Rotterdam, and there have been six of these events since. The seventh next year will be an even bigger flourish with the best flora and fauna from all over the world set to a theme of urban sustainability.
Featuring an extraordinary collection of flowers, trees and plants, Floriade 2022 will put a spotlight on the concept of “Growing Green Cities”. Focusing on innovative technology, it will showcase creative solutions for bringing city spaces closer to nature, making them more eco-friendly, and preserving biodiversity.
The host of the next Floriade will be Almere, a modern “garden city” near Amsterdam that was built on land reclaimed from the sea. Taking place from 14 April to 9 October 2022, the only recurring horticultural expo in Europe will boast a vibrant arts and culture programme in an environment designed by award-winning Dutch architect Winy Maas.
Pavilions, each featuring a different idea, will be bursting with the scent and colour of flowers, vegetation and fruit, and crowning it all off will be an amazing greenhouse complex. When Floriade 2022 ends, the site will turn into a spacious new suburban district named Hortus, whilst continuing to nurture a green and ecological outlook.
Stretching across 148 acres of land, the delights of Floriade will be even more spectacular from up high! Take a trip to the future on a cable car ride 35 meters above the exhibition grounds to admire the vibrant landscape, but don’t forget your camera… It’ll be the perfect time to capture a unique view of of this living laboratory!
Other highlights also include an extensive arboretum that will serve as an immersive encyclopaedia of shrubs and trees you can literally walk through, an intriguing art installation of floating Dutch Elms called “Bobbing Forest” on lake Weerwater, circular walkways thanks to two new green bridges, live music, a food forum and shopping outlets.
With so much on offer, both young and old will have a blooming great time at Floriade 2022.
Sail from Southampton to this glorious garden escape, and enjoy an unforgettable getaway as your voyage will also take you to other nearby attractions, such as the Hague, Het Loo Palace, and the iconic canals of Amsterdam, along with its numerous museums and art galleries.
Get in touch to discover the best cruises for a holiday as colourful as the blossoms of spring.
