It is not the usual place where people in their 20ties would choose to go. For somebody who wants to do something cool and fun during a warm weekend in the Netherlands, spending the day in the park somehow does not sound that appealing.

Well, it is. Spending time in nature has numerous benefits such as increased positivity and  improved outlook towards life; it also strengthens your immunity and boosts vitamine D levels (more info on these at http://news.health.com/2014/09/29/health-benefits-of-nature/ ). But what makes it really special for me is that I have shared one of the best days of my life with my friends in that park and spent some true quality time with them.

You can find free bikes at the each of the entrances and the 40 km of cycling paths are just perfect to cover for one day. In between you can take breaks and enjoy the various landscapes (the park can literally transform itself from a savanna lookalike into a deep cozy forest in a span of a few kilometers) and animals (there are a lot of deer walking around). A visit to the beautiful Kroler Muller museum located in the park is also a must, but if you would like to do that, I would recommend starting the day really early, as there are plenty of beautiful art pieces (both indoors and outdoors) to be seen. A perfect way to end the day after a relaxing bike ride is to have a picnic at the lake (you can easily carry the food at the back of your bike). Just make sure you carry enough food and drinks, as the only restaurant is in the center of the park.

More about the park can be found at: https://www.hogeveluwe.nl/en

The Netherlands is a country of orderly ways of living, where rules and procedures are strictly followed. There are however, some exceptional days when all the rules are forgotten when the air smells like party from early morning. When almost all ways of celebrating are absolutely acceptable. One such day is Kingsday.

There is one thing that you can notice very explicitly – orange. Orange costumes, hats, sun glasses, wings, wigs, and all sorts of weird accessories. You might encounter some victims of over partying here and there, but overall the crowd is very friendly and the overall atmosphere is happy, free and joyful. I haven`t seen a holiday to be so celebrated so wholeheartedly and intensely in any other country (even though Norwegians are claiming that their madness on their national day is even bigger, but I haven`t seen it in person 😉 )

It is a lot of fun, so make sure you see it! A few tips from me:

• The three main ways to experience the day are to walk around the city, get on a boat or party on one of the many stages around city. My advice would be to go on a boat if you want to have a good party, or to stay on the ground and walk around if you are more into taking pictures and exploring the flea markets.
• Do not trust the weather forecast for that day- the weather somehow turns out a loooot better than predicted.
• Do not forget that the date is April 27^th and not April 30^th (the day when Queensday was celebrated) any more 😉