Amsterdam in April—Koningsdag & Tulips

Koningsdag (King’s Day), celebrated on April 27, is a national holiday for the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Koningsdag is known for its nationwide vrijmarkt ("flea market"), at which the Dutch sell their used items. It is also an opportunity for "orange madness" or oranjegekte, a kind of frenzy named for the national colour.

The vrijmarkt (literally 'free market') is a nationwide flea market, at which many people sell their used goods. Koningsdag is the one day of the year that the Dutch government permits sales on the street without a permit and without the payment of value added tax. Among the most popular areas for the vrijmarkt in Amsterdam is the Jordaan quarter, but the wide Apollolaan in front of the Hilton hotel in southern Amsterdam is gaining in popularity. Children sell their cast-off toys or garments at the Vondelpark, also in southern Amsterdam, and in a spirit of fun passers-by often offer the young sellers more than they are asking for the goods.

Koningsdag now sees large-scale celebrations, with many concerts and special events in public spaces, particularly in Amsterdam. Many young people celebrate in the streets and squares (and in Amsterdam, the canals as well) throughout the night, and after all-night partying join the crowds at the vrijmarkt.

Those taking part in Koningsdag commonly dye their hair orange or wear orange clothes in honour of the House of Orange-Nassau, which rules over the Netherlands. Orange-coloured drinks are also popular.

Children celebrate with a variety of games including koekhappen (in which they catch spice cake dangling from a string in their mouths) and spijker poepen (in which they tie string around their waist a nail dangling at one end, which they attempt to lower into a glass bottle).

April is also a best time to appreciate large fields of tulips in Amsterdam. 

Here visitor can enjoy the most beautiful spring in the world, comprising of tulips, windmills and the canal. Keukenhof in Amsterdam is among the most beautiful parks in the world. It is famous for its variety, quantity, quality and layout of tulips.