Aalsmeer Things to Do

In the Netherlands we have two towns that are connected with television. Hilversum for the "state"-TV (the Dutch broadcasting companies that are connected to the "public"). And Aalsmeer that holds the studio-complexes of Ende-Mol directly related to the RTL-broadcasting stations and other commercial enterprices. The studios also invite people in as audience with shows and quizzes. Commercial TV now-a-days is big (too big in my opinion) and ruining the intellect of the masses. For those who are however interested in Ende-Mol, the URL will bring you into their world.

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Very special - masses of flowers to feast my eyes and cameras on! I took loads - my SLR and my digital did some good work that day!

See buckets of roses, sunflowers, masses of reds or yellows or purples or pretty mixes.
Up to 60,000 transactions are handled a day Monday to Friday so it is big business - held in a huge complex out at Aalsmeer 45 minutes by frequent bus 171 and 172 from Liedesplein or about 60 minutes from Central Station, Amsterdam.

At the lake in Aalsmeer there is created a little beach where it si nice to swim. Also it is possible to rent boats or boards, for watersports. Fishing is also possible and there are tours on the lake and canal.

This is the biggest flower-auction of the world, you will have to come early to see the auction in action. You will see outside lots of little carts full of plants and flowers and inside the auction is busy with lots of bidders.

The auction, the greenhouses, the flowers and related items as well as the "Westeinder plassen" (Westend lakes) are definately must-see activities in Aalsmeer. For the Dutch the Ende-Mol studios can also be quite interesting. As the town itself, often it is left aside the road or quickly driven through. To anyway give a small impression I have put the remaining tips in the "off the beaten path" section, as I consider Aalsmeer itself as such.

Aalsmeer, close to Amsterdam and yet not overpopulated and in the possession of some open space (in both land as well as water), has in the last decades attracted quite some wealthy people towards it's bounderies. One can see this when driving around the outskirts of Aalsmeer and sees the villa's, bungalows and mansions with wide well-taken-care-off gardens. A scenic drive around town can be nice and shows many of these homes of the rich ... and sometimes famous.

To keep the land dry, The Netherlands have a very dense system in waterways. Especially in the polders that are beneath sea level these waterways are of life importance. Without them one wouldn't keep their feet dry. Ditches take care of the draining water in the soil and the ground water. This gets lifted (often by smaller windmills) into a higher larger ditch or a canal. From here it goes to the "ringvaart" (ring canal) that surrounds the polder and has a main outlet (or a few) that lead away to sea. With low tide the water gets pumped into the sea, thus keeping the water balance up, in the polders. If in The Netherlands all water draining installations (variating from windmills to diesel pumping stations) would stop, one third of the country would be under water within 24 hours. Aalsmeer and surroundings as well.

Surrounding the lakes there are various villages that are worth visiting. They can be reached by a scenic drive along the dikes or the agricultural lands surrounding the lakes (see also my "Vrouwenakker" page). But when in Holland you might also choose to go there by boat or bike. Distances are never that far and enjoying the land- or waterscape is most intensive these ways. In Aalsmeer some boattrips can be made.