With explosions of color and soft floral aromas, spring in Europe is a festival for the senses. There is a long list of options when it comes to celebrating this season of rebirth—some well-known, others off the beaten path. Here are some of our favorites. The Patios Festival in Cordoba, Spain For one week in…
Every ten years the Netherlands hosts a massive exposition on plants and flowers, a nod to its role at the international epicenter of all things green and blooming. Each decade’s show is a big deal, drawing visitors from around the world and appealing to horticultural professionals and the general public in equal measure. The next…
It doesn’t happen very often, so when it does, the Dutch get excited. This winter sustained cold temperatures froze some of Holland’s ubiquitous canals to solid, safe roads of ice. When this happens, the Dutch tie on their skates and take to the most natural of outdoor skating rinks. Our Dutch UnTours staffer Marlous sent…
Normally Memorial Day is an important day at the American war cemetery in Margraten, in the south of the Netherlands. For decades, the soldiers resting here, fallen in WWII, have been adopted by locals. It’s considered a duty and an honor to adopt a grave. There’s even a waiting list, and the care is often…
Updates and check-ins continue to pour in from UnTours staff in Europe. Here is the latest from the Netherlands, an update from Edmund, our colleague and friend in Amsterdam. Amsterdam today reminds me of Sunday mornings a long, long time ago. Deserted, quiet, and serene. This was of course before the center of Amsterdam was…
So much to see and do in Europe already, but why not plan your trip around some of the season’s special events? Festivals and fairs are a window into a culture, a signifier of what is important to a community, and an excellent way to rub elbows with the locals. Here is your 2020 trip…
As spring merges into summer, gardens in much of Europe are at their most vibrant and colorful. Whether you seek out gardens as a main sight for your day or duck into them as a respite from sightseeing in built environments, it is hard not to fall in love with these lovingly cultivated spaces. They…
Anyone who knows us knows that here at UnTours, we LOVE Amsterdam. Of course we chose to base our popular Dutch UnTour in nearby Leiden, a charming and central university town that is less busy and less touristy. Leiden has its own charms, but among its many merits is its short, direct train connection to…
UnTourists crave a deeper understanding of the local life, culture, and history of the places they travel. When we set up the Dutch UnTour, we chose Leiden instead of Amsterdam partially because we felt staying in a smaller, less touristed city gave our guests a better insight into Dutch life and culture. But we adore…
Amsterdam is one of Europe’s great cities and hosts one of the continent’s best collections of museums. Guests on our Leiden UnTour spend much time in Amsterdam, on a hosted walk with UnTours staff, and exploring on their own. The museums are a highlight of their time not just in Amsterdam but of their whole…