Panorama TulipLand is a spectacular attraction on the theme of the famous Dutch bulb fields. On 22nd March,1997, Leo van den Ende began dedicating his free time every Spring for nine weeks on his creation of a panoramic view of the Bollenstreek as it was over fifty years ago. It's the worlds largest and most colourful flower-panoramic landscape showing historical buildings, views and detailed pictures of the lifestyle of the times. Measuring over 252 sq.meters, it is truly a fantastic and awesome sight!

Accompanied by a cup of coffee in the restaurant, visitors can enjoy this view. Looking at the painting gives the impression that you are standing or sitting in the middle of the flowering bulb fields! Visitors can hear a recorded explanation several times per day. Leo Van Den Ende completed and signed the canvas on 22nd May, 2008 and was invested as a Knight in the Order of Oranje-Nassau by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix for his great accomplishment.

The location of the museum in which the painting is housed is Jacoba van Beierenweg 79, Voorhout ZH. It is open only in the Springtime from 25th May till 31st August from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum also displays bulb cultivation tools used in the early days. There are other souvenirs and flower bulbs for purchase.

The Keukenhof in Lisse, South Holland is open annually between the last two weeks in March and the end of May.This world famous garden covers an area of around 80 acres with various flowering shrubs, lakes, fountains, an Atrium for exotic flowers and a variety of snack places and restaurants to make this a fairytale garden. The garden is part of the Castle Estate which belonged to the Countess of Holland, Jacoba van Beieren from 1401-1436. She loved to gather herbs for the castle kitchen. Hence the name Keukenhof (Kitchen Garden). More than seven million bulbs are strategically planted each year for the pleasure of up to one million visitors from all over the world. A not-to-be-missed event when visiting Holland. Bulbs can also be purchased here.

The Bloemencorso, the biggest flower parade in South Holland takes place late April. The floats leave Noordwijk early in the morning and travel a 40 km route through Sassenheim, Lisse, Hillegom, Bennebroek to its final resting place in Haarlem near Amsterdam where they are parked and displayed for the weekend. Prizes are given for the most outstanding creation. Later in the year, around mid-August a flower parade leaves Rijnsburg, near Leiden, and travels through Leiden and Katwijk and ends in Noordwijk on the Queen Wilhemina boulevard and displayed for the weekend.

On 30 June and 1 July, the border town of Bad Nieuweschans returns to the Celtic Dark Ages for a magic celebration of the Midsummer Festival. For two whole days, Celts will be settling in authentic villages in the Fontana Park where they will demonstrate the Celtic way of life, art, crafts, and rituals. The villages will be surrounded by markets stalls with Celtic products. Enjoy the music, the fire shows and the storytellers, the demonstrations by craftsmen and much more. The festival begins on Saturday 30 June at 10.00 am.  More information go to:  www.keltisch-midzomerfestival.nl

There are many music festivals in the Netherlands, particularly in the summer: The Holland Festival in Amsterdam, that combines all of the performing arts, the Baroque Festival in Utrecht; Pinkpop; Parkpop; and, of course, the North Sea Jazz Festival to name but a few. Here is a selection of the most well known music festivals in the Netherlands.

The Parade, a pioneering travelling festival of the performing arts, combines theatre with circus, music, dance and magic to create an original kaleidoscope of entertainment. The performances are staged in the open air or in marquees - visit the website for language-no-problem productions and the extensive children's programme. You can enjoy the performances at the following cities. Tickets for 2007 can be purchased at the festival site or online: De Parade exact dates are still to be made known.

In the 26 years of The Hague's beloved free summer festival, Parkpop has grown from a small-scale Hague festivity to the largest one-day free pop festival in Europe. Parkpop was first held in 1981 with a single podium and 15,000 visitors. Now, in 2006, it has become a festival of international allure, with three podiums and around 350,000 visitors. Characteristic of the Parkpop programming is its broad design, which means there is something for everyone. Whether it's pop, rock, R&B, ska, funk or gothic that takes your fancy, Parkpop's got it! But Parkpop offers more than just a wealth of music. Parkpop is an experience and a highlight not to be missed!

Did you know that the North Sea Jazz Festival is the biggest annual jazz festival in the world? Just about every genre is represented there - from traditional New Orleans jazz, swing, bop and free jazz, to fusion, avant-garde and electronic jazz. And it doesn't stop at jazz - blues, gospel, funk, soul, hip hop, R&B, world beat and Latin enthusiasts have a great time as well. In short, the North Sea Jazz Festival is a multi-faceted event that attracts between 60,000 and 70,000 visitors each year, from countries all over the world and is now traditionally one of the highlights of the European cultural season. The festival will be held from 13 to 15 July at the AHOY in Rotterdam. For information about the programme and tickets go to: www.northseajazz.nl/programma.en.asp

The North Sea island of Terschelling Friesland stages a 10-day, outdoor Oeral festival filled with the mayhem and merriment of about 200 different acts. The festival features music played on the beaches, theatre in the woods and dunes, bicycle tours across the island, street theatre in the villages and small theatre in the empty barns.

To buy tickets for paid performances an Oerol Festival Pass is needed. The pass will be available on the boat to Terschelling, at the entrance of ET-10 or at the festival site Westerkeyn. The passport costs €13 or €8 if you will not be staying for the entire festival. Performance tickets are sold only on Terschelling and vary in price between €5 and €15. Visit the Oeral Festival between 18 June - 17 August. Dates may vary.

The Holland Festival Oude Muziek celebrated their 25^th Anniversary in 2006 featuring the best artists in classical music programmes unique to the Netherlands. This festival occupies a very special place in the world of classical music. It has developed into a ten-day (end August-early September)  event with a focus on all 'really old' music, from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to later periods. The additional program presents a market, lectures, workshops and a symposium.
The year 2007 sees many changes, the most important being the closure of the Vredenburg Muziekcentrum, Utrecht. For years, the concert hall has been one of the main Festival locations. From next year, the Festival will find new hosts in Utrecht's churches and some, perhaps unexpected, new concert venues. 

If you are into movies covering all kinds of subjects including documentaries, you may want to acquire a taste of Dutch culture. Holland has many popular film festivals to offer, for instance:

In the 22 years since that first Weekend of Terror, the 'fantastic' offering has become a great deal more diverse, and the public's taste has likewise become more refined. The development of our program - from a feast for horror lovers to a broadly oriented 'fantastic' festival - happened some time ago. The AFFF has, in about two decades, grown into a mature 'player' on the festival circuit. It organised the 2004 Golden Méliès Gala, where the prize for the best long and short European fantastic films of the year were awarded. In addition, the AFFF saw its adult status recently confirmed through the approval of structural subsidies by both the Ministry of Culture and the City of Amsterdam. But: adult or not, this festival will always be a little mischievous - and a little naughty!  The 23rd Festival will be held from April 16-25 at the Leidseplein Pathé Cinema, Melkweg, Amsterdam.

The IDFA presents the best documentaries from a massive input from all over the world. The selection is made on the basis of style, creativity and originality significant to social issues and which successfully put their point across to their audiences. Awards are made for the best documentary in each category. The festival is held in December of each year.

Every year, for ten consecutive days the Netherlands Film Festival in Utrecht offers film fans and film professionals the unique opportunity to get acquainted with the latest and best Dutch films. During the festival, a whole series of Dutch feature films, documentaries, short films and TV drama productions are premiered. But there is also a chance to look back on important Dutch films from the distant and near past. During the Netherlands Film Festival, the Golden Calf awards are made to the best Dutch Film entry for each category. Festival
takes place annually between last week September and first week in October.

This International Film Festival is the most popular place for discovering film talent, international premieres, recent feature films, short films and documentaries and visual arts exhibitions. During twelve festival days, hundreds of filmmakers and other artists present their work to a large audience in twenty-four screening venues located within central Rotterdam. National Press and film industry representatives visit the festival to report on its premieres or to take part in Cinemart, the largest co-production market for film projects. The 36th edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam takes place from January 24 till February 4, 2007. CineMart takes place from January 28 till February 1, 2007.