Hi, I had the idea of visiting the Netherlands on Koningsdag this year and I have a few questions:

  1. I mainly want to visit because I love fleamarkets, and the whole country turning into one is just amazing to me. The question is: is it really as big as it’s made out to be? Is it worth it visiting mainly for that?

  2. Where would be the best place to visit. I’m from Germany, so bonus points if it’s close to the border

  3. How many tourists do you guys get on that day? Are hotel prices going to skyrocket?

  4. Is public transport still working normally on that day? I heard the netherlands are amazing to travel by public transport.

  5. Anything else I should be thinking of? Special events I could visit or such?

  • Vinny_93@lemmy.worldNederlands
    4·
    2 days ago

    You’ve probably been to Groningen but any of the larger cities will have all kinds of stuff to do. Can’t speak for Arnhem or Nijmegen but buses will keep going in the city although Groningen is walkable if you use Google Maps or similar.

    Trains towards Groningen could be difficult since the train from Leer hasn’t run since 2013 or so. If you can take the train to Zwolle, there is a direct train to Groningen from there. Then again, Zwolle is nice as well and you can reach Amersfoort, Utrecht and Amsterdam as well.

    The smart money is on finding accommodation outside the city. You will have a difficult time getting out of the city after midnight though.

      • Vinny_93@lemmy.worldNederlands
        4·
        1 day ago

        Ah okay, well depending on where in Germany you are from there are essentially 5 major options to choose from on the east side of the Netherlands, from north to south:

        • Groningen
        • Zwolle
        • Enschede
        • Arnhem/Nijmegen
        • Maastricht

        These are all old university cities, with Nijmegen dating back to Roman Empire times. Groningen is very popular among Germans because it is the largest of the cities I mentioned above and it just has a great atmosphere. I’ve never spent much time in Enschede or Maastricht and I’ve never been to Nijmegen so I can’t speak for those cities. I’ve lived in Groningen for about 7 years and it’s always vibrant and fun.

    • TostiHawaii@feddit.nlNederlands
      6·
      2 days ago

      Be aware that Koningsdag is celebrated on 26 April this year: if the 27th is a Sunday, it’s moved to Saturday.

      Public transport should be fine. They will run the holiday service, which might be a bit less than regular service. But especially for bigger cities you should be fine. Expect it to be crowded though.

      As for flea markets: I’m not an expert, so can’t comment on that.

      Edit: this was meant as a reply to OP.