The World’s Ultimate Flower Show: Floriade

One of the stops we enjoyed in La Crosse Wisconsin was the lovely Friendship Garden there, as La Crosse is the sister city to seven cities around the world, and there is a themed area representing each country. Beautiful gardens seem to appeal to everyone, so I thought I would share about an unique event scheduled in 2022 that is the ultimate in flowers…

The World’s Ultimate Flower Show: Floriade

If you’re a keen gardener, environmentalist, or botanist then we expect you already know about Floriade. But for others, the event may not be familiar. The time is creeping nearer for this once per decade event, scheduled to open in Almere, the Netherlands in April 2022. For those who aren’t familiar with the city, Almere is located just a few miles east of Amsterdam. In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about Floriade, to spark some ideas of how you might incorporate this rare event into your travels.

What is Floriade?

Floriade is an international sustainability, garden and flower exhibition show which takes place just once every ten years in the Netherlands. Previous locations have included Zoetermeer in 1992, Haarlemmermeer in 2002 and Venlo in 2012. The 2022 Floriade is to be held in Almere. Opening on the 14 April 2022, Floriade lasts for 6 months, meaning there is plenty of time to plan your visit to the area, ensuring you don’t miss out!

The focus of Floriade is sustainability, and the government of the Netherlands invites representatives from more than 170 countries to join the exhibition. Each nation will display its own plants, flowers and sustainable innovations, while other attractions at the event include a series of sustainable bridges, built using waste products. There will be examples of renewable energy and innovative creations such as vertical gardens. Perhaps the highlight of the event will be the cable car, which will give visitors a birds-eye view over the entire event from the sky.

Workshops, displays and exhibits relating to sustainable living, food, plants and flowers form the backbone of the event. The 2022 edition of Floriade is centered around four key themes: Greening the City, Feeding the City, Healthying the City and Energizing the City.

Not only does Floriade represent a noble cause, in trying to promote sustainability, but the exhibition itself is a wonderful place. The Floriade Park for 2022 will be built around existing green spaces and woodland overlooking the Markermeer Lake, a stunning surrounding for the show to take place.

 

Visiting Floriade on a Rhine River Cruise

The River Rhine is one of Europe’s most popular cruising rivers, stretching all the way from Switzerland, through France, Germany and the Netherlands, before emptying into the North Sea not far from Rotterdam. Although Almere isn’t on the Rhine, many river cruise operators are adjusting their itineraries and running special trips to encompass Floriade, as it is such a huge occasion and one which only comes along once per decade!

For anyone who wants to time their trip to Europe with Floriade, a Rhine River cruise is a great option to consider, as is a traditional land tour of the Netherlands, with such wonderful cities as Amsterdam and Arnhem to visit.

It’s not just Rhine cruises either. Many North Sea Ocean cruises encompassing places such as the UK, Denmark and Norway also include a stopover to Amsterdam on their itineraries, and several of these travel suppliers are also including Floriade during the six-month window. This is testament to the popularity of the event and the fact that it only occurs once every 10 years – get it while it lasts!

Tickets for Floriade 2022 are not yet on sale. It is expected that visitors will be able to purchase them from autumn 2021, with ticket prices including one ride on the cable car over the exhibition. One-day Floriade tickets will cost €29 – 35 for adults and €19 – 23 for children.

Final Thoughts

Floriade 2022 is sure to be a spectacular event. After all, the organizers have had 10 years to plan the best exhibition possible! If you’re planning a river cruise or other trip to Europe and Floriade sounds like the kind of event you’d like to attend, then you’re in luck. Many tour and cruise travel suppliers are catering for the expected demand with tweaks to their itineraries, so you can enjoy a day at Floriade as part of your Rhine or North Sea cruise, or as an add on to your Netherlands land tour. If you’d like to include Floriade in your future travels, I’d love to help you select the travel style and itinerary that best fits your interests.