Watching the Aalsmeer flower auction at dawn

What it is

Royal FloraHolland in Aalsmeer is a growers' cooperative and the largest flower trading centre in the world. Millions of stems and plants pass through each working day, from Dutch glasshouses and from farms in Kenya, Ethiopia, Colombia and Ecuador. Prices are set by the Dutch auction clock, which starts high and falls until a buyer stops it. Most bidding is now done on screens, so what a visitor sees from the raised walkway is the logistics: small electric tugs pulling long trains of carts across a building the size of a small town. It explains how a rose reaches a shop.

Before you go

• Go early on a weekday. Trading is over by mid morning and the floor empties.
• Visitor access has changed in recent years. Confirm that the gallery is open before you travel.
• Pair it with the bulb fields or Keukenhof, which are a short drive away.

The flowers you will see

RoseWoody perennial plants with showy, often fragrant flowers in many coloursTulipSpring-blooming bulbs with showy, cup-shaped flowers in many coloursChrysanthemumAutumn-blooming flower with thousands of varieties, cherished in East Asia and beyondGerberaBright daisy-like blooms from South Africa, popular in gardens and bouquetsLilyTall bulb flowers with large, colourful blooms in many gardens and cultures

Read more

Aalsmeer Flower AuctionThe world’s largest flower auction hall in the Netherlands

More in Netherlands

🇳🇱 Lisse · Apr to MayThe bulb fields of the Bollenstreek in bloomLong stripes of hyacinth, daffodil and tulip on the sandy flats between Haarlem and Leiden, at their best in mid to late April. 🇳🇱 Amsterdam · All yearThe floating Bloemenmarkt on the SingelA row of flower stalls built on barges along Amsterdam's Singel canal, selling bulbs, seeds and cut tulips. 🇳🇱 Lisse · Mar to MayKeukenhof in tulip seasonA woodland park in Lisse planted each autumn with millions of bulbs and open for about eight weeks in spring. 🇳🇱 Lisse · Apr to MayCycling the bulb fields from Lisse to the dunesA flat day's ride on marked cycle paths through flowering bulb fields between Lisse, Hillegom and Noordwijk.