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You might not expect a head of state’s birthday to inspire a 24-hour party, but Queen’s Day does exactly that. The date, which still honours Juliana, late mother of the present queen, Beatrix, has become a national day of orange madness. Koninginnedag is celebrated all over the Netherlands, but nowhere more intensely than Amsterdam, where there are boats and floats on the canals, impromptu markets (trade laws are temporarily lifted), open-air concerts, and dancing in the streets, with most revellers patriotically sporting some shade of orange. Many of the bars and restaurants host their own celebrations, so even if you don’t make any plans, you’ll have a ball popping into cafés for pints of Amstel, and stumbling into neighbourhood street parties.

Highlights

In The Know

Head Count

The whole city – some 750,000 plus – and maybe a million visitors fill Amsterdam on the day.

Meeting Point

De Blaffende Vis (+31 (0)20 625 1721) is one of the city’s most popular cafés. It gets crowded, but it’s worth witnessing the owner’s famous annual midnight spoof – which once involved a witty Dutch pun based on a 35-foot montage of Keanu Reeves’s body and Queen Beatrix’s head.

Best View

Get your spot on the waterfront early, for a good view of the fireworks and the bands drifting by on boats. Most crowds gather around Leidse Square, Museum Square and Rembrandt Square.

Packing Tips

Relax – you’re in the Netherlands, so you won’t need to dress up for any of the Queen’s Day events. If the desire takes you, pay tribute to the House of Orange by wearing tangerine from top to toe.

Escape

Catch a train to Leiden, from where it is a half-hour bus trip to Keukenhof, the world’s biggest spring flower gardens, with literally millions of dazzlingly planted tulips. Go to www.keukenhof.nl for details.

Dos and don'ts

• Try the delectable local liquor called Oranje Bitter.
• Visit the flower market, it really is a must. You can buy virtually any plant imaginable, and tulip seeds to bring home.
• Rent a boat for the day. Boating bans are lifted for the day and Amsterdammers take to the water in anything and everything. Sesa Rent-a-Boat rents sloops for up to 10 people (+31 (0)20 509 5050; www.sesa.nl).
• Don’t go to Amsterdam if you are looking for a quiet weekend – the whole city parties all day and night.

Need To Know

Children

With half a dozen play areas, Vondelpark, Amsterdam’s biggest green space, is an excellent family destination at the best of times, and on Queen’s Day it hosts lots of activities for children, and turns into a bit of a swapshop, with kids trading their old toys and clothing.

Parking

Driving is generally pointless in Amsterdam. Instead, go Dutch and rent bikes for the day (www.macbike. com; +31 (0)20 620 0985), or get an Amsterdam Pass, which gives you unlimited travel on the city’s trams, buses and subways. Purchase them at all tourist information centres and at Schiphol and Centraal Station.

Disability Access

Amsterdam is very accessible apart from a handful of cobbled streets and walk-up buildings. The biggest problem is with the crowds. Certain canal boat companies cater for wheelchairs: try Lovers on +31(0)20 530 1090 or at www.lovers.nl.

Food & Drink

The celebrations mean that it can be difficult to get into a restaurant, so it’s a good idea to book early. One of our favourites is the cosy De Prins (+31 (0)20 6249382), with excellent food at reasonable prices. On a good clear night, Vertigo, located in Vondelpark, is the perfect alfresco experience (+31 (0)20 612 3021). For Pacific fusion food, head to the grand Mansion on Hobbemastraat (+31 (0)20 616 6664; www.the mansion.nl), where you’ll also sup some excellent cocktails. There’s a glut of good restaurants around Utrechtsestraat: Italian, Indian, French…

Sleep

The Dylan hotel, located on a canal, is perfect if you want a haven away from the full-on partying. It has its own canal boat, and affiliation with a local gym. Or there’s Seven One Seven, an old townhouse converted from private home into unique residence, set on one of Amsterdam’s most picturesque canals, Prinsengracht. For more details and to book, visit www.mrandmrssmith.com, or ring 0845 034 0701.

VIP

Not applicable at this event.

More Details

www.holland.com; www.koninklijkhuis.nl