"Koninginnedag (Queen's Day)" Netherlands Off The Beaten Path Tip by Dutchnatasja

Koninginnedag (Queen's Day) is on April 30 and is a huge party day in not only Amsterdam, but in every city in The Netherlands. The whole central city becomes a huge street market/party where anyone can sell whatever they like - it's a madhouse.

The current monarch, Queen Beatrix, visits towns on Queen's Day where she is received with special celebrations, often in the form of demonstrations of old-fashioned dances and crafts. What makes Queen's Day truly unique, however, are the stalls set up by the roadside. Queen's Day is known as a "free market" day when people sell household goods they no longer need: the Dutch equivalent of our garage sales.