The Netherlands & Belgium: Birds, Art and Architecture

Highlights

• May is a delightful month to be in Holland and Belgium; mild and pleasant during the day, fine evenings. The start of the breeding season for birds, and excellent birding in well-established network of nature reserves and national parks
• Historically important cities and towns, with mix of old and modern architecture; world-renowned museums and acclaimed art galleries; sculpture gardens and collections of Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh

What's this trip about?

Although The Netherlands and Belgium (The Low Countries) are densely populated, they harbor a surprisingly rich bird-life. Areas such as Waddenzee, Lauwersmeer, Hoge Veluwe and Oostvaarders Plassen are famed for the sought-after species that can be found there. May is a time when many local birds have started to breed, while migrants are still winging their way north, so the overall list will be excellent. The birding hot-spots are located near historically important cities and towns, where the mix of old and modern architecture is a feast for the eye, and where world-renowned museums await us. From watching Eurasian Spoonbills and White Storks one day, we could be admiring Rembrandt and Vermeer the next. Amsterdam, Brugge, Antwerp and Groningen are all on the itinerary. Of special interest will be visits to Keukenhof, considered by many the greatest spring garden in the world, and Kröller-Müller Museum, with its sculpture garden and Van Gogh collection, in a stunning setting at the edge of a national park.

What's excluded

• Flight to and from start/end location
• Travel Insurance
• Items of a personal nature

Accommodation