Diana Piñeros: Spring, spring, spring is the most beautiful and inconsistent season o the year, and it's my first time enjoying it in the land of the tulips, the Netherlands.

I'm in Bollenstreek, which means “bulb growing region” about 30 minutes from Amsterdam.

It's one of the most visited areas in the whole country during springtime.

I'm going to visit two of th best places to see tulips here.

Let's check out what you can expect to see here.

I begin at Keukenhof, a global hotspot for tulip fans.

Oh wow, it smells incredibly good here.

This is the largest tulip garden in the Netherlands.

There are more than 7 million tulips, but also daffodils, hyacinths and other bulb flowers.

All were planted by hand.

Patrick van Dijk is waiting for me.

He has been working at Keukenhof since 2019.

Patrick: Nice to see you.

Diana: Nice to see you.

Diana: So normally tulips have two weeks of blooming, but you have here a technique which is quite cool.

Tell us about it.

Patrick van Dijk Yeah.

This technique is called lasagna planting.

And like you said, there's only two weeks of blooming.

So we created lasagna planting so we can get six weeks of bloom.

As you can see here a the bottom, the late bloomers, in the middle, the mid bloomers and at the top, the early bloomers Diana: Keukenhof has a long history.

It started in 1949 with just a few gardeners.

Today, hundreds of exhibitors show off their best flowers.

The park opens every year from March until May.

What are the challenges to maintain such a huge garden?

Patrick The biggest challenge is to keep 32 acres of park.

And actually, after the park is closed, you get the other challenge, keeping it watered, keeping the trees alive.

And we don't have an irrigation system.

It's all done by hand.

Diana: Oh, wow.

So when it rains, you guys are lucky!

Patrick: We have the evening off.

Yeah.

Diana This is crazy, totally crowded.

I lost my cameraman!

Tulips have been cultivated in the Netherlands for hundreds of years.

But they are actually from Asia.

After they arrived in the Netherlands, people traded with them.

To know more about it, I meet with Annelies de Koning How come one of those tulips... Annelies: Yeah... Diana Costs the same price of a fancy house in the Netherlands hundreds of years ago.

Yes, hundreds of years ago.

Yes.

That's true.

It happened.

The tulip went very popular and people wante to have a tulip in their garden as a sign of wealthiness, richness and importance.

The price is raised enormously.

We call that period the ‘Tulpemania.

Diana: We are now at the second location, which is a less crowded alternative for peopl who want to walk around tulips, take pictures, and why not?

Selfies!

The Tulip Barn was created by Lian Ruigrok and her daughter Romy in 2021.

There are about 500,000 tulips and over 175 different types to enjoy.

This place is also very Instagrammable.

Plus, you are actually allowed inside the fields.

The tulip barn i not a traditional tulip field.

So how do you come up with this idea?

Romy Ruigrok: The campaign started a couple of years ago to create awareness for tourists that they cannot step into any tulip field because it's for the production of tulips, and not for taking pictures.

So you wanted to create an alternative for people where they can take pictures without doing any harm to fields.

And here we made paths a little wider so people can walk through and most of the tulips stay unharmed.

Diana: So many colors.

It's beautiful!

And here, it's much easier to enjoy all the flowers because it's not so crowded.

If you love selfies, this is the place to be.

Well, after a long and really colorful day, I have to admit that spring in the Netherlands is quite a sight.

I'm pretty sure I'm coming back here again.

Peter Wagemakers My name is Peter Wagamakers and we're in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

This is basically my home.

It's my office.

Narrator (female voice): The art historian shares with us five surprising things to discover here.

First of all, there is a road straight through the museum.

Peter: This here is a bike path.

I think this is the only museum with a bike path running straight through it.

It's pretty crazy, but also a bit silly because you don't need a bike in the museum, yet you can ride through the museum with one Narrator: Every attempt to close down the bike path has failed in the bike crazy.

Netherlands.

In fact, until 1931, even cars could drive through.

Peter: You go through here to enter the city center.

Or you come out of the city.

So it's actually a gateway.

Narrator: This path also has a special little detail.

Peter: There's a surprise and you see it outside but not inside - the museum.

There's a secret door.

Narrator: But we'll come back to that.

The museum opened in 1885, and its architect also planne the Amsterdam Central Station.

The buildings are strikingly similar.

The collection showcases 800 years of Dutch history and artistic treasures like Rembrandt's Night Watch.

Or The Milkmaid by Jan Vermeer.

One more fun fact many don't know is that the museum's rooms were painted white for a long time.

Peter Here you see something that was gone in the 20th century.

This room here is a reconstruction of the 1885 original.

But in the 20th century, they said, let's get rid of this because it's a distraction.

It distracts from the art.

You don't need decoration to show art.

And this here is just decoration.

The floor you see here, too.

It's a beautiful floor.

But they took it out and put wood over it.

Narrator: The building was only restored to its former glory in 2013 after ten years of work.

And there's a hidden room that many overlook: the library.

Peter: The library is still just like it was.

Not much has changed.

You can see it in the staircase and the ceiling.

Everything is the wa it was back in the 19th century, and that's simply beautiful.

You can feel the history here.

Narrator: And the most famous painting in the collection has a surprising secret.

Peter: This is the Night Watch.

But the Night Watch isn't 100% here.

They cut parts of it off in the 18th century.

It was moved to the Amsterdam city hall.

And they put it on the wall and thought: Ah, it doesn't fit.

on the hat.

And if you come and look here, you can see how a piece was cut off.

And not just some tiny piece either.

About 33cm.

They cut a bit off the top two and a tiny bit on the right, and a bit at the bottom as well.

So you're not looking at a whole Rembrandt.

More like 80%.

Narrator: The Night Watch was also the reason for the secret door mentioned earlier.

Peter: What you see up there is iron.

You see the brick.

But then this iron arch, which is a secret opening, almost like in James Bond.

You can open i and take down the Night Watch.

So the Night Watch is up there behind that trapdoor, and you'd have a truck waiting down here.

And then you can take dow the whole painting in one piece without having to roll it up and send it off somewhere if you need to.

Narrator” That has only ever happened twice: once just before World War Two, and again during the museum's extensive renovation.

Normally these treasures are here all the time for everyone to enjoy.

Narrator 2 (female voice): Being anything you want for a few days - that's the joy thousands of visitors get to experience at Castlefest in the Netherlands.

John Kersten: If I want to dress up like Cinderella, people wont laugh hahaha, look at him hes Cinderella.

No, like, good for you.

Narrator: Yvonne and John Kersten are newlyweds and huge fantasy fans.

Yvonne Kersten I have a thing for like Vikings and stuff already and he like fits the look.

Narrator: The administrative clerk and logistics manager slip into their chosen disguises in the parking lot.

Yvonne It speaks to your imagination, sort of like a back to basic rough time whil still having some of the glamour Narrator: It isn't clear precisely what real Vikings look like, but the couple may well have hit the mark.

The right headgear an the transformation is complete.

Before heading in, there's a weapons check.

Better safe than sorry.

With all of these wild creatures roaming about.

Yvonne Kersten's costume i still missing the right hairdo.

Woman: What would you like?

Yvonne: Well, I really love red... so maybe stay a little bit with the red, maybe some in my own color.

Yvonne It's not something I would wear to work, so its very... for me, it signifies like the festival spirit and just sort of being myself, bu a different version of myself.

Man (Pirate): Choose a card for me.

Just any card.

Narrator: Meanwhile, John Kersten chats with a band of pirates.

Man (pirate): The captain card is a very important card to you.

Its for you taking charge of your life.

Whatever your dreams are, you have to go with it.

Narrator A cavewoman warrior challenges an adversary to a duel.

You can dress up however you like.

At the Castlefest which first took place in 2005.

Visitors embrace the chance to be creative and let their imagination run free.

There are also numerous booths selling handmade costumes.

Yvonne: It's not a cheap hobby, but I would say it's worth it because it is all handmade.

Narrator: And there's a little magic at the festival.

Those here as witches meet at the Wickerman for the evening chant.

The figure made of willow rods is a different animal every year.

Yvonne and John Kersten also want to do something special at this place.

Yvonne: We did an offering at the Wicker, which for us symbolizes new beginnings.

So we put something in it which is special to us.

Narrator: Four days where you can be anyone - that's what draws thousands to Castlefes in the Netherlands every year.

Narrator (male voice): Amsterdam the capital of the Netherlands.

The city with its charming canals attract millions of tourists every year.

But what does Amsterdam have to offer beyond the typical travel guide recommendations?

We are asking locals for insider tips in the hope of experiencing a unique day.

Let's go!

Warren Gregory is famous for his brightly colored flower bicycles.

Does he have a tip for us?

Warren Gregory: Man, that's too many.

Spiegelgracht, you know, that's a good one.

You start there because then you can get lost from there.

You really can get lost.

Narrator We set off along the many canals and bridges, of which there are more than 1200.

In Amsterdam.

Arriving at Spiegelgracht, we're a bit disappointed.

It's another canal.

But we do spot one of Warren Gregory's bicycles.

From here, we continue our searc for the city's hidden treasures.

Our next tip comes from Erin Dell who moved to Amsterdam.

Erin Dell: If someone is in Amsterdam for a day, I would definitely head to the Vondelpark.

It's an amazing place to experience the quiet magic of Amsterdam.

You'll find people who are biking here, who are walking, who are exercising, youll just find people being.

Narrator: Vondelpark is Amsterdam's green lung and probably the most famous park in the Netherlands.

The 47 hectare site has something for everyone.

The park is named after the poet and playwright Joost van den Vondel.

Another eye catcher is the Vondelpark Pavilion.

It's the lowest point in Amsterdam.

Next we meet Bertus Hollemann, who has many favorites.

Bertus Hollemann Theres another favorite spot, and that is a buildin designed by Hendrik de Keyser - and that is the Westerkerk.

The Westerker is the first Protestant church for that purpose - the largest at that time in Europe.

And it's recently renovated, almost finished.

Do visit Westerkerk because it's a marvelous building.

Narrator Amsterdam's highest church tower guides us to the Westerkerk.

The interior is strikingl bright thanks to the church's 36 large windows.

Many national celebrities are buried in the Westerkerk.

Among them is the world famous Baroque painter Rembrandt.

It's time for a snack.

But where?

Michael Schmidt: If I am hungry, I'll probably get a snack from the wall.

It's one of the most accessible.

Most of the one delicious.

Diverse snacks that you can find around the city center and basically all over the Netherlands.

Narrator: A snack from the wall... Michael Schmidt is talking about FEBO, a fast food chain with vending machine that contain fresh and hot food.

FEBO has been around for more than 70 years and enjoys cult status.

Michael: Press the button, you take out your snack.

This is a kaassouflé, by the way.

It's filled with melted cheese, because, we in the Netherlands like cheese a lot.

So, yeah, very easy to eat.

But you have to be careful because you can burn your mouth quickly.

Narrator: Our Amsterdammer, our guides helped us have a wonderful day.

And we saw that it's worth getting off the beaten path every now and then.

Narrator 4 (male voice) A total of six bridges span the canals of the De Elementen district in Spijkenisse, a suburb of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

The designs theyre based on can be found in almost any wallet.

The initiator of these euro-bridges is artist and graphic designer Robin Stam.

Robin Stam: This is the 100 bridge.

One of my favorites.

What I really like about it is the, on the note, you see statues and I scaled them, and now you see abstract objects.

Narrator: The designer got the idea while he sat in a restaurant, waiting for the check.

Robin Stam began wondering where the bridges depicted on the euro-notes actually stood.

He found out they don't exist in reality.

In 1996 the European Monetary Institute held a design competition for the euro banknotes.

Robert Kalina from Austria won with his designs based o European architectural styles.

Fictional motifs were chosen for the banknotes so no country would be either favored or left out.

The bridges symbolize cooperation and communication between European nations.

Robin So I thought it would be funny if the bridges, that were fictional suddenly exist.

In 2010, Robin Stam proposed that the city council have the bridges constructed in Spijkenisse.

The bridges were actually needed - the new neighborhood is surrounded by canals.

Robin The city council of Spikenisse really liked the idea and they said okay, give some presentations and I did it and everybody loves it.

They said, okay, but now we need permission from the European Bank Narrator and the European Central Bank, headquartered in Frankfurt, gave its blessings to the art project.

Robin: I wrote a letter and I called them and, and, it really surprised me, but they wrote me back, and they say tha they also really like the idea.

And as long as you cant pa with it, then it's fine by them.

Narrator: By 2013, Robin Stam and a team of architects and engineers had completed their real life copies.

Faithful to every detail, but on a far smaller scale.

Now, pedestrians can pick the bridges from the five-euro note or the 100-euro route.

Robin: This is the 10-euro note.

This is the first one we built.

And one of the difficulties was that on the note, it's a super big one but now it's a pedestrian bridge Narrator Of the seven fictional bridges, only six real-life ones were built.

But one is definitely worth a second look.

Robin: This i the largest bridge of them all.

This, has two facades.

This one is the 20 euro and that one, the five euro note.

This one is based on a Roman aqueduct.

Narrator: If it were valued by the banknote its pictured on, this bridge would be the priciest.

Peter: This is the 500 euro bridge.

It's supposed to be a suspended bridge.

And of course, it isn't.

The last thing I heard that, the 500 euro is going out of circulation.

So everything that is left is this bridge.

Narrator: No matter how much longer th banknotes remain in circulation, they'll always be part of European history - and now, the bridges in Spijkenisse are, too.

Frank Captein Some of the processes will go on for years.

In aging cheese and making a richer cheese taste.

Karel Baarspul: A natural product can be so important for a tow that the town gets rich from it.

It's like champagne in France or beer in Belgium.

And we have cheese.

Frank: Boeren Gouda cheese is a cheese produced on the same farm as where the cows are milked and we don't heat the milk.

So we produce cheese from a raw milk.

I am Frank Captein.

Welcome to our cheese farm where we produce “Echte Bouren Goudsekaas” - Real Dutch Gouda Farmhouse cheese.

Roughly every day we produce between 12 to 14 cheeses.

Milk sour bacteria and the rennet are after the milk, the first two and main ingredients.

And then we use some little bit of extra calcium.

Adding rennet to milk, that's the point when you start calling things cheese.

Rennet come from the young cows, the calves.

In order to digest milk, the calf uses rennet to slow the digestion down in his guts.

In order that the rennet can do its job, the milk has to be still.

After half an hour, the milk, which used to be liquid, is then solid.

90% of milk is water, and the water we don't need in cheesemaking process.

By cutting we get rid of the watery part.

Our cheese produced today will stay for almost 24 hours inside the wooden mold.

Karel Baarspul: Gouda cheese is a name that everybody knows.

You speak (to) a lot of tourists who are surprised that Gouda is also a town.

I am a Karel Barspuul, I am sitting here in front of the Gouda Chees Experience, where you can learn everything about cheese and the production of cheese.

Gouda became the cheese capital of the world, because Gouda is situated in a kind of swamp and around Gouda there could not grow anything but grass.

And what can you do with grass?

You buy cow and they eat grass, and the cows produce milk, and from the milk you can make cheese.

Frank Captein: Right before the new cheeses will get into the molds, we take the cheeses out into the salt bath.

We need that to make a crust to the cheese so the crust dries out, contains some salt, and that makes it better resistant against mold or anything like that.

Every cheese we produce is basically the same recipe.

The same way of doing things.

What makes different in taste is the aging of cheese.

So we have young cheese ten weeks, three months, one year old, two year old, three year old, five yea old, six year old and I thought at the moment, the oldest was 7 or 8 years in shop.

The best way to ea Gouda cheese is in the morning and in the afternoon.

Slice of dark bread.

Put good real farmhouse butter on top of it and not two less slices of real gouda cheese and then eat it.

That's the best.