Aalsmeer: Flower History, Art and Water Landscape

Aalsmeer reveals itself through different sides: the Historische Tuin Aalsmeer is devoted to flower and plant cultivation, the Flower Art Museum to contemporary art with floral themes, and the Westeinderplassen to water activities and nature. If you are looking for a hotel in Aalsmeer, you can first plan your stay around these interests: cultural history, art or activities on the water.

Flower and Plant Cultivation in Aalsmeer

The Historische Tuin Aalsmeer is a living museum about the history of flower and plant cultivation in the Aalsmeer region from around 1700 to 1960. This long period gives the subject a regional context. One distinctive feature is an auction clock, built in the 1930s for the former Bloemenlust flower auction and still in working order. The auctioneer explains the auction system there. This brings both the development of cultivation and the flower auction into focus within the same subject area. The clock is more than a historical object: its continued operation and the explanation of the system make the auction a distinct aspect of local flower history.

Contemporary Art and the Bloemen & Kunst Tour

The Flower Art Museum takes a different approach: its exhibitions place flowers and plants at the heart of contemporary art. The focus thus shifts from historical cultivation and auctions to the artistic exploration of plants. The museum has been temporarily closed for renovation and expansion since 1 October 2025; it is scheduled to reopen in autumn 2026. If you are planning a museum visit, check before your trip whether it has reopened by then.

The five-kilometre Bloemen & Kunst Tour is a walking route from the Flower Art Museum to the Historische Tuin and back in Aalsmeer. It offers a specific route connecting the two museums. When planning a museum visit, the Flower Art Museum’s reopening status remains important; the stated route and possible access to the museum are separate considerations.

Water Activities and Circular Route

The Westeinderplassen and the Oosteinderplas together form a valuable nature reserve. Swimming, sailing, windsurfing, water skiing, stand-up paddling and rowing are all possible on the Westeinderplassen. The options therefore include a range of activities on the water. Another option is the approximately 19-kilometre circular route around the Grote and Kleine Poel at the Westeinderplassen. It can be completed on foot or by bicycle. While the water activities are individual pursuits, the circular route is a trail with a specific length and two possible ways to travel it.

Art Routes and Regional Walking Connections

The Flower Mural Experience is a growing art route through Aalsmeer that can be explored on foot or by bicycle. Its format differs from that of the Bloemen & Kunst Tour: this is a growing art route through Aalsmeer, while the other is a five-kilometre walking route from the Flower Art Museum to the Historische Tuin and back. Depending on your interests, you can choose between a growing art route and a described route between two museums.

Aalsmeer is also part of the Wandelnetwerk Noord-Holland. The network connects Diemen with Aalsmeer, as well as Amsterdam via Amstelveen and Ouder-Amstel with Uithoorn. This means that the walking network extends beyond the individual circular route at the Westeinderplassen and also includes these regional connections.

The Watertoren van Aalsmeer

The Watertoren van Aalsmeer offers another historical perspective. Until the early 1990s, it served as a pressure-boosting station in the drinking water system of Aalsmeer and surrounding towns. This brings the history of technical infrastructure into focus alongside flower cultivation, auctions and art. The tower adds the function of a technical structure within the local and regional water system to the area’s cultural history.

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