Aalsmeer, Uithoorn

The name Aalsmeer refers to the old fishing village it once was. The name means something like 'eel lake'. In the past, the inhabitants of this village lived mainly from fishing and peat extraction. When the lakes around the village were drained, it turned out that strawberries and fruit trees thrived on the peat soil. This is reflected in the village's flag.

Aalsmeer's flag consists of three horizontal stripes: red, green and black. These colours refer to the strawberry plant: deep red fruit, green leaves and dark earth.

At the end of the 19th century, the demand for ornamental flowers increased more and more. More and more growers exchanged their fruit plants for ornamental flowers and started experimenting with greenhouses. Floriculture in Aalsmeer flourished and soon flowers were auctioned in the village. The flower auction benefited from the growth of Schiphol Airport, and today you will find the largest trading building for flowers on the Legmeerdijk in Aalsmeer: Royal Flora Holland. Millions of flowers are traded here.

Several old buildings recall the history of floriculture. At the Historical Garden, walk through the horticulture of days gone by. See the changing exhibitions and walk through old-fashioned horticulture. In the Bloemenlust building, flowers were auctioned from the benches on the stands for many years.

During this route, you dive into the history of flower capital Aalsmeer. Various old auction buildings pass by and flowery locations invite you to get off your bike.