8111 Views

There’s a second each spring in Amsterdam when every thing appears to shift directly. The canals catch the sunshine in another way. Café terraces replenish earlier than midday. Tulips seem in window bins throughout the Jordaan. And should you time it proper, Easter weekend is when all of this collides — 4 days of spring power, Dutch meals traditions, blooming flowers, and a metropolis that feels prefer it’s waking up after an extended winter sleep.

Easter 2026 falls on April 3–6, which implies an extended weekend completely aligned with tulip season, the opening weeks of Keukenhof, and a few of the greatest consuming and consuming Amsterdam has to supply. Whether or not you’re right here for the meals, the flowers, or simply the excuse to take a seat on a canal-side terrace with a espresso and a slice of paasstol, this is without doubt one of the greatest weekends to go to.

What the Dutch Really Eat at Easter

If there’s one factor that makes Easter in Amsterdam completely different from Easter anyplace else, it’s the meals — and particularly, the brunch. Whereas different international locations give attention to Easter dinner, the Dutch construct their celebration round an elaborate breakfast-brunch that stretches via the whole morning and nicely into the afternoon.

The desk is loaded: contemporary bread rolls, croissants, chilly cuts, cheese, eggs (boiled, scrambled, and in salad), orange juice, and pot after pot of espresso. However the actual stars are the candy breads.

Paasstol (additionally known as paasbrood) is the centrepiece — a wealthy, oval-shaped bread studded with raisins and currants, crammed with a thick ribbon of almond paste, and topped with shaved almonds. It’s almost similar to the kerststol eaten at Christmas, besides the Easter model is historically topped with almonds quite than powdered sugar. Slice it thick, unfold just a little butter throughout the almond paste, and also you’ll perceive why Dutch households battle during the last piece.

Then there are the chocolade paaseitjes — small chocolate Easter eggs that seem in each store, bakery, and grocery store within the weeks earlier than Easter. They arrive in dozens of flavours (praline, hazelnut, darkish, milk, white) and are scattered throughout brunch tables, hidden in gardens for egg hunts, and consumed in genuinely spectacular portions.

And don’t miss the eiertikken — the Dutch egg-tapping sport. Everybody picks a boiled egg, then you definately faucet yours in opposition to your opponent’s. The egg that cracks first loses. The winner takes on the following challenger. It sounds easy, however Dutch households take it very severely.

Bernado, our information on the Amsterdam meals tour, places it completely:

“Easter was all the time a giant deal in our household. Whereas everybody was sitting across the desk having fun with Paasbrood, I used to be all the time itching to get outdoors. As a result of I knew there have been Easter eggs hidden within the backyard ready to be discovered. I’d rapidly eat my slice (further butter, all the time!) after which run outdoors to hunt for the eggs. It was the right mixture of meals and enjoyable, and to this present day, Paasbrood nonetheless brings again these childhood recollections.”

Easter Brunch in Amsterdam

In the event you’re not fortunate sufficient to be invited to a Dutch household’s desk (but), Amsterdam’s café and restaurant scene picks up the slack superbly. Easter brunch is a critical affair throughout the town, and also you’ll discover particular menus in all places from canal-side cafés within the Jordaan to buzzy spots in De Pijp and Amsterdam-Noord.

For one thing uniquely Dutch, ebook a spot on the Pannenkoekenboot (Pancake Boat). It’s precisely what it seems like: a 75-minute cruise alongside the IJ river with limitless freshly baked Dutch pancakes — plain, apple, and bacon — plus a buffet of toppings. It’s enjoyable, it’s scrumptious, and it’s about as Amsterdam because it will get.

Ms. van Riemsdijkweg (t/o 41), Amsterdam-Noord
+31 (0)20 636 88 17 · pannenkoekenboot.nl
Easter departures (April 5 & 6): 10:45, 12:30, 14:15, 16:00, 17:45
Adults from €34 / Youngsters (3–11) from €29 — ebook on-line

Take a tasty cruise on the Pancake Boat!

The Laborious Rock Café on Max Euweplein additionally runs family-friendly Easter occasions — examine their web site nearer to the date for this yr’s brunch menu and egg hunt particulars.

Max Euweplein 57 · +31 (0)20 523 7625 · hardrock.com/amsterdam

For extra food-focused exploring, Amsterdam’s markets and avenue meals scene actually come alive in spring. The Albert Cuyp Market in De Pijp, Foodhallen in Amsterdam-West, and the weekend markets at NDSM Wharf are all value a go to over the Easter weekend.

Tradition and Music

Amsterdam takes Easter live shows severely. The spotlight of the season is performances of Bach’s St. Matthew Ardour, that are one thing of a nationwide custom within the Netherlands. The Royal Concertgebouw — one of many world’s best live performance halls — recurrently programmes Ardour performances and Easter live shows. Even when classical music isn’t normally your factor, listening to Bach on this constructing is a particular expertise.

Concertgebouwplein 10 · concertgebouw.nl

For one thing extra intimate and offbeat, the Amsterdam Marionette Theater hosts puppet opera performances — together with brunch editions — in a tiny canal-side theatre on Nieuwe Jonkerstraat. It’s a type of hidden Amsterdam gems that the majority guests by no means discover.

Nieuwe Jonkerstraat 8 · +31 (0)20 620 8027 · marionettentheater.nl

Verify iamsterdam.com for a full agenda of live shows, exhibitions, and cultural occasions working over Easter weekend.

For Flower Fans

Tulips and Flowers

Easter weekend 2026 falls proper within the candy spot for flowers. Keukenhof will likely be three weeks into its season, the hyacinths will likely be at their peak, and the early tulips will likely be beginning to bloom. In the event you’ve ever needed to see the Netherlands at its most photogenic, that is it.

Keukenhof is the apparent headliner — seven million bulbs planted throughout 32 hectares in Lisse, about an hour from Amsterdam by bus. It’s the world’s largest spring flower backyard, and it’s open for simply eight weeks a yr. Easter weekend is without doubt one of the busiest intervals, so ebook your timed entry ticket on-line nicely upfront.

Stationsweg 166A, Lisse · +31 (0)252 465 555 · keukenhof.nl
Open: March 19 – Might 10, 2026 · 8am–7pm every day (together with Easter weekend)
Tickets from €21.50 on-line (timed entry required)
Getting there: KeukenhofBuzz buses from Amsterdam RAI, Haarlem, Leiden; shuttle buses from Schiphol and Amsterdam metropolis centre. Combi tickets (bus + entry) from €38.50.

Tulip season within the Netherlands is really spectacular!

If Keukenhof feels too structured, lease a motorcycle in Lisse and journey via the encompassing Bollenstreek (bulb area) to see the industrial flower fields stretching to the horizon. Or keep in Amsterdam and preserve a watch out for the Tulip Pageant (March 19 – Might 10), which locations tulip shows in public squares, purchasing streets, and museum gardens throughout the town.

Sensible tip: Keukenhof is totally cashless — convey a card. In the event you could be versatile together with your dates, go to on a weekday morning quite than Easter weekend itself. The gardens are the identical, however the crowds are half the scale.

If you’re an actual tulip fanatic, go to the month-long Tulip Pageant held from April 1 to 30 throughout Amsterdam. You’ll have an opportunity to go to a shocking Flower Bulb Route of greater than 100 km of blossoming flowers. Even Nationwide Geographic recommends this route as one of many world’s greatest highway journeys!

Making the Most of Your Easter Weekend

4 days is a luxurious in Amsterdam. Right here’s one method to spend them:

Friday (April 3): Arrive and settle in. Stroll the canals, seize a terrace seat within the Jordaan, and ease into the weekend with a borrel (Dutch pleased hour — beer, bitterballen, and good firm). In the event you’re into digital music, DGTL’s opening night time kicks off at NDSM.

Saturday (April 4): Head to Keukenhof for the morning (arrive when it opens at 8am to beat the crowds). Again in Amsterdam, discover the Albert Cuyp Market or Foodhallen for lunch. Spend the afternoon on the Rijksmuseum or Van Gogh Museum, then discover a canal-side spot for dinner.

Easter Sunday (April 5): Do brunch correctly — the Pancake Boat, a café in De Pijp, or your lodge’s Easter unfold. Spend the afternoon on a canal cruise or biking via Vondelpark. If you could find paasstol at a neighborhood bakery, purchase it.

Easter Monday (April 6): A quieter day — many retailers are closed, however the metropolis itself is gorgeous. Be a part of one among our meals excursions to discover the Jordaan neighbourhood on foot (and by canal boat). Or lease a motorcycle and journey north to the countryside — the flower fields are simply beginning to come alive.

Come go to Amsterdam this Easter!