Who loves cars? Who loves flowers? Who loves cars decorated with flowers? Never seen such a thing, then you haven’t been to the Mooiste File or the Prettiest Traffic Jam in the Netherlands…and you need to go!
One of the most fun things we did during Tulip time, which is absolutely free, was go see the cars of the Mooiste File. Traipsing around the Bollenstreek flower bulb region, we saw a sign about it. We had no idea what we were getting into, but a free event is always worth a side trip.
What is the Mooiste File?
Luckily, we lived in the Netherlands for a couple of years, so we have rudimentary knowledge of the Dutch language. The name of the event is intriguing, the Prettiest Traffic Jam? We just had to go.
During the weekend of the Bloemencorso, the famous flower parade, the town of Noordwijk piggybacks with an event all its own. The Mooiste File is where locals, often businesses, take a car or some other vehicle and completely decks it out with all kinds of flowers.
Then, they have a parade on Friday evening, where the vehicles drive through the town. A lot is going on that weekend, though, so if you don’t get to the parade, it’s okay. You can see the cars parked along the beach for the entire weekend. What’s great about going to the display is that you can get some pretty cool photos.
The event is the same weekend as the Bloemencorso, which is usually the second or third Saturday in April. The parade is Friday night before the parade at 5:30 PM.
Throughout the weekend, the display area will have entertainment, so depending on when you go, you’re sure to have fun.
Parking: There is a car park pretty much across the street at Wantveld, 2202 NV Noordwijk. There is a parking fee there.
Our Rating
We gave the Mooiste File a four-star rating. It’s not the most important thing to do during the weekend of the Bloemencorso, but it’s really fun to see how the vehicles are decorated. The two best things about it are that you can go anytime you have a little free time during the weekend, and it doesn’t cost a thing!
Go to these articles to start planning your trip to see the flowers in the Netherlands.
Conclusion
Don’t miss out on this easy, free event, and marvel at all the cars decorated with plants at the Mooiste File in the Netherlands.
Author Bio: Corinne Vail is a travel photographer, food lover, and a perpetual traveler who has been travel writing for over 14 years. For many years she lived overseas in Germany, Japan, Turkey, South Korea, and the Netherlands teaching the children of the US. military. She’s visited over 90 countries, and she’s not stopping anytime soon.