Floriade is a World Horticultural Expo staged only once every 10 years in the Netherlands. In 2012, the sixth Floriade will open to the public with millions of colorful blooms in Venlo, Holland from April 5 – October 7.  Over 100 exhibitors from dozens of countries will pay tribute to the world of horticulture with the most exquisite flowers, plants, trees, and more on display. There are five unique themed worlds designed for you to see, feel, and experience nature in a constantly changing way. This is your opportunity to use all your senses to experience firsthand the influence horticulture has on our daily lives.

Visitors can explore these themed areas of Floriade 2012:

• The Relax & Heal Theater is designed to show how nature influences your health and well-being.
• The Green Engine Theater demonstrates how horticulture can be a major economic engine.
• The Education & Innovation Theater shows why it is important to keep learning and improving our world through the use of nature.
• The Environment Theater reveals the importance of bringing green into the city.
• The World Show Stage presents art, food and entertainment from many cultures.

This 66-acre “Theater of Nature” has countless innovative educational attractions and interactive exhibits. Visitors will see, hear, smell, touch and taste nature through daily cultural programs, experiments in growing, gardens with a variety of captivating approaches and international restaurants. Learn how to use rainwater effectively, why bees’ pollination is vital to our food production and how to salvage and reuse debris materials for a garden. See state-of-the-art environmental technologies that set the bar for sustainable building of the future and how recycling can transform nature into consumer goods and back again.

You can take part in Floriade 2012 as part of a European river cruise or an escorted tour. For example, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises runs 8-day Gems of Germany, Belgium & the Netherlands and a 17-day Grand Treasures of Europe itinerary that includes Floriade. Several tour operators also offer land-based packages with admission to Floriade. For the independent traveler, one- and two-day admission tickets are available or you can even purchase a season pass.

Be a part of the theater in nature at Floriade 2012! Contact Covington’s Europe vacation experts to arrange your trip to Floriade this spring.