The best locations for spring photography

Spring is here again! The sun is out more often, flowers are blooming and the cutest animals are being born. Want to head out and take beautiful spring photos, but not quite sure where to go? We're here to help! We've selected ten photogenic nature areas for you – eight in the Netherlands, one in Belgium and one in Germany – where you can capture stunning shots in spring.

Betuwe

The Betuwe is a rural area full of fruit trees of all kinds. In spring, these trees are all in blossom. Definitely worth photographing! You can take beautiful landscape shots, but macro photos of the blossom are highly recommended too. Try using a polarising filter to make the colours of the blossom really shine.

Bollenstreek

Spring is, of course, famous for its flowering bulbs. So on a fine spring day, it's well worth driving out to the Bollenstreek, the Dutch bulb region. From April to mid-May, the stunning flower fields along the Dutch coast are filled with blooming tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and much more. The fields are guaranteed to be a colourful spectacle for your lens.

Amsterdamse Bos

In spring, 400 cherry trees burst into bloom in the Bloesempark in the Amsterdamse Bos. The green grass contrasting with the pink and white blossom is fantastic to see and to capture! The blooming trees can make for gorgeous shots. Keep in mind that the trees only blossom for a relatively short time, around two weeks. So keep a close eye on it!

Nationaal Park De Hoge Veluwe

We'd recommend visiting Nationaal Park De Hoge Veluwe in any season, and spring has plenty to see too. After the winter the cows are let out into the meadows again, and you might even spot the first lambs. In spring you can also see deer, mouflon and wild boar. If you head out on the Veluwe towards the end of spring, you may also get young animals in front of your lens.

Waterloopbos

The Netherlands is a land of water, and much of our knowledge about water comes from research carried out in the Waterloopbos. This is a unique nature area in the Noordoostpolder. Here you'll find the remains of research into projects such as the Delta Works, and in spring the trees in the forest turn a beautiful shade of green. Great to capture together with the crumbling hydraulic models.

De Plateaux

De Plateaux is a large nature area in the south of the Netherlands, made up of forest, heathland, fens and water meadows, so there's something for everyone. For example, you'll find lots of wild orchids here, which are of course beautiful to capture, for instance with macro photography. Besides the blooming flowers, the area also has plenty of viewpoints from which to photograph the heath or the forest. Once again, something for everyone!

Landgoed Clingendael

Clingendael is an estate between The Hague and Wassenaar with a beautifully landscaped park. In the park you'll find beautiful buildings, impressive trees and plenty of water. There's also the Japanese Garden, a stunning garden full of rare trees and plants. Many of the plants are rare and fragile, which is why the garden is only open eight weeks a year. That's in spring, when many flowers are in bloom. Well worth a visit!

Orchideeën Hoeve

Spring doesn't guarantee good weather, of course, so we've also included a location for when the weather is less cooperative: the Orchideeën Hoeve in Luttelgeest. As the name suggests, this is an orchid nursery, but there's much more to discover. You can photograph lorikeets and tropical butterflies, imagine yourself in a tropical rainforest, and there's even a floating flower garden. Plenty to photograph!

Hallerbos (Belgium)

The Hallerbos is one of the best-known places to photograph in Belgium in spring. Every spring, thousands of wild bluebells create a fantastic display of colour for your lens. This beautiful purple carpet of flowers is a must for photographers. You can opt for a landscape shot to show off the purple carpet, but the flowers also lend themselves well to macro photography.

Bastei (Germany)

The Bastei is a photogenic rock formation in south-eastern Germany. A beautiful bridge has been built between the 305-metre-high rocks. The Bastei Bridge leads to a viewpoint. In spring, when the trees are fresh green, you can take stunning photos of the bridge itself as well as from the viewpoint. We recommend going to the bridge early. It's quieter then, you can look out far over the landscape, and the tall rocks shrouded in mist add a sense of mystery to your photos.