Royal FloraHolland Aalsmeer

Royal FloraHolland at Aalsmeer handles a very large share of the world's cut flower and plant trade, and the building is among the largest in the world by floor area - close to a square kilometre under one roof. The system is the Dutch auction, which is the reverse of the English one: the clock starts at a high price and falls, and the first buyer to press stops it, so the pressure is to bid early rather than late and lots go in seconds. Trolleys of flowers move through the halls on a continuous internal transport system and much of what is sold is on a lorry or a plane within hours - flowers cut in Kenya or Ethiopia the previous day are auctioned here in the morning and in European shops by evening. A raised visitor gallery runs above the floor. Trading starts very early and is largely over by mid-morning.

What you actually see

• A descending-price clock - the Dutch auction where the first bid stops it.
• Close to a square kilometre - among the largest buildings by floor area anywhere.
• Continuous trolley transport - flowers moving through the halls to the lorries.
• A raised gallery - the trading floor watched from above.

When to go

All year, on a weekday, before 09:00. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Trading starts before dawn and is largely finished by mid-morning - arriving late means an empty hall. Closed at weekends and on some days. The gallery is a walkway; you cannot go onto the floor.

Nearby

Schiphol is close; Amsterdam is fifteen kilometres north-east.