The flower gardens at Keukenhof were the idea of the 1949 mayor of Lisse. He worked with about a dozen prominent Dutch bulb growers and exporters to develop the gardens. Their objective was to have an open-air flower exhibition where growers could showcase their latest hybrids, and consumers could view and buy a wide range of flower bulbs.
- Keukenhof Facts
- Getting to Keukenhof
- When You Arrive at Keukenhof
Over 50 years later, Keukenhof's spring exhibition is the world's largest and runs from about the end of March to May. Check the Keukenhof Web site for the exact dates. The best time to see the tulips is around mid-April, but it varies somewhat with the weather. Since Keukenhof has over 7 million spring flowers planted, some type of brilliant bulbs are in bloom the entire season! Keukenhof is open each day from 8:00 am to 7:30 pm, and the entrance fee was 11 euros per person (5.5 euros for children) in 2002. The park is located between the towns of Hillegom and Lisse south of Haarlem in Zuid Holland southwest of Amsterdam. Be sure to take lots of film or a digital camera. Keukenhof is one of the most photographed sites in the world, and I guarantee you will take more pictures than you plan!
In a small country like the Netherlands, most places are readily accessible, and Keukenhof is no different. We did a day trip from our river cruise ship the Viking Europe, leaving the ship in Rotterdam and meeting her again in Amsterdam. All other cruise or river ships porting in Amsterdam in the late spring offer a shore excursion option to Keukenhof. If you prefer to go alone, it is an easy drive from Amsterdam or you can take the train. The Netherlands Railways sells a special Keukenhof ticket that will take you via bus from the Leiden Central Station to the gardens in about 20 minutes. The Amsterdam Tourist Office also sells tickets and excursions to Keukenhof.
The Keukenhof Gardens are much larger than I expected. At over 70 acres, they seem to go on forever, and you could easily spend more than one day, especially if you are manic about flowers. Although the gardens are large, the walking is flat and easy. The sidewalks make the gardens handicap-accessible. At one end of the gardens is a large windmill that can be used as a landmark. In addition to the outdoor gardens, there are numerous greenhouses and exhibits. Our shore excursion gave us less than half a day, so we probably saw less than half of the gardens. We wandered through the outdoor gardens and walked through a few of the numerous greenhouses. Keukenhof has several cafes and snack bars, so if you tire of walking, you can always sit and watch other flower fanatics.
Tulips are not the only spring flower blooming at Keukenhof. Daffodils, hyacinths, and narcissi are also all flowering simultaneously. Even a humbug flower-hater will be overwhelmed by the color, sights, and smells. We were surprised to find a greenhouse full of delicate orchids, and other pavilions ablaze with azaleas and hydrangeas.
The ride to Keukenhof passes through the heart of the commercial tulip fields. In mid-April, these fields look like strips of huge bright ribbons covering the ground. The only bad thing about Keukenhof is the crowds. We were there on a weekend day, which was particularly packed with flower fanatics. The gardens are well equipped for the masses, but be prepared to stand in line in the gift shops and eateries. We were so enthralled with the colorful flowers, we didn't even have a snack. Of course, we knew there would be goodies awaiting us back on the Viking Europe river cruise ship.
Almost everyone in our group found time to buy some tulips or other bulb flowers. Since the bulbs are not harvested (dug up) until late summer, the bulbs are shipped in the early fall. (Mine came the first week of October.) The growers have huge books you can peruse and choose the varieties you wish to buy. Most all of the blooming flowers are marked with the name and grower, so if you fall in love with one particular hybrid, write it down and find the grower's kiosk or tent. Because our time in the gardens was limited, I purchased a sampler of different kinds of tulips that would grow well in my part of the country. Since my thumb is not particularly green, it will be interesting to see what grows in the spring!
