the Travel Enthusiast
- 09 Feb
itachan in News | NO COMMENTSTulip season in the Netherlands: 5 great destinations
Haarlem
At one time in the past, a tulip bulb in the Netherlands could cost as much as ten times the yearly wages of a craftsmen, and quickly became a symbol of the country. A tulip bulb is a lot cheaper nowadays, but it is still the most popular flower in the Netherlands, and if you want to see more tulips than you can imagine all in one place, the surest way to find then is to take a trip to a Dutch tulip field or garden.
Some of the most stunning tulips, in colors that that would seem impossible on other flowers, were created in the Netherlands, and where you want to see the flowers out of botanical curiosity of simply for the chance to admire some pretty plants, here are some places where you can enjoy tulip season in the Netherlands: 5 great destinations.
Keukenhof, Lisse
Keukenhof is often called the Garden of Europe, although it should be called the garden of the world, seeing as it is the single largest flower garden on the planet. Over 32 hectares of land are covered in seven million flowers from all over the Netherlands and Europe, but the most of them are tulips. The garden has been around for centuries, but it was opened to the public in the fifties by the mayor of Lisse. Visit in mid-April to see the tulips in full bloom.
Aalsmeer
photo by penwin on Flickr
The small town of Aalsmeer near Amsterdam hosts the biggest flower auction in the world, and is it home to several flower nurseries and gardens, which earned the town the nickname of the ‘flower capital of the world’.
Even if you are not planning on buying any flowers, the building that hosts the auction is quite spectacular – it is the fourth largest building in the world, after all. You can take a peek at the auction, and then take a walk though Aalsmeer’s tulip gardens to actually see some flowers.
Bloemen Route
If you are in the Netherlands during tulip season, a drive or bike trip on the Bloemen Route (Flower Route) is a must. This 40 kilometer stretch between Haarlem to Leiden has the highest concentration of tulip fields in the Netherlands, and in spring it looks less like cultivated land and more like a surreal patchwork of colors. Although the tulips can be seen in early May, the flower parade starts in late January with crocuses, followed by daffodils and hyacinths. You can even buy flowers from the stalls along the road.
Amsterdam Tulip Museum
photo by Maks Karochkin
If seeing the tulips in bloom is not enough and you are getting curious about what drove people to give so much attention to these flowers over the centuries, you might want to visit the Amsterdam tulip museum and learn about the history of these invaluable bulbs.
The museum attempts to sketch out the story of the Tulip Mania, as well as to trace the history of tulips from ancient times until today. Buy some souvenir bulbs at the museum shop to grow your own flowers!
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travel search by Travelgrove (get this widget)Hillegom
The small town of Hillegom is mostly sustained by the bulb trade, and it is a great area to explore on foot or bike if you want to see tulip fields,. Many of the fields are used to grow healthy and strong bulbs for trade, and the flowers are merely a nice perk. There is a tulip parade in spring, during which the streets of the town are filled with flowers of all colors.
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