Keukenhof – Holland’s Most Beautiful Flower Garden

Anyone who truly appreciates nature, flowers and especially tulips should visit Keukenhof – a delightful flower garden and the most photographed spot in the world, where spring bursts out in all of its colorful majesty. Nowhere else on Earth you will find such an abundance of colors and fragrances. Can you imagine? More than 7 million flower bulbs are planted in this fantastic park annually, forming a fabulous décor for the most beautiful photos. Keep in mind that art and flowers go hand in hand in this genuine spring experience!

Covering an area of 32 hectares, Keukenhof, known as the ‘Kitchen Garden’ (because once herbs for the kitchen of the castle of Jacoba van Beieren were collected here) and the ‘Garden of Europe,’ is located in the South Holland in the small town of Lisse, just south-west of Amsterdam.

In the 15th century this area was a hunting place consisting of woods and dunes. In 1949, Mr Lambooy, Mayor of Lisse with dozens of prominent flower bulb and tulip growers, developed the idea for an open-air flower exhibition, establishing the stunning flower garden of Keukenhof we see today. Primarily designed in the classic English landscape style, Keukenhof also features examples of other garden styles, including Japanese and Historic. Ancient herbs, very old tulip varieties, as well as wild bulbous plants with perennials and shrubs are truly fascinating.

There is also a great display of spectacularly beautiful orchids, over 35,000 lilies, daffodils, narcissus, hyacinths and other species. Visitors will also find 2,500 trees in 87 varieties, as well as many exquisite pieces of garden sculpture throughout the grounds that will surely take your breath away.

The main highlight of Keukenhof is, no doubt, the flowers but children playgrounds, a manmade lake, home to many swans and ducks, public art and performances, a full-scale windmill, add to this, public performances and special displays add further entertainment. More than 50 artists have created 150 pieces of artwork to make the largest sculpture park in the Netherlands.

The best time to visit Keukenhof mainly depends on the weather but mid-April is perhaps the most reliable for viewing tulips. Finally, do not forget to check out the gift shop, selling any souvenir you can think of, from personalized shot glasses, to beautiful postcards to wall posters and dinner placemats.

You can easily get there by taking the train from Rotterdam Central Station to Leiden (an old university town, where the tulip was first introduced to the Netherlands), from where you can take 54 to Keukenhof. When in Lisse, make sure to follow the signs to this amazing garden. Parking is available in front of the park at a fee of €6,00.

In 2012 the most beautiful spring garden in the world will be open from March 22th up until May 20th, including all Sundays and public holidays. The garden is open from 8:00am to 19:30 pm daily. Entrance fee for 2012 is €14,50 for adults and €7,00 for children between 4-11 years.

With over 800,000 visitors each year, though the parks is only open 8 weeks, the world-class Keukenhof remains the brightest association when it comes to describing Holland’s top tourist attractions!

Photo credits to 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9