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After opening on March 23, Keukenhof offers its 68th annual tulip festival in Holland. Keukenhof, also known as the Garden of Europe, is one of the world’s largest flower gardens. This garden is home to the most well-known tulip festival in the world. This colorful Dutch festival is located in Lisse, a small town just south of Amsterdam.
The festival runs each year from late March to mid-May. This year’s dates are 23 March – 21 May. Depending on what time of the season you visit, you may see very different flowers in bloom. For example, if visiting in April, you will see a plethora of sweet-smelling hyacinths lining the beds.
Annually, the Keukenhof gardens attract over 1 million visitors during the 8-week festival season. Though roughly two thirds of those visiting live outside of the country of Holland, locals also attend the festivities.
An impressive 7 million bulbs, supplied by 100 exhibitors, are planted each year to create the vast flowered grounds of the festival. In addition to breathtaking floral arrangements, Keukenhof also offers a vast sculpture garden with approximately 100 works of art.
Eight inspirational gardens are also on the premises, providing inspiration and gardening ideas for those looking to recreate the beauty in their own backyard. The combination of aesthetics creates a picture-perfect spring landscape.
Kaiserslautern Military Community member Mechell Moore visited the festival last year with her mother. “It was a wonderful trip,” said Moore. “We took so many pictures and had a great time walking through the flowers together. I would recommend this festival for anyone looking to enjoy the spring weather in Europe.”
While the outdoor trails and gardens are spectacular, some of the most interesting and rare tulip strains can be seen in the various indoor pavilions. Here, you will see a wide variety of tulips in every shape and color. Dutch botanists regularly experiment with color variations, adding diversity to the festival year after year. Famously fickle flowers, orchids can be viewed indoors as well.
The tulip festival comes ready-made with the perfect souvenir: tulip bulbs to take home. Gift shops and stands along the Dutch canals offer various tulip strains for the home gardener. Just ensure that your home country allows the transport of plants prior to bringing them into the country.
Around Keukenhof are a number of tulip fields that rival the festival grounds. Visitors are advised to reserve time for exploring surrounding areas to make the most of a trip to Keukenhof.
The small town of Lisse in Holland is an easy drive from Amsterdam or Lieden. Busses run regularly from both cities, and there is ample parking space for those driving themselves.
