Keukenhof Gardens
Every spring in The Netherlands, there is a stunning display of tulips to be enjoyed. Keukenhof Gardens dates to the 15th century where it began as a kitchen garden (keukentuin) of Teylingen Castle, located in the municipality of Lisse. In 1641 the governor of The Dutch East India Company purchased the property and built a grand manor house, which came to be known as Castle Keukenhof.
Fast forward a few centuries and the current owners commissioned landscape artists to create English-style gardens and parks around the castle. These are still the foundations for the gardens.1949 saw Keukenhof purchased by a consortium of tulip bulb growers, with a vision of creating a spring extravaganza to showcase Dutch tulips. The park opened in 1950 and saw 200,000 visitors in the first year.
Over 7 million bulbs are planted each autumn by a team of 40 gardeners. The bulbs are all donated to the park by over 100 growers. Along with tulips, they also plant hyacinths, daffodils and other spring flowers. The planting is done in a very specific, synchronised way to ensure that during the 8 weeks the show is open, it is continuously in bloom.
Many different events take place during the year, but the tulip display is only for 8 weeks, from March to May. Over 1.5 million visitors come each year, generating a revenue of over 25 million euros. The current park is 79 acres and offers a variety of services and attractions. Guided tours, children’s activities, bike rentals and restaurants are just a few. The gardens are also very wheelchair accessible. As well as the extensive tulip displays, there are shrubs and perennials and a Japanese Country Garden. There are also 4 pavilions which rotate different displays throughout the year.
Keukenhof has become one of The Netherlands’ most popular attractions, with easy access from Amsterdam and other cities. The awe-inspiring beauty once again shows us that the Dutch have a great capacity for creating incredible things!
After a long day of experiencing everything Keukenhof has to offer, it would be nice to sit down in one of the several restaurants and have a bite to eat. One of the popular menu items is a sausage roll (saucijzenbroodje). You can pick one up or try this recipe yourself!
