A Place Dubbed “The Garden of Europe”

A Place Dubbed “The Garden of Europe”

Keukenhof Park in the Netherlands is home to more than 7 million flower bulbs, including 800 varieties of tulips, attracting over a million visitors each year.

The Netherlands is world-renowned for its vibrant tulips. The best time to admire the blooming tulip fields is during April and May — which is also when Keukenhof, the world’s largest flower park, opens its doors. Photo: AP

Located in Lisse, a small town south of Amsterdam, Keukenhof spans 32 hectares and is affectionately known as “The Garden of Europe.” The park was established in 1949 and has since become a famous exhibition space for the Dutch cut-flower industry.

Visiting Keukenhof feels like stepping into a sea of flowers. From mid-March to mid-May, the gardens burst into colorful bloom. Every year, over 7 million flower bulbs are planted in the fall and blossom during spring.

The gardens and pavilions display stunning “flower collections,” featuring 800 tulip varieties alongside hyacinths, daffodils, orchids, roses, carnations, irises, lilies, and more. Millions of layered flowers create a unique canvas of color, accompanied by lingering fragrances throughout the space.

Each year, Keukenhof’s floral displays follow a different theme. Since tulips bloom from mid-March to mid-May, the park is only open during this window. Weekly floral exhibitions and diverse arrangements across the pavilions and ponds offer visitors a refreshing and ever-changing experience.

Beyond its massive floral displays, Keukenhof is also the largest sculpture garden in the land of windmills. Visitors can admire a wide range of sculptures created by Dutch and international artists. Photo: Bcrobyn

The park is conveniently located near Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport, and cities such as The Hague, Rotterdam, and Delft. Visitors can get there by public transport, book guided tours from Amsterdam or nearby cities, take a taxi, or even bike to the park. Photo: AP

Keukenhof attracts more than one million visitors annually. In 2019 alone, approximately 1.5 million people visited the flower park within just seven weeks of its opening.

Videos showcasing the breathtaking blooms of Keukenhof are produced weekly and shared across social media. These vibrant visuals of Dutch flowers are broadcast around the world, making Keukenhof a truly international showcase for the flower-growing industry.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Keukenhof remained closed during the spring of 2021. The park was only allowed to open experimentally for six days, during which it welcomed 27,000 visitors. Photo: AP

Keukenhof was scheduled to reopen in 2022, from March 24 to May 15.

Source: Zing