The Best Places To See Tulips in the Netherlands

The Best Places to See Tulips in The Netherlands

Tulips and Holland go hand and hand and seeing the colorful fields here that seem to stretch on for miles is a popular and rewarding experience. The tulip season in Holland begins in mid-January with greenhouses growing and selling tulips all over the country. Fields of colorful blooming tulips peak from mid-March through mid.- May. Many experts say the best month to see the tulip fields is in April. There are so many ways to experience the beauty of tulips which are an integral part of Dutch culture. Here are nine interesting facts about Holland’s tulips.

Tulips Didn’t Originate in Holland

Today, tulips are the national icon of Holland but the fact is that they didn’t originate in the Netherlands. Tulips are from the mountains of Kazakhstan and found their way to the Netherlands via Persia, China, Turkey, and Antwerp.

Tulipmania is a Historical Fact

Tulips first appeared in Holland in 1593 in the Hortus Botanicus in Leiden. As they spread throughout the country, in 1636, Dutch society went crazy over these exotic flowers causing “Tulipmania”! At this time, the Netherlands was newly independent from Spain and flush with wealthy traders from the Dutch East India Company, ready to purchase this rare commodity that was in demand. The appearance of these beautiful flowers also coincided with the newly emerging upper and middle classes that wanted flowers for their gardens. Tulip prices spiked from the winter of 1636 through the winter of 1637 with some of the most prized bulbs selling for 12 times their original asking price. Most speculators in Tulipmania were people who could afford luxury goods. As all good things must come to an end, the tulip market came to an abrupt end because many defaulted on paying up for their exotic tulips. Economically, Tulipmania is considered to be the first speculative bubble to burst when it finally collapsed in 1637.

It’s All About the Bulbs

The delightful sight of seeing endless rows of brightly colored flowers is a delight. Farmers growing tulips don’t grow them for their color, they grow them for their bulbs. The larger the bulb, the more money the farmer can collect. The Netherlands exports up to three billion tulip bulbs a year all over the world.

How Long Will a Field Bloom?

The flowers in many tulip fields are cut down after three weeks because they are grown for the bulb, not the bloom. In Keukenhof Garden, the blooms are never cut back. They plant the flowers in layers to ensure earlier and longer blooming periods.

Don’t Miss Keukenhof Gardens

Perhaps the most famous place to see tulips in the Netherlands is the centrally located Keukenhof Gardens, known as the “Garden of Europe.” This garden is a sea of yellow, orange, red, pink, white, and purple tulips that are artfully displayed. There are more than seven million bulbs that can be seen in this vast expanse of color.  The air here is fragrant with flowering cherry trees, lovely hyacinths, and golden narcissuses that line pathways. This park has countless paths to wander, canals, ponds, fountains, sculptures, and a windmill.  One of the most unique ways to see this garden is to take an electrically powered “whisper boat.” 

Where Are the Best Flower Fields & Farms

The best fields are found in Bollenstreek, the Dutch Flower Region, located close to Amsterdam, Haarlem, Delft, The Hague, and Leiden. The flower fields have been grown here for more than 400 years on excavated dunes. Most tulip farms are located in Noordoostpolder in the province of Felvoland. To see the largest contiguous area of flower bulbs in the world, visit Kop van Noord-Holland, a stretch of reclaimed land between the North Sea and IJsselmeer Lake. The charming village of Lisse in the Bulb Region is simply enchanting with its traditional homes and lovely gardens that are surrounded by lakes and the sea.

Seasonal Festivals

Many cities and towns have tulip festivals and parades. As a matter of fact, tulip season kicks off with National Tulip Day in mid-January where folks are invited to Museum Square to pick a bouquet for free. One of the country’s biggest festivals, the Amsterdam Tulip Festival takes place in April and is followed by the Blemencorso Bollenstreek parade with its colorful floats adorned with tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, and more. Just an hour north of Amsterdam, the Noordoostolder Tulip Festival takes place from mid-April through mid-May and features show gardens, tulip mosaics, fields, and a craft market

Photo Ops

The combination of the colorful tulip fields and traditional Dutch Windmills provides a stunning backdrop for photography enthusiasts.

Dos and Donts

Tulips are fragile. It is considered extremely rude to enter a flower field - you never enter a field for fear of damage or spreading diseases to the bulbs. Respect fences, ropes, and signs - even if there are no fences, don’t enter a field. If you want to take close-up photos of tulips, bring a zoom lens. Even though it may be tempting, don’t pick tulips from the fields!

Spring in the Netherlands is a floral extravaganza for flower enthusiasts when the landscape is transformed into a colorful patchwork quilt of sheer beauty. Be sure not to miss this special event on your next tour to the Netherlands.