With the start of tulip season in the Netherlands, the Keukenhof Gardens opened its doors to visitors for the 77th time this year.
Considered one of the world’s largest tulip gardens, Keukenhof spans 32 hectares (79 acres) and welcomes visitors from around the globe for about eight weeks between March and May.
After months of preparation, the tulips in the garden typically reach their peak bloom in mid-April.
The park attracts approximately 1.4 million visitors annually, about 80% of whom are international tourists.
Visitors can explore 15 kilometers (9 miles) of walking paths throughout the gardens, which feature more than 2,500 trees across over 100 species. The park also showcases more than 100 varieties of cherry blossoms, particularly striking in spring, as well as around 50 works of art displayed throughout the grounds.
In the historic garden, where tulips with centuries-old heritage bloom, visitors can also learn about spring flowers such as tulips and daffodils. Additional attractions include bicycle rentals and boat tours through nearby flower fields.
Nova Mesman, communications and public relations officer for Keukenhof, said the park is “the most beautiful spring garden in the world.”
She noted that millions of spring flowers can be seen outdoors each year.
“The garden covers a total area of 32 hectares. Each year, 7 million flower bulbs are planted by Keukenhof’s gardeners,” Mesman said.
She added that the bulbs are donated by around 100 companies.
“There are approximately 800 different varieties of tulips and 200 varieties of daffodils in Keukenhof. There is no single tulip that stands out in terms of popularity,” she said.
Mesman also emphasized that the garden receives about 1.4 million visitors annually and is open daily from March 19 to May 10 this year. Three indoor flower exhibitions are also being held.
Stella Gorke, visiting from Austria, said it was her first time in Amsterdam.
“Of course I had to visit Keukenhof, so here I am,” she said.
“The tulips are really beautiful. The colors are very vibrant and they smell wonderful. Most of the flowers are in bloom. If you come here in spring, you’ll have a great time,” she added.
Tina Golovina, a Russian-born visitor traveling from Canada with her children, said they came specifically to see the park.
“We came just to see Keukenhof because it is the most beautiful park in the world. It’s amazing, very original. I have never seen such beautiful tulips before,” she said.
El Estilore, from the Philippines and in the Netherlands through an au pair program, said it was her first visit.
“I came with many friends thanks to an agency event. It’s a bit overwhelming for me because we don’t have such beautiful flowers in my country. I’m also discovering many different types of flowers. It’s very crowded today – I didn’t expect this many people,” she said.
Ambra Di Cintio, visiting from Italy, said it was her first time in both Amsterdam and Keukenhof.
“We came here by bus, which took about 45 minutes. The garden is very, very beautiful. The weather is also quite nice today,” she said.
According to official data from Keukenhof, the largest groups of visitors after the Dutch are Germans, French, British, Chinese and Americans.
Founded in 1950, Keukenhof welcomed 236,000 visitors in its first year.
The park also serves as an international showcase for Dutch tulip bulb and flower producers.
Tulips, which were brought from Tükiye to Europe in the 16th century and later became closely associated with the Netherlands, remain an important part of the country’s economy. Dutch producers grow more than 4 billion tulip bulbs annually, exporting nearly half of them.
