After living in the Netherlands for seven years, I finally bit the bullet and went to Keukenhof – a Disneyland for tulip lovers and anyone nostalgic for the Netherland’s tulipomania days.
Unlike many other gardens, this one is open only in spring, when its seven million tulips, daffodils, lilies, hyacinths and orchids open up in glorious full bloom.
Beautiful flowers in Keukenhof, the Netherlands… – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA
We recommend going on a weekday and avoiding public holidays. Because of its short opening time, it’s pretty packed all the time, so going on a regular working day might at least help you avoid the worst of the crowds.
Despite the busloads of tourists, it was still really well worth visiting. There are plenty of beautiful, big flowers, many of which I couldn’t have imagined existed. Keukenhof is a little testament to the power and possibilities of selective breeding.
This garden is a showcase of the Dutch floricultural sector, which is the world’s largest. Over 70% of the worlds bulbs come from the Netherlands, generating over 5 billion in revenue for the country every year.
Being in Keukenhof really brings this home – I was impressed by the vast diversity of strains being cultivated on display, and the creativity it took to bring them into realisation.
The flowers and the flower arrangements in the the fields and the glasshouses are all incredibly well done – I thought it was impossible to make a bad photo in this place. You only have to point your camera in the right direction, and a perfect picture would manifest itself.
Countless flowers in Keukenhof, the Netherlands… – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA
Keukenhof is a large garden, covering over 200 hectares, so if you really love flowers, you should take an entire day off to enjoy the place. We didn’t manage to see everything in the three hours we were there, but for us, it was quite enough beauty for a day.
Here are all the photographs from our Keukenhof visit:
