Keukenhof – the Tulip Garden, Part 1, Lisse, Netherlands

The garden is especially famous for its enormous displays of tulips, although you’ll also see daffodils, hyacinths, lilies, orchids, and many other spring flowers. Each year, millions of flower bulbs are planted to create large, colorful gardens with different patterns and themes.

Keukenhof is particularly unusual because it is a seasonal garden, opening only for several weeks each spring, generally from March through May. The exact appearance changes throughout the season as different varieties bloom.

The surrounding area is also important. Keukenhof sits among the famous flower fields of the Bollenstreek, where commercial growers cultivate vast fields of tulips and other bulbs. During peak blooming season, the countryside around Lisse can be covered with long strips of red, yellow, pink, purple, and white flowers.

Because Keukenhof is so large and there were so many beautiful flowers to photograph, I divided my visit into two blogs so I could include more of the pictures I took.

The main entrance building at Keukenhof welcomes visitors into the gardens and serves as the starting point for exploring its spectacular spring flower displays.

Oranje Nassau Pavilion — One of Keukenhof’s main exhibition pavilions, featuring changing indoor flower shows with beautifully arranged tulips, roses, chrysanthemums, and other seasonal flowers.