You say tulips and you think of Holland, or you say Holland and you think of tulips. The Netherlands and the delicate flowers with a thousand shades have been inseparable for centuries. But not always: the bulbs came to the North Sea only in the second half of the sixteenth century, they came from Turkey, land of origin of the wild species. And immediately they made a furore: everyone wanted tulips, Flowers became a status symbol, the race for the rarest varieties became so tight that in no time prices skyrocketed. Too high. There were people who became indebted to the tulips, lost their homes and possessions, were reduced to the pavement. Historians call it" the tulip bubble": the first documented speculative bubble in the history of capitalism.
THE FLOWERING PERIOD OF TULIPS
The season of Tulips is from March to May, especially from the middle/end of March to the end of May. As the Friends of the Dutch tourist board advise, the median period (that is, the middle of April) is the one in which more varieties bloom, but even before and after the show is assured - also because in polders also bloom hyacinths, crocus, gladioli and so on.
WHERE TO SEE TULIPS
Where to see tulips in Holland? The areas of the Netherlands where the largest number of tulips are grown are three.
The first is just north of Amsterdam: it is the peninsula called "Kop van Noord-Holland", which ends at the tip where the town of Den Helder (boarding point for ships to the island of Texel) is located. Around Den Helder, Petten, Nieuwe Niedorp and Wieringerwerf are many cultivated fields that color in the spring; among other things, the region is also beautiful for the coastline dotted with dunes. You can reach it in a short time from the capital, even by train and public transport.
The second area where the bulbs bloom is called "noordoostpolder", or Northeastern polder, and is in the province of Flevoland, around the city of Emmeloord. As everywhere in Holland, here you can also cycle through the 2000 hectares of flowering fields, perhaps combining a visit to Schokland, the first World Heritage Site in Holland, and participating in the Tulip Festival, which in 2019 runs from April 20 to May 5. It is a less well-known area than the first and third that we mention in this article and therefore the tourist flows are less: if you have a car, collect the free brochure to the local tourist office and travel the 100 km route that winds between farms, gardens, villas and parks.
The third area where you will find millions of Tulips is around Lisse, between Haarlem and Leiden, just west of Amsterdam. It is also the most famous area, where most tourists go in search of tulips: here is the park of Keukenhof (see below), by far the best known place to admire the blooms. But even around the park (which is an attraction for a fee) it is enough to put a bicycle to discover (free of charge) dozens of colorful fields: the advice is to ride the bike that from Haarlem, city of the beautiful Frans Hals Museum, passes through Lisse and Leiden and arrives in Naaldwijk, where the largest Tulip Bag in the world, next to that of Aalsmer. Guaranteed show.
KEUKENHOF PARK
A few numbers to understand what we are talking about: in the 32 hectares of Keukenhof 7 million bulbs are planted annually, which in eight weeks are admired by more than a million people. You can't lose your mind! Well as the less lovers of plants will change their mind, because in the park you can visit more than twenty exhibitions devoted to flowers and plants, all of the highest quality - this is the place where manufacturers compete who creates the most beautiful, colorful, fragrant, delicate, durable. In the Pavilion Beatrix for years there is the most beautiful exhibition of orchids in Europe, in the Pavilion Willem-Alexander to wait for visitors are 15,000 lilies...
This year Keukenhof-which opens its doors for the 70th time - has as its theme Flower Power: expected atmospheres Seventies, bright colors, hippy costumes and slogan "peace & love". Ad hoc Creations announced. And then away between the flower beds and pavilions, where you not only admire tulips and other flowers but also learn: for example where the tulip comes from and how the flower has turned into a contemporary icon. There are also games for children: for them a real treasure hunt was prepared among the most beautiful places in the park. An unmissable Dutch experience, in short: even if surrounded by the crowd, it is to be done at least once in a lifetime.