Tiptoe Through the Tulips…Part 2 (Keukenhof Gardens)

In part 2 of this 4-part series, Bethany explores the awe-inspiring Keukenhof Gardens on her European River Cruise on Avalon Waterways.

In late March and early April of 2019 I had the pleasure of sailing on my third Avalon Waterways river cruise. The Tulip Time Cruise for Beer Enthusiasts is one of many special interest cruises offered by Avalon. This cruise focuses on two different special interests that I happen to love…tulips and beer! I spent seven nights aboard the Avalon Impression, with two additional nights pre-cruise on my own in Amsterdam. This post highlights the awe-inspiring Keukenhof Gardens, which was an included excursion on the cruise.

History of Keukenhof Gardens

While Keukenhof dates back to the 15th century, the gardens as we see them today started in 1949. The original castle on the site was Teylingen Castle, where Countess Jacoba van Beieren (Jacqueline of Bavaria) gathered produce from the Keukenduin (kitchen dunes) for the castle’s kitchen. In 1641, Keukenhof Castle was built and the estate grew to over 200 hectares. The castle gardens were redesigned in 1857 by landscape architects Jan David Zocher and his son Louis Paul Zocher. The gardens were done in the English landscape style and they are the basis of the modern-day Keukenhof Gardens.

A group of 20 flower bulb growers created a plan in 1949 to use the estate as an exhibition area for spring-flowering bulbs, which was the start of what is Keukenhof Gardens today. In 1950, the park first opened to the public and saw 236,000 visitors that first year. The 2023 season will be the 74th edition of Keukenhof. Even though the park is only open for approximately 2 months each year, typically from mid-March through mid-May, it sees over 1.5 million visitors each year (which works out to nearly 27,000 visitors per day)!

Details About Keukenhof Gardens

Keukenhof Gardens is located in Lisse in the Netherlands, which is about 25 miles southwest of Amsterdam. It covers an area of 32 hectares, or 79 acres. Each year approximately 7 million spring-flowering bulbs are planted here. The flowers include tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, lilies, roses, carnations, and irises. Planting starts each autumn, when 40 gardeners plant the 7 million bulbs donated by over 100 growers. There is great care that goes into the planning and planting of the bulbs to ensure that there are blooms throughout the entire 2 month opening period. Three bulbs are planted in each location; the shallowest bulb blooms first for approximate three weeks, followed by each subsequent layer. So while the peak viewing time is typically near mid-April, there are always blooms to see. Indeed, I was there in early April (on April 2), and there were plenty of beautiful blooms everywhere!

Highlights Of My Visit

Outdoor Displays

The main feature of the park is its intricate outdoor displays. These are where the 7 million bulbs are planted. The flowers are arranged in beautiful and precise configurations, with some being very architectural and linear and others being more organic. Wandering through the park, you will find display after display of gorgeous flowers. A wide variety of colors and types of flowers adds interest.

Indoor Pavilion / Flower Shows

The park also has several indoor pavilions which showcase various flower shows. There are three pavilions: Willem-Alexander is the largest and is in the middle of the park, Beatrix is a smaller pavilion located in the northeast corner of the park, and Oranje Nassau can be found near the main entrance. These pavilions include a wide variety of flowers displayed in long rows. Walking through the aisles in the pavilions provides an eye-popping survey of the hundreds of different varieties on display. Each pavilion also has a small cafeteria, gift shop, and rest room.

Lake

There is also a large and tranquil lake that meanders throughout the park. The lake provides beautiful vistas and are a wonderful backdrop to the various flower displays throughout the park. Bulbs are planted right up near the edges of the water, so the reflection of the colorful blooms in the peaceful water is enchanting.

Other Highlights

A windmill is another feature of the park. Visitors can go up in the mill to get a nice view of the park and the surrounding tulip fields. The windmill also marks the place to board a small boat that tours the park on the water. For more practical matters, in the main entrance building there is a cafeteria, along with a gift shop and restrooms.

Conclusion

Even though it was a dreary and cool day, I still had an amazing time at Keukenhof Gardens! I was nervous that I was going to be there too early since the peak time is typically a couple of weeks later than when I was visiting, but there were plenty of beautiful flowers everywhere. There were definitely areas throughout the park that had not yet started to bloom or were just starting to pop, but the majority of the park had vibrant blooms.

I did the half-day excursion through Avalon as part of the cruise. Avalon also offers a full-day excursion to Keukenhof, and I would recommend the full day for anyone wanting to be able to see and explore the full park at a leisurely pace. I was able to see most everything during the afternoon I was there, but it did feel a bit rushed as it is a very large park. Whether you spend a half day or a full day there, be sure to wear comfortable and sturdy shoes as you will cover a lot of ground as you tiptoe through the tulips (and daffodils and hyacinths and lilies)!

Links

Click the button below for more information about Keukenhof Gardens:

Click the button below to read part 1 in this series, a spotlight on Amsterdam:

Click the button below for more information on the 2023 Avalon Tulip Time Cruise for Beer Enthusiasts itinerary:

Note: I fully funded this trip on my own and received no compensation or any other benefits from any service providers I used along the way. The opinions expressed here are my own and I am not being compensated by any service providers.