Y
Buildings sag and settle over time
along the canals of Amsterdam
ou are standing in a
springtime garden. As you
slowly turn, sunshine blazes
on a riot of colors in every
direction. Lush beds of
tulips, daffodils and azaleas
surround you. For eight weeks each
year, you can find yourself among
seven million tulips on seventy-nine
manicured acres at Keukenhof.
o ro a y on t n
nho
in your spell-checker but you will
n it
than an ho r
ri
outside of Amsterdam in Lisse,
South Holland, Netherlands.
Keukenkof, which means “Kitchen
Courtyard” in Dutch, was originally
part of Teylingen Castle, and the
wooded land provided food and game
as fa r back as the 15th century.
In 1857, the castle garden was
transformed into an English style
ar Th
ry r t o r
exhibition was held here in 1949,
and it has been an annual event
ever since.
According to our tour guide, there
are only three full time gardeners
at Keukenhof. The rest of the work
force is comprised of students of
ora ar hit t r T i
ar
planted in October, and then the
long wait begins. In addition to the
exterior gardens, there are a number
of indoor pavilion halls where nearly
100 growers and exporters showcase
th ir
t ant an
o r
hi
redesigned every year, the gently
rolling grounds exhibit seven themed
gardens. Here, you can stroll through
an English landscape, then a
Japanese country garden, then
a modern spring meadow.
Keukenhof is located among
th
ro in
o th
Bollenstreek region, and if you
are lucky enough to time things
correctly, you can extend your day
trip beyond the gardens into the
surrounding countryside. It is
important to note that these are
ro r an not o r ro r
Thi
an that a
r a h th
a o th ir oo
o r ar
t
off an i ar
o that or
energy goes into the bulb’s growth.
Until this happens, the long, straight
rows of blooming tulips are a sight
not to be missed.
For tulips, timing is everything.
During its two month celebration
o o rin
n o i
open every day from 8:00am to
7:30pm Typically, the best time to
visit is mid-April but that can vary
depending on the weather of the
preceding winter. In 2013, a very
cold winter season resulted in
16
ti ht y
n h
o r nti ay
In 2014, it was North America’s turn
for a very cold winter, and tulips in
Holland performed right on schedule.
For 2015, the garden will open for
th
th ti
on ar h
an
r ain o n nti ay
or in
with the Van Gogh and the Kröllerr
nho
theme for 2015 will mark the
125th anniversary of this great
artist’s death.
i it th ar n on a ay tri
from Amsterdam, but you can also
book reasonable accommodations
close by. There are two hotels and
a number of small B&Bs to pick from.
This can be a serious advantage to
photographers, as we were only able
to cover half the grounds in 2.5
hours we were allotted on the tour.
o an n in or ation or annin
your visit at www.keukenhof.nl/en/.
The garden has a limited number of
wheelchairs that are provided for
free, and mobility scooters that
can be rented for the day. Both
can be reserved in advance.
of your time. There are a number
of top properties that will make
a wonderful home base for your
adventure. You can pick from luxury
purveyors in historic locations such
as the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky,
th
a or
toria
t r a
or Intercontinental’s Amstel
t r a
off rin
an
ha at n
r ro rti
i
o t
Legend’s The Grand Amsterdam or
The Grand Hotel Amrath, which
repurposed a landmark building.
Amsterdam is an amazing, vibrant
city, and worthy of at least a week
The preferred mode of
transportation in Amsterdam is by