Keukenhof is a magnificent flower park, which is only open during the international window of the Dutch tulip blossom between March and May. Around 7 million bulbs are planted every fall and grow up to become magical fields of colorful blooms. Each year, thousands of visitors from all over the world stop by to marvel at nature’s (in cooperation with circa 500 gardeners) masterpiece.

Innumerable flower beds present everything from colorful mixtures to patches dedicated to just one color or specific types of flowers. The result is a breathtaking garden whose scent can definitely cure any types of mental discomfort upon entrance. If you thought you loved flowers before, this immoderate overdose of beauty will remind you that nature is truly magical. Its flower varieties include tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, orchids, roses, carnations, irises, lilies and many other flowers.

“The earth laughs in flowers.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tip

The fields surrounding the park are simply stunning and lots of people pull over to take pictures. As you can see below, I did too, but I was later informed that the farmers’ whose property you’re trespassing are not actually amused by this so please don’t wander into the fields. Leonie Milde | Military in Germany

Extending Your Stay

The park itself is not too big and you can easily see everything in under 3 hours so if you wanted to make a day trip of it, you can absolutely do so if driving around 10 hours in one day does not bother you. If you’d like to spend a night or two, you can find beautiful views, beaches and hiking opportunities within a very small radius. Amsterdam is barely 20 miles away as well and perfect for a little sightseeing.
Unfortunately spring is not the ideal season to visit the North Sea so bathing might not be an option but bring a blanket (or borrow one from a nearby café like I did) and a proper jacket for some perfectly relaxing strolls along the beach. Bonus: there will be fewer people this time of the year.

We stayed in Nordwjik, which is right by the beach and hotels are affordable. They will get even cheaper the further they are from the ocean.

Countless restaurants and bars line the beach for everything from snacks and drinks to fancy steak dinners while watching the sunset.

Bringing Your Furry Companion

The Netherlands are generally very dog-friendly. They are allowed in most restaurants and the beach as well as Keukenhof. However, you will inevitably be walking through large crowds at the park and if you already know your dog gets stressed in social situations, you might want to consider leaving him with a friend. Unfortunately this would mean being unable to take epic photos of them posing in tulip fields (and the world would miss out)

General Info

Admission costs €18.50 per adult and tickets must be bought online for a specific time-slot. You will not need to print it out so purchasing the e-ticket on the drive there is no problem at all.
Parking costs €6 for the entire day and can be purchased in advance as well.
See www.keukenhof.nl/en for more info.

Getting There

Lisse is a circa 5-hour drive from the KMC, 4.5 hours from Wiesbaden and just over 7 hours from Stuttgart.
The address for your GPS is Stationsweg 166A, 2161 AM Lisse, Netherlands.
There are buses from Amsterdam, Haarlem, Nordwijk and Leiden straight to the park so travelling by train and public transport is an option as well. See www.bahn.de for further info.

Author’s profile: Leonie is a poetry-loving literature student with a passion for small towns, road trips, and breakfast food that’s being served at all hours of the day. When she isn’t hopping from one bargain flight to the next, she is making sure you’re hanging with the locals and staying updated on events in your area.