Wish You Were Here: The Tulip Fields of Holland

Affectionately called the flower shop of the world, Holland is primarily known for its tulips. Cultivated in great fields providing a kaleidoscope of colour, tulip festivals are in abundance throughout the country in spring. The Dutch people took their love for tulips abroad when they settled and as a result tulips and tulip festivals can also be found in New York and Michigan where there are strong Dutch communities.

The best time to witness Dutch tulips in full bloom are the months of April and May. Thousand of tulips bloom across the country and is the time many flower parks in the country opens its doors.

Cultivated originally in the Ottoman Empire, tulips were imported into Holland in the 16th century. Carolus Clusius wrote the first major book on tulips in 1592 and such was its popularity that his garden was raised and bulbs stolen on a regular basis. In the mid 17th century tulips were so popular that the demand for tulips created its own economy called the Tulipomania. As people bought up bulbs they became so expensive that they were used as money until the market in them crashed.

Keukenhof is the home of Holland’s annual tulip festival and is the most famous in the world. Located just south of Amsterdam in the small town of Lisse it is a fun day trip from the capital for flower enthusiasts. Seven million flower bulbs in full bloom makes it a unique experience. Every year Keikemhof creates a new look according to its chosen theme and in 2015 the park’s theme is Van Gogh, 125 years of inspiration.

In the Kop van Noord- Holland, you will find millions of tulips and other flowers in a profusion of colours. Aalsmeer near Amsterdam houses the world’s biggest flower auctions and is a sight to behold.

Holland’s longest tulip route can be found in the Noordoostpolder in Flevoland. The route which is over 100 kilometers winds its way through 2500 acres of colourful fields and makes this one of the world’s most beautiful routes. In 2009 the tulip route in Flevoland was elected by National Geographic as one of the world’s most beautiful road trips due to the riot of colour created by the thousands of tulips.

In a myriad of colours, the tulip fields of Holland provide an awesome sight of nature at its creative best.

Text and photographs by Tina Edward Gunawardhana