The Last Day of The Keukenhof

The last day of the season, is what I mean. We’ve been so busy that we couldn’t attend until the very last day of the season. Disappointing, I know. We missed out on lots of beautiful blooms, but there was still so much to see that we felt like we didn’t miss much! And what exactly is the Keukenhof? Situated in Lisse, it is one of the world’s largest gardens and has grown to house over 7 million various flowers on 79 acres of land.

Of course, most of this land is for walking among the flowers, but the numbers are pretty impressive. Tourists from all over the world come to gaze at never ending rows of tulips that bloom only for a few short months. It’s usually open from the middle of March to the middle of May.

Sander and I live only ten minutes away, yes only ten minutes! He had also never been. My favorite flower was the zwarte tulp aka black tulip. A dark red tulip and yellow tulip cross pollinated to produce such a deep red that to the naked eye, it looks black. Of course it isn’t black, but it’s still amazing to see what science can produce!

So picture this. A warm and sunny day, small clouds hovering overhead. A gentle breeze to cool your skin when the sun gets too be a bit too much. The birds are finally singing again and the fatty bumble bees hover out of reach.

The Dutch seem to say, We’ve come out of our hibernation and this is our time in the sun!

There’s no need to say this with words, the feeling is on every face. I read somewhere that the Dutch are like sunflowers, when the sun is out, everyone is. I can vouch for this! Of course since the Keukenhof is very popular with tourists. We got to hear many different spoken languages but by far, Dutch was the most popular.

What does the last day of the season mean though? We passed many flower beds that had were cut since their blooms had already wilted. We missed out on seeing the rows and rows of tulips since their season had ended as well. It wasn’t crowded either so it was easy to take photos.

Among these fresh faces are thousands of magnificent blooms of all shapes and colors. The Netherlands is known as one of the largest flower producers in the world. And from the various displays that have are erected in their showcase green houses, it’s clear to see. Flower arranging seems to be a trait that the Dutch are born with, green thumbs and all. I’ve never seen so many beautiful blooms all under one park name.

We hit up the cafeteria and decided to splurge on a standard Dutch “spoil yourself” meal, a hot cup of tea with apple pie. There are other vendors stationed along the various walking paths. I recommend you buy them at a local grocery store. Stroopwafels in the park were €6 for a stack you could get them for €2!

I recommend that if you decide you want to visit North Holland around spring time, do come around April. All the flowers around our home are in bloom and if those buds are out, then the Keukenhof is in bloom too. Prices are listed on the site and may be subject to change. Parking is also an extra €6 but if you can bike or walk to the Keukenhof, it’s free. There are also buses you can take for a non-rental ride. Sander says the train is also an option. But since there are buses for the Keukenhof, it might be easier to catch one of those.