The Keukenhof, located not far from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, is a large exhibition of Spring-flowering “bulbs” and the Dutch floricultural sector. It is open only for 8 weeks during the peak flowering period from late March through to mid-May each year and displays a magnificent array of beautiful flowers in all the colours of the rainbow! And, yes, the perfumes are delicious.

Literally translated as “kitchen garden”, the site of the Keukenhof is that of the old 15th century Teylingen Castle where Countess Jacqueline of Bavaria gathered fruit, vegetables and herbs from her garden for the kitchen. following the Countess’s death, the land was taken over by rich merchants.

Floral Fashion Displays:

The Keukenhof as we know it today was born in 1949 when a group of flower bulb exporters wanted to display their bulbs. 1950, the Keukenhof’s first year, welcomed over 230,000 guests making it an instant success. Each year the garden, and its popularity has grows with now over a million visitors appreciating the fantastic flora each year, continuing to serve as a platform for local flower growers to display their bulbs, flowers and plants as well as network and meet business contacts.

The Keukenhof is stunning, fragrant and unique but also incredibly popular, crowded, commercial and difficult to get a photo of the flowers without other visitors/tourists also in the shot! At 16 Euros entry per person + extra for parking, I found it somewhat overpriced. Having said that, I am glad I went because it really was very beautiful and some of the designs very innovative. It’s probably a “once every 5-10 year” type of thing to do if you live in The Netherlands, however, if you’re visiting and happen to be here during those 8 weeks in Spring, then I would recommend checking it out!