Netherlands – The Land of Tulips

Do you have your next trip with destination Holland? Then visiting the tulip fields in the Netherlands is an absolute must!

By: THURSD. | 08-03-2023 | 4 min read

Holland is a nation famous for its windmills, cheese, and traditional clothing. But, those who have been to the Netherlands before are likely aware that everywhere you turn, there are gorgeous, colorful flowers, particularly tulips. If you haven’t visited the Netherlands to see their tulip season, this might be the sign you were waiting for.

Tulips Fill up the Netherlands to Convert It Into Tulip Paradise

Flowers come in a wide variety of varieties, colors, and shapes that enhance the beauty of nature and have great emotional significance. The Netherlands is the world leader in cultivating and maintaining flowers and plants, and it is a significant part of the Dutch economy.

Tulips grow well in the Netherlands’ temperate environment, primarily in the spring and early summer, which is another factor in the country’s fame and abundance of the tulip flower. A large range of flowers of various types, shapes, and colors flourish on Dutch lands.

The most widespread flower in the Netherlands, tulips are common and may be found in practically any garden. Important to know that the climate and geology of the Netherlands are known to be a near-perfect fit for the flower, and a key reason that the Dutch now lead the global Tulip trade.

Happiness found in a field of tulips.
Photo: @wandering_purvi

Tulip Season in the Netherlands

Large portions of the Netherlands are transformed into a vibrant patchwork quilt by the tulips from the middle of March to the end of May.

If you visit Holland in April, make sure to view the tulips; you will find fields bursting with beautiful colors everywhere. The flowers are usually at their best halfway through April.

eautiful open field of pink tulips in the Netherlands.
Photo: Unsplash

More than 7 million flower bulbs bloom in spring at Keukenhof in Lisse. It is among the best locations to find a wide variety of tulips. To see the tulips in all their splendor in rural fields, though, you really just need to board a train or grab a bicycle at this time of year. But no worries, here are other locations where to see tulip heaven in the Netherlands.

Where Are the Tulip Fields Located?

The majority of tulip farms in the Netherlands are found in the coastal province Noord-Holland, and Flevoland in the middle. Considered the best place for tourists to see these lovely flowers is in the flower bulb fields along the coast from The Hague and Leiden up to Alkmaar in the north.

*Holland during the spring season gets filled up with multi-colored fields of tulips.*
*Photo:* @croisieurope_official

The largest flower show in the world, Keukenhof, is only 15 minutes from Leiden and 30 minutes from Amsterdam. It is known for its abundance of tulips. The largest flower auction in the world, FloraHolland, is at Aalsmeer, which is only 30 minutes by car from Amsterdam.

The History Behind the Tulip Mania

The Dutch experienced an era of unrivaled luxury and success in the middle of the 1600s. Dutch traders prospered through commerce with the Dutch East India Company (VOC) as their country gained independence from Spain.

Tulips were brought to Holland from the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century (present-day Turkey). Tulips quickly rose to the top of the Dutch market when Carolus Clusius published what is regarded as the first significant book about the flower just a few years after his arrival.

When people had money to spend, flowers and fine art became popular collector’s items. That is how uncommon ‘broken’ tulip bulbs that produced striped and speckled flowers sparked the Dutch people’s fascination. These treasured tulips were bought as beautiful display items, but it didn’t take long for the tulip trade to develop a market of its own.

In the end, this whole hype that began in 1634 ended with a bang. By the time you could buy a nice Amsterdam canal house for the price of one tulip bulb, the bubble burst. Prices dramatically collapsed in February 1637, leaving many bankrupt. It is generally considered to have been the first recorded speculative asset bubble in history and ‘tulip mania’ is still often used as a metaphor for the crises we’ve had in the recent past.

Right now is the perfect time and season to consider visiting the Netherlands to see the spectacular tulip season. After seeing the tulip fields, there’s no going back. Tulips are without a doubt going to become your favorite type of bloom!