Dunes- and Bulb Region

Keukenhof

The The dunes along the North Sea contain various beautiful pieces of nature. The Bulb area which lies behind it is the most colorful area of the Netherlands in the spring. The matching colors of blossoming tulips are a typical Dutch sight in spring. The red, pink and yellow colors are breathtakingly beautiful and should be seen and experienced by everyone!

Bloemen

The Dune and bulb area covers the complete northwestern top of South-Holland. The developments and the fitment of the bulb area is closely related to the cultivation of the bulbs. The dunes at Wassenaar are a paradise for walkers and cyclists and also you can enjoy the beaches and boulevards of Katwijk, Scheveningen and Noordwijk.

Flower season

Bloemen

From the end of March until the second week of May, the bulb fields are blossoming. The exact period in which they are blossoming obviously depends on the weather, but in general you have a great chance of encountering a blossoming field in the second half of April. At the end of March the crocus season starts. Then, as from the beginning of April, the daffodils and the smaller tulips will show. From mid-April the hyacinths are flowering. Finally, the tulips show off their amazing colors, as from mid-April up until the first week of May. And of course the flower parades in April and in August are always a good reason for a visit to the bulb area. In april, the parade will go from Noordwijk via Sassenheim and Lisse to Haarlem, with the spring flowers. During the evening before, the parade is going through Noorwijkerhout with lights. In august, the parade will mainly contain summer flowers and it will go from Rijnsburg via Katwijk to Noordwijk. In the vicinity of these parades, many other activities take place as well.

Lisse

Lisse can justly be seen as the center of the bulb area. Visitors can see the history of the cultivation here, but also the modern breeding of the bulbs. The Museum De Zwarte Tulp will show you how the bulb cultivation took place in the past. The test center for the bulb cultivation cares for the further development. A lot of sustainable bulb cultivation can be found in the bulb area nowadays, based on the sophisticated ecological system, in which illnesses, bacteria and parasites will be contested with natural enemies. Next to the bulbs, the many summer flowers are taking care of publicity of this area throughout the year. The regular flower exhibitions demonstrate this.

The many historical structures which can still be seen in the area, demonstrate that the bulb area was a favorite area during the Middle Ages. Examples are the Ridderhofstede ‘t Huys Dever in Lisse, de Ruïne Teylingen in Sassenheim and the Keukenhof Castle.