Keukenhof (English: "Kitchen garden"; ), also known as the Garden of Europe, is one of the world's largest flower gardens, situated in the municipality of
Lisse
Lisse () is a town and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Western Netherlands. The municipality, which lies within the Duin- en Bollenstreek, covers an area of of which is water. Its population was in . Located within the muni ...
, in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
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, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. According to the official website, Keukenhof Park covers an area of and approximately 7 million flower bulbs are planted in the gardens annually. Keukenhof is widely known for its tulips, and it also features numerous other flowers, including hyacinths, daffodils, lilies, roses, carnations and irises.
Keukenhof is located in the province of
South Holland
South Holland ( nl, Zuid-Holland ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.7 million as of October 2021 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely ...
, south of
Haarlem
Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland. Haarlem is situated at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropoli ...
and southwest of
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
in the area called the "Dune and Bulb Region" (
Duin- en Bollenstreek
The Duin- en Bollenstreek (; Dutch for "Dune and Bulb Region") is a region in the Western Netherlands, that features coastal dunes and the cultivation of flower bulbs. Situated at the heart of historical Holland nearby the city of Leiden, South Ho ...
). It is accessible by bus from Haarlem and
Leiden
Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wit ...
train stations as well as
Schiphol
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol , known informally as Schiphol Airport ( nl, Luchthaven Schiphol, ), is the main international airport of the Netherlands. It is located southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer in the province ...
. Though its grounds are open year-round for private affairs and festivals, Keukenhof is only open to the general public for a world-renowned 8 week
tulip
Tulips (''Tulipa'') are a genus of spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes (having bulbs as storage organs). The flowers are usually large, showy and brightly coloured, generally red, pink, yellow, or white (usually in warm ...
display from mid-March to mid-May, with peak viewing arriving near mid-April, depending on growing season weather, which varies annually. In 2019, 1.5 million people visited Keukenhof, equivalent to 26,000 visitors per day. By comparison, the
Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the St ...
receives an average of 8,000 visitors per day, the
Efteling
Efteling () is a fantasy-themed amusement park in Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands. The attractions reflect elements from ancient myths and legends, fairy tales, fables, and folklore.
The park was opened on May 31, 1952. It evolved from a nature ...
receives 14,000.
History
Keukenhof is situated on the 15th-century hunting grounds of
Slot Teylingen
Teylingen Castle (Dutch: ''Slot Teylingen'') is a Dutch castle in the municipality of Teylingen, in the town of Voorhout, near the border with Sassenheim. It is presumably the family keep of the noble family , from which the Van Brederode family d ...
; it was the castle's kitchen garden (in Dutch: ''keukentuin''), providing game, fruit and vegetables. The most noted inhabitant, and beneficiary of the garden was Countess
Jacoba van Beieren (1401-1436). In 1638, the estate was purchased by
Adriaen Maertensz Block
Adriaen Maertensz Block (c.1582, Gouda – 7 March 1661, Lisse) was successively captain, commander, and governor of Ambon between 1614 and 1617, administrator of the '' Raad van Indië'' for the Kamer of the Dutch East India Company in Amsterd ...
, captain and governor of the
Dutch East India Company
The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
. In 1641 he had a large manor house constructed, which he named Keukenhof, now known as Castle Keukenhof.
In 1857, Baron and Baroness Van Pallandt, at the time owners of the estate, tasked landscape architect Jan David Zocher and his son Louis Paul Zocher, both also designers of Amsterdam's
Vondelpark
The Vondelpark () is a public urban park of 47 hectares (120 acres) in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is part of the borough of Amsterdam-Zuid and situated west from the Leidseplein and the Museumplein. The park was opened in 1865 and originally nam ...
, to restructure the park and grounds around the castle. Those parks, designed in English style, remain the foundations for the gardens.
Keukenhof, the park as it is now known, was established in 1949 by a consortium of bulb growers and flower exporters to showcase their products and support the export industry. The garden opened to the public in 1950 and received 200,000 visitors in its first year. It operates under a charitable foundation of Count Carel De Gaaf van Lynden.
Gardens
![NL-keukenhof-01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/NL-keukenhof-01.jpg)
Each autumn, 40 gardeners plant the 7 million bulbs, donated to the park by over 100 growers.
Planting starts early October and is usually completed by 5 December, around
Sinterklaas
Sinterklaas () or Sint-Nicolaas () is a legendary figure based on Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children. Other Dutch names for the figure include ''De Sint'' ("The Saint"), ''De Goede Sint'' ("The Good Saint") and ''De Goedheiligman'' ("The ...
. The flowerbeds are synchronised to the different bulb flowerings to ensure blooms throughout the duration of park's 8-week opening. To ensure continuous bloom, three bulbs are planted in each location. The shallowest bulb will bloom first for three weeks, followed by the subsequent layers.
In addition to the tulip gardens, Keukenhof features a variety of other gardens. The English landscape garden features winding paths and surprise see-through vistas. The walled area of the historical features archival varieties. In the Nature Garden shrubs and perennials are combined with bulb plants. The Japanese Country Garden is a non-traditional garden in a natural environment.
Four pavilions house rotating displays and flower exhibits.
Opening times
The grounds of Castle Keukenhof are open all year long and are frequently used for festivals such as
Castlefest, the Ladies Winternight, and the Christmas Fair. The castle also hosts classical music concerts.
Visitors
In 2017, Keukenhof received 1.4 million visitors. 20% of the visitors are Dutch, while 40% are from Germany, UK and Belgium. The number of visitors from the USA (10%) and China (8%) has grown over the years.
Visitor breakdown by nationality for 2019 season:
Governance
Keukenhof falls under a charitable foundation of Count Carel De Graaf van Lynden (''Stichting Graaf Carel van Lynden''). As of January 1, 2016, the foundation owns both Keukenhof and Castle Keukenhof plus the surrounding estate.
Revenues
The Keukenhof does not receive government subsidies; revenues are generated from ticket sales and the food and beverage licensees on premise. In 2019 Keukenhof generated €25 million in revenue. In 2020, as a consequence of the
COVID-19 COVID pandemic and closures to contain it, the park was shut from its scheduled opening day, 21 March until its scheduled closing date, 10 May, costing it an estimated $25 million in revenues.
See also
*
National Tulip Day
National Tulip Day (Dutch: Nationale Tulpendag) is an annual event in January that preludes the tulip season in the Netherlands. The event has been held on the Dam Square in the centre of Amsterdam since 2012. During this day a special garden of 20 ...
, opening of the tulip season in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
(January)
References
External links
*
Keukenhof Gardens Creative Commons Photo Slideshow
{{Authority control
Gardens in the Netherlands
Buildings and structures in South Holland
Tourist attractions in South Holland
Lisse