t Instead of driving through the area, hire a bicycle at Haarlem railway station, cycle through the fields to Leiden and take the bike back to Haarlem on the train.
T3 £ Haarlem
Occupying a 30-km (19-mile) strip between Haarlem and Leiden, the Bloembollenstreek is the main bulb-growing area in the Netherlands. The most cultivated bulbs in the Netherlands include gladioli, lilies, daffodils, hyacinths, irises, crocuses and dahlias, but tulips are still far and away the country’s most popular flower.
Beyond The Centre Must See
t Instead of driving through the area, hire a bicycle at Haarlem railway station, cycle through the fields to Leiden and take the bike back to Haarlem on the train.
From late January, the polders (land reclaimed from the sea) bloom with a series of vividly coloured bulbs, beginning with early crocuses and building to a climax around mid-April, when the tulips flower. Late-blooming flowers, such as lilies, extend the season into late May.
This town is home to the world’s largest flower auction – the Bloemenveiling FloraHolland. As the 3.5 billion cut flowers and 400 million pot plants sold here annually all have a short shelf life, speed is of the essence. A reverse auction is held. The price lowers as the big-screen auction clock counts down and buyers stop the clock at any price point. Visitors can watch the adrenaline-inducing proceedings from a viewing gallery above the trading floor.
Situated on the outskirts of Lisse, this garden was set up in 1949 as a showcase for Dutch bulb growers and is now planted with some 7 million bulbs. Keukenhof is at its most spectacular from late March to late May, when drifts of daffodils, hyacinths or tulips form. Japanese cherry trees shed snowy blossom early in the season, and there are splashes of azaleas and rhododendrons later in the year.
t Carpets of tulips and grape hyacinths snake through the Keukenhof gardens
Beyond The Centre Must See
Aladdin Tulips
A lily-shaped flower, which has red petals with yellow tips.
China Pink Tulips
Delicate stems are crowned with vibrant pink flowers.
Tahiti Daffodils
Double-formed, golden-yellow petals nestle a small orange centre.
Minnow Daffodils
A fragrant, miniature daffodil with cream-coloured blooms.
Blue Jacket Hyacinths
Striped petals form a cone of blue flowers, with a heady scent.