Tulip paradise
Keukenhof is the royal flower park in the Netherlands. Also known as the Garden of Europe. Located between Amsterdam and The Hague in the small town of Lisse. Every year the park is open to visitors from about the 20th of March to the 20th of May.
The history of the park dates back to the XV century. During these hours, this area was covered with solid forests and sand dunes. These lands belonged to Countess Hennegau Jacob of Bavaria. For the inhabitants of the castle, which was built at this time and the ruins of which can be seen today, the surrounding forest was a source of game, mushrooms, berries, medicinal herbs. The area near the castle was used for growing greenery and herbs for the kitchen. Hence the origin of the name of the park, which in Dutch means "Kitchen Yard".
In the 19th century, Baron and Baroness Van Palland asked landscape architect Jan David Zocher and his son Luis Paul Zocher, also known for their work at Vondelpark, to design the area around the castle.
The foundation of park dwelling houses was started in 1857. The classical principles of English park construction were used.
The idea of creating a flower amusement park that would bring in sales at the same time came from flower growers and exporters in the 1940s. It was decided to create a visual exhibition for the flower trade. They began to grow not only tulips, but also daffodils, hyacinths, Japanese sakura. The park was presented to the world in 1949, when entrepreneurs and flower exporters organized an open-air flower exhibition here.
In addition, it is worth mentioning the ancient mill, which is located in the park. The mill was built in 1892 in the Dutch city of Groningen.
The initial goal was to use a pancake to pump water out of the polder. In 1957, Holland American Line bought the mill and transferred it to the park, where it was restored in 2008.
Since then, it has been located in the park as an open-air museum, and anyone can watch the interior of the classic Dutch mill.
The park is located on 32 hectares of land.
About seven million onions (hyacinths, crocuses, daffodils, grouse, muscari) grow in the park.
Of these, about 4.5 million tulips - 100 varieties.
About 90 species of trees.
There are a large number of lakes, ponds, waterfalls, streams, canals. Most of them are available for boat trips.
More than 40 bridges and bridges connect the shores of the lake and canals.
The total length of all pedestrian oils is about 15 km.
Along the alleys are sculptures by Dutch and foreign masters of different eras: Koning, Kervel, Vermeer, Bruning.
The park also has: a pet farm, a pavilion "Royal Shoes", an English tea pavilion, a children's entertainment complex "Bollebozen", restaurants, cafes, parking.
The park consists of three greenhouses:
• Willem-Alexander Pavilion - amaryllis, hyacinths, hydrangeas, lilies, potted plants and flowers.
• Orange-Nassau Pavilion - freesias, gerberas, roses, tulips, irises, alstroemerias, daffodils, chrysanthemums, calla lilies and carnations.
• The Beatrix Pavilion is the personal pavilion of the Princess of the Netherlands. Located near the northern part of the park, near the pancake house. There are expositions of orchids.
At the end of April there will be a parade of flowers "Bloemencorso Bollenstreek" - a procession of various compositions composed of flowers.
Queen Juliana (then Princess) was honored to inaugurate the park.
Prince Bernard has made several documentaries about the park.
In 2001, Prince Willem-Alexander and Maxima (later a woman), while in the park, were first introduced to the population as a couple.
In the autumn of 2003, Prince Willem-Alexander, together with Olympic medalists Anxie van Granswen and Peter van den Hugenband, planted the first luculins for the symbolic composition of the Olympic rings.
