Photo Essay: Tulip Fields in the Netherlands
When my husband first decided that a spring visit to Europe was a good idea, I knew we had to try and see the tulip fields in the Netherlands. I had no idea if they'd actually be in full bloom while we were there, since the harvest schedule is ultimately up to Mother Nature, but if we were going to be spending a solid amount of time in Amsterdam, my heart was pretty set on seeing at least a few colorful fields.
Mission accomplished, I'd say:
We set aside a day for a train-to-bike-to-train trip between Amsterdam and Haarlem — one of the cities known as a starting point for tulip tourism. We started the day by walking from our Amsterdam Airbnb to the Amsterdam Centraal Station. From there, we took a 20-minute train ride to the Haarlem Train Station, walked to the bike rental shop and started our bike tour of the countryside!
We did see a lot of fields that had already been harvested and others that were just about to bloom, so the plantings must be staggered a bit to maximize the bloom season. With the number of cars and bikes on the road with us, it appears as though this area of the Netherlands has flower tourism pretty much figured out.
We decided not to visit Keukenhof due to the crowds and opted, instead, to take the various bike trails and see where we could stop along the way. The guides at the bike shop offered up maps and tips before we headed out, which came in handy.
Overall, the touring took a full day, our bums were very sore from riding a bike for dozens of miles and I've never smiled so much in my life. I'm sure of it. I mean, how could you not smile like crazy when you spend a day among these beauties? Add in a tandem bike (which earned us more than a few stares), a picnic, and some silly times with your hilarious partner in crime and you're good to go!
Tell me friends: Have you ever visited the tulip fields in the Netherlands?