Lands of Tulips

Getting lost in the colourful world.

- K Nalini

Since the day I saw the Hindi movie Silsila, my dream was to visit the famous land of Tulips in Amsterdam, "The Keukenhof Gardens." I had also read the popular historical novel The Black Tulip a work of romantic prose written by Alexandre Dumas. Are there really Black Tulips, I wondered.

I got the opportunity to go to Denmark for a conference. From there my husband and I flew into Amsterdam airport called 'Schiphol.' Amsterdam is the capital of Netherlands. We stayed in a hotel called "House of Tulips!"

It is very easy to travel in Amsterdam. It boasts of an impressive public transport network including metros, buses, trams, ferries and trains to go around the capital. While in Amsterdam, I enjoyed travelling by Amsterdam Tram. It is the most scenic way to travel through the city.

History Of Keukenhof

The history of Keukenhof dates back to the 15th Century. In 1949, a group of 20 leading flower bulb growers and exporters came up with a plan to use the estate of 'Castle Keukenhof' to exhibit spring flowering bulbs. They started the Keukenhof Spring Park. It opened to the public in 1950 and was an instant success with 236000 visitors. During the past 72 years, Keukenhof has developed into a world famous tourist attraction.

Before you visit Keukenhof Gardens you should know the history of the place. Keukenhof in English means 'Kitchen Garden!' It is also known as the 'Garden of Europe, one of the world's largest flower gardens situated in the municipality of Lisse, in the Netherlands. It covers an area of 79 acres and approximately 7 million flower beds are planted in the garden annually. It is widely known for its flowers, especially Tulips.