This park is located between Amsterdam and The Hague in the small town of Lisse. 7 million tulip bulbs are planted here annually. And all this painstaking work is for two months of the year, when the huge flower garden is open to the general public.
Translated from Dutch, ''Keukenhof'' means ''kitchen garden''. In the 15th century, these lands belonged to the estate of Countess Jacoba van Beieren and served her as a place for hunting and growing herbs for the court kitchen. She was a combative woman and in 36 years of life accomplished quite a lot: she was married four times, spent time in prison, and participated in several wars, in one of which she even fought against her ex-husband.
Now nothing reminds us of the tulip mania that once gripped Europe, but back in 1637, a single bulb could buy an estate.
The bubble of the Dutch predecessor of Sergei Mavrodi was linked to a virus that affected tulips. New plants acquired unusual coloring, and the Dutch decided they would take over the world. A boom began, prices on the market peaked as most citizens started buying flower bulbs for exorbitant sums. The most perceptive, realizing the unreality of the situation, managed to take advantage of it, while thousands were left with nothing.
The parkland of Keukenhof was laid out as early as 1857, using classical principles of English landscape gardening. In 1949, under pressure from flower growers and exporters, the idea of creating a flower park was pursued in earnest. It was decided that Keukenhof would become a showroom for trading such an unusual commodity. And so it turned out.
The past season of 2007 was already the 58th. The spring flower park was open this year from March 20 to May 20. Not only tulips grow here. In thousands of color patterns, there are daffodils and hyacinths, and Japanese cherry blossoms simply burst with white. After many hours of walking, it seems that the creators of the exhibition decided to please absolutely everyone.
In addition to the usual souvenir shops and a fairly liberal attitude towards those who step on the lawn for a beautiful photo, the organizers of all this splendor have brought to Keukenhof something that at first glance seems out of place in a garden park. Along many alleys stand sculptures by Dutch and foreign masters. Some of the works belong to the park. Next to some, prices are listed in hard currency. Besides high art, there is also a less elevated matter in Keukenhof – a petting farm. As a result, you get the impression that you have ended up in an ordinary Dutch village, which, among other things, has thousands of flowers and sculptures.
Each season at Keukenhof has its own thematic coloring. The current one was dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Swedish botanist and biologist Carl Linnaeus. It was to Holland that the young scientist came to continue his studies after the Swedish university. Here he was awarded a doctorate, here he is remembered almost 300 years later, and here, in honor of the park's opening, the Crown Princess of Sweden, Victoria, arrived to personally pay tribute to her compatriot. And if the princess hurried on her way, then the furniture factory of the monopolist IKEA could not stay aside. A whole pavilion was given over to this. Well, the corresponding theme: ''Flowers as part of your home design''.
Beauty simply hovers over Keukenhof. Even the crowds of tourists with their polyphony and bustle cannot disturb the wonderful atmosphere. A new landscape opened up to us at every meter of the path. One moment it has swans swimming in a pond, another an unusual range of colors coexisting beautifully in one flowerbed, and another a working windmill on the edge of the tulip fields, unobtrusively reminding: ''Look, we are in Holland''.
They say that Keukenhof is the most photographed place on Earth, and at least once a day a proposal of ''hand and heart'' is heard here. I don't know if that's true, but you really want to photograph all this beauty, and confessing love here is simply a must. Local designers also claim that visiting the park helps in proper planning of your own garden. But that song is not about us: our proud geranium on the balcony makes incredible efforts… In short, Keukenhof is very nice. We liked it. If you are in those parts in spring, drop by.
* Ticket price for Keukenhof: adults – €16, children (4-11 years) – €6. Tickets can be ordered on the park's website. In addition, Keukenhof offers a season pass for multiple visits at a reduced rate.
* Direct buses go to Keukenhof from the central bus station in Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport. Parking at the entrance – €5.
* Besides walking tours, there is also a bicycle tour through the tulip fields of Keukenhof, equally interesting and impressive. In the closed pavilions of the park, you can purchase flower bulbs and get necessary information on their care.
* The exact opening dates of Keukenhof in 2008 are best checked on the park's website: www.keukenhof.nl