pinterest pin De Mooiste Bloemenroutes van Nederland

Why is the Netherlands referred to as ‘The Land of Flowers?’

When you think of the Netherlands, the first thing that comes to your mind is an endless ocean of vibrant flower fields. Soon after the first tulip was planted on the Dutch soil in the mid-sixteenth century, the country saw a tremendous floral revolution and the founding of a horticultural industry that later converted their lowland country into the global hub of flower trade. Today, being the largest exporter of flowers in the world, the Netherlands makes up around two-thirds of the world's total floral sales. Believe it or not, you can actually buy flowers in New York which were freshly cut in the Netherlands that morning; such is the efficiency of the Dutch floral supply chain. Due to this remarkable achievement, we stand no chance and we have no choice but to dub this beautiful country 'The Land of Flowers!'

What is the history of Tulips in the Netherlands?

While the Netherlands may be famous for tulips, it did not originate here. Even the name 'Tulip' is considered to be derived from a Persian word ‘Tulipan’ meaning turban, which the flower resembles. It is believed that for years, tulips were cultivated in the Tien Shan range of mountains in Central Asia during the Ottoman era. Suleyman the Magnificent, a great patron of tulips, had a gorgeous display of tulips in his palace gardens in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul in Turkey). In 1554, Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, a Flemish writer, herbalist and diplomat, visited Suleyman the Magnificent as an ambassador of King Ferdinand I (soon to be Holy Roman Emperor) to negotiate a border dispute between Ferdinand and Suleyman. During his stay, he sent a few tulips from Suleyman's garden to his friend Carolus Clusius, a Flemish botanist and the director of the botanical garden 'Hortus Botanicus' in Leiden. That's how tulips entered Europe for the first time.

What is ‘Tulip Mania’?

Tulips were unique plants and uncommon in Europe; hence, the Dutch quickly became fascinated by them. With time, the fascination turned into a hobby of the wealthy, which later turned into a status symbol. The prices picked up fast to an unbelievable extent and led to an obsession named 'Tulip Mania.' The term refers to a period between 1633 and 1637 when a single tulip bulb costed as much as a house in Amsterdam!

What is the best time to visit Flower Fields in the Netherlands?

The best time to visit the flower fields in the Netherlands is during the spring months of mid-March to mid-May. During these spring months, being the largest exporters of flowers globally, the whole country transforms into a vast ocean of flowers. It starts with cherry blossoms, crocuses, daffodils, and hyacinths between mid-March and mid-April, followed by the famous tulips between mid-April and mid-May. And if you intend to visit for photography, I advise visiting the fields during sunrise or sunset.

What is a ‘Bloemenroute’?

Literally meaning 'Flower Route,' it refers to car/bike routes along the flower fields of the Netherlands. If you google, you will find many websites that talk about many such ‘Bloemenroutes’ and/or provide maps that focus more on the driving/biking ‘paths’ but do not pinpoint the exact location of the flower fields. They leave it up to you for discovering them along the way. This makes it very difficult to put the address of the flower fields in your car’s GPS, or know which are the fields that are easily accessible to get inside (most of the fields are separated from the road via canals or are fenced), or even know where to park your car to get to the fields.

Therefore, in this article, from my experience of living in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, the so-called ‘headquarters’ of the Bloemenroutes, and that of chasing flower fields for the last 11 years in the Netherlands, I will tell you about the best driving routes to follow while on a tulip, daffodil, or hyacinth hunt road trip in the Netherlands along with the exact locations of the flower fields. So let’s begin!

And, if you want to chase cherry blossoms in the Netherlands, please read our article Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival) | Celebrating the Advent of Spring at Kersenbloesempark (Cherry Blossom Park) in Amstelveen, the Netherlands, or if you want to know where to find the best lavender fields in the Netherlands, please read our article Best Places to Find Lavenders in the Netherlands | Best Lavender Fields in the Netherlands, or if you want to know the best place to see heather bloom in the Netherlands, please read our article The Purple Hills of Posbank | The Heather Fields of Veluwezoom National Park, Hoge Veluwe, Gelderland | The Best Place to See Heather Bloom in the Netherlands, or if you want to know how to visit the annual Flower Parade/s in the Netherlands, please read our article Bloemencorso Bollenstreek Holland 2024 | Flower Parade of the Bulb Region Netherlands 2024 | Information, Route, Tips, and Tricks.

4 Best Flower Routes in the Netherlands

1. Bollenstreekroute (Bulb Region Route)

The most popular (and also the busiest) of all Bloemenroutes in the Netherlands is Bollenstreek, which stretches between the cities of Haarlem and Leiden across Hillegom, Lisse, Sassenheim, Noordwijk, and Noordwijkerhout over a distance of 40 km. This is the area with the maximum concentration of flower fields and is eye candy to drive through. However, not all of them are accessible on foot. Below I’ve provided the exact locations of the most beautiful flower fields in this route along with the information on where to park and how to reach the fields.

Places mapped by Wanderlog, an itinerary planner on iOS and Android

1. Schoonderbeek Automobielen, Arnoudstraat 24, 2182 DZ Hillegom - Start from wherever you are and drive to this location. Park your car anywhere along the road or at the nearby McDonald's (Arnoudstraat 5, 2182 DZ Hillegom). Cross the main road and over a small bridge, you can see a vast hyacinth field that spreads until the horizon. However, this field is not very easy to enter on foot since it is separated from the main road by a canal but that also means during sunrise/sunset, you can take romantic pictures without any tourists.

spring keukenhof flower garden lisse hillegom noordwijkerhout noordwijk sassenheim goeree overflakkee flevoland creil netherlands holland tulip daffofil hyacinth fields shot during sunset

2. Tankstation De Blinkerd, Westelijke Randweg 6, 2163 GA Lisse - While you drive to this spot from the previous location, you can already see a vast array of flowers on the way. Park the car in the petrol pump and walk back along the bike track. You can see two tulip fields, one with a house behind and one spreading up to the horizon. Normally these fields are accessible on foot, but sometimes the gates may be closed.

3. Keukenhof, Stationsweg 166A, 2161 AM Lisse - Then drive onto Keukenhof, nicknamed the ‘Garden of Europe.’ We will talk about Keukenhof later in this article. But I want to mention here that when you park in the huge parking lot of Keukenhof, there is a field directly behind it, which is accessible on foot. Apart from the one accessible on foot, there is an array of flower fields separated by a network of canals. You can take a canal boat cruise across these tulip fields that leaves behind the windmill in the Keukenhof Gardens.

4. Opposite Keukenhof Parking - Leave your car parked in the Keukenhof parking and cross the main road on foot. You will find a huge tulip and hyacinth farm there. Sometimes this field is also accessible on foot, but sometimes the gates may be closed.

5. Eikenlaan 326, 2161 EK Lisse - Pick up your car from the Keukenhof Parking and drive to this spot. On the way, you will pass across two fields just as you turn right at the Keukenhof roundabout - one full of daffodils and one filled with tulips. Park your car in the service road parallel to the main road (beside the flower stalls) and walk to the fields both of which are accessible on foot.

6. Hobaho, Professor van Slogterenweg 2, 2161 DW Lisse - Drive to this spot, park the car and walk to a daffodil field in front of a small castle named ‘Huys Dever’ across the roundabout which is accessible by foot. Besides that, you can find another vast tulip field separated by a canal and hence difficult to enter.

7. De Tulperij, Oude Herenweg 16 B, 2215 RZ Voorhout - Drive through Sassenheim to reach this spot. On the way, you will come across a couple of tulip, daffodil and hyacinth fields.

8. Tulip Experience Amsterdam, Delfweg 37, 2211 VK Noordwijkerhout - This is a new attraction along the Bollenstreek route that started in 2020. Stop here to learn about the history of tulip cultivation in the Netherlands and experience the journey of how a tulip bulb makes it to the flower.

tractor tulip experience amsterdam spring keukenhof flower garden lisse hillegom noordwijkerhout noordwijk sassenheim goeree overflakkee flevoland creil netherlands holland tulip daffofil hyacinth fields shot during sunset

chair and table at tulip experience amsterdam spring keukenhof flower garden lisse hillegom noordwijkerhout noordwijk sassenheim goeree overflakkee flevoland creil netherlands holland tulip daffofil hyacinth fields shot during sunset

tulip experience amsterdam spring keukenhof flower garden lisse hillegom noordwijkerhout noordwijk sassenheim goeree overflakkee flevoland creil netherlands holland tulip daffofil hyacinth fields shot during sunset

9. Lady Lavendel, Vogelaardreef 20, 2204 AA Noordwijk - Drive to this spot, park on the side of the main road beside the Noordwijk part of the ‘Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen’ or ‘Amsterdam Water Supply Dunes’. Cross the main road to enter a tulip, hyacinth and lavender field. Please note, the lavenders bloom in summer (the best time to visit is mid-July). Hence, during spring you can only see the tulips and the hyacinths in bloom. You can enter these fields on foot.

lady lavendel spring keukenhof flower garden lisse hillegom noordwijkerhout noordwijk sassenheim goeree overflakkee flevoland creil netherlands holland tulip daffofil hyacinth fields shot during sunset

portrait boy walking at lady lavendel spring keukenhof flower garden lisse hillegom noordwijkerhout noordwijk sassenheim goeree overflakkee flevoland creil netherlands holland tulip daffofil hyacinth fields shot during sunset

2. Goeree-Overflakkee Tulpenroute (Tulip Route)

The next flower route I’m going to talk about is slightly less known and therefore a lot quieter than the Bollenstreek Route. That is in Goeree-Overflakkee, the southernmost delta island of the province of South Holland.

This map was made with Wanderlog, a road trip planner app on iOS and Android

1. V.O.F. Dogterom, Langeweg 26, 3255 LJ Oude-Tonge - Start from wherever you are and drive to this location. On the way, you will find a number of expansive flower fields.

portrait lady sitting spring keukenhof flower garden lisse hillegom noordwijkerhout noordwijk sassenheim goeree overflakkee flevoland creil netherlands holland tulip daffofil hyacinth fields shot during sunset

2. Firma J. van der Baan & Zonen, Oudelandsedijk 5, 3247 LJ Dirksland - While you drive to this spot from the previous, you will drive through endless fields of tulips. You can spend half a day in these fields.

3. Landbouw Mechanisatie Bedrijf v/d Ende, Staverseweg 30, 3245 NE Sommelsdijk - Stop your car somewhere by the side of the road or at the nearby British Petroleum gas station (Korteweegje 75, 3247 BH Dirksland) and walk to the flower field on the opposite side of the road.

portrait man standing spring keukenhof flower garden lisse hillegom noordwijkerhout noordwijk sassenheim goeree overflakkee flevoland creil netherlands holland tulip daffofil hyacinth fields shot during sunset

4. Malieflower B.V., Boomgaarddreef 15, 3243 AC Stad aan 't Haringvliet - Keep driving eastwards towards this spot amidst several flower fields.

5. Vido Fleur B.V., Galatheseweg 8, 3256 LE Achthuizen - By the time you reach this spot you would have covered all the major parts of the Goeree-Overflakkee tulip route.

3. Flevoland Tulpenroute (Tulip Route)

Another popular Bloemenroute is that in the province of Flevoland. It is very well designated by signs that say ‘Tulpenroute’ on the road. So I do not need to mention the exact locations of the fields here. As you follow the route you will see them on the way. To start following the route drive to Creilerpad 14, 8312 PS Creil and from there drive towards Wrakkenpad 2, 8312 PW Creil. In the middle, you will see the ‘Tulpenroute’ signs starting. Start following the signs from there. The Creil tulip route is approximately 80 km.

This map was made with Wanderlog, for itineraries on iOS and Android

portrait boy walking spring keukenhof flower garden lisse hillegom noordwijkerhout noordwijk sassenheim goeree overflakkee flevoland creil netherlands holland tulip daffofil hyacinth fields shot during sunset

portrait man standing with open arms spring keukenhof flower garden lisse hillegom noordwijkerhout noordwijk sassenheim goeree overflakkee flevoland creil netherlands holland tulip daffofil hyacinth fields shot during sunset

portrait boy standing spring keukenhof flower garden lisse hillegom noordwijkerhout noordwijk sassenheim goeree overflakkee flevoland creil netherlands holland tulip daffofil hyacinth fields shot during sunset

portrait lady standing spring keukenhof flower garden lisse hillegom noordwijkerhout noordwijk sassenheim goeree overflakkee flevoland creil netherlands holland tulip daffofil hyacinth fields shot during sunset

4. Keukenhof - The Garden of Europe

Map from Wanderlog, a road trip planner on iOS and Android

Apart from these tulip routes, you must visit the world-famous Keukenhof in Lisse (address provided in Bloemenroute I). Also dubbed ‘The Garden of Europe,’ it is the largest flower park in the world. Built over 79 acres (32 hectares) of land, Keukenhof boasts a vibrant display of 7 million flower bulbs comprising tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, lilies, roses, carnations, and irises.

Epilogue

So those were the 4 best flower routes to follow while on a tulip, daffodil, or hyacinth hunt road trip in the Netherlands. Please let us know in the comments below if you enjoyed reading this article.

And, if you want to chase cherry blossoms in the Netherlands, please read our article Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival) | Celebrating the Advent of Spring at Kersenbloesempark (Cherry Blossom Park) in Amstelveen, the Netherlands, or if you want to know where to find the best lavender fields in the Netherlands, please read our article Best Places to Find Lavenders in the Netherlands | Best Lavender Fields in the Netherlands, or if you want to know the best place to see heather bloom in the Netherlands, please read our article The Purple Hills of Posbank | The Heather Fields of Veluwezoom National Park, Hoge Veluwe, Gelderland | The Best Place to See Heather Bloom in the Netherlands, or if you want to know how to visit the annual Flower Parade/s in the Netherlands, please read our article Bloemencorso Bollenstreek Holland 2024 | Flower Parade of the Bulb Region Netherlands 2024 | Information, Route, Tips, and Tricks. Until then, merry traveling and happy shooting!