Keukenhof, tulips

Keukenhof ("Kitchen garden"), also known as the Garden of Europe, is one of the world's largest flower gardens. It is situated in Lisse, the Netherlands, in an area called the "Bulb Region" (Bollenstreek). According to the official website for the Keukenhof Park, approximately 7 million flower bulbs are planted annually in the park, which covers an area of 32 hectares. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in the Netherlands with roughly 1 million people annually; 75% of the visitors are from abroad.

The garden was established in 1949 by the then-mayor of Lisse. The idea was to present a flower exhibit where growers from all over the Netherlands and Europe could show off their hybrids – and help the Dutch export industry (the Netherlands is the world's largest exporter of flowers).

The Keukenhof features a variety of different gardens and garden styles. For example, the English landscape garden features winding paths and unexpected see-through points. The historical garden is an enclosed garden where you can see many old types of bulbs. The nature garden consists of a water garden where shrubs and perennials are combined with bulbous plants. The Japanese country garden is a non-traditional garden in a natural environment.