SPRING IS IN THE AIR... A BIT LATE THOUGH

Talking to people abroad about Holland, they automatically come up with windmills, wooden shoes, cheese, skating and... TULIPS !

Eventhough the beautiful flower does not originate here,... it certainly has become a symbol for our country.

One of the most popular tourist attractions in the Netherlands is the so-called Keukenhof, right in the middle of hundreds of beautiful "bulb-fields".

Keukenhof has not always been the beautiful estate that we know today. In the 15th century, the 32 hectares of the present park were part of the enormous estate belonging to the castle of Slot Teylingen. This was ruled from 1401 to 1436 by the Countess of Holland, Jacoba van Beieren. She used part of her estate as a herb and vegetable garden. Here, every day, the countess personally gathered the fresh ingredients for her kitchen. It is to this that the present Keukenhof, which literally means Kitchen Garden, owes its name.

A design dating back to 1840In 1840, the celebrated garden and landscape architects 'Zocher & Son' were commissioned to develop the park. Both gentlemen had carried out a similar task earlier in Amsterdam: they designed the Vondelpark. If you visit the Keukenhof now, you can still see their handiwork in the area surrounding the Beukenlaan. The majestic trees and the pond date back to that time. In the years following, the Keukenhof Estate was further developed into the present 32-hectare park.

(photos: Gils Kloppert)

This year the park stays open for visitors longer than in previous years. Not without reason... Spring was put on hold this year as Winter lingered longer than usual.