Detour #140: Tulips from Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Discover the most colourful road trip in Europe with Odiel Mennink.
Spring is the perfect time to be surprised by the beautiful colourful landscapes that the Netherlands has to offer. By the end of March the tulip flowers start bursting out of the soil and, in the months April and May, they are in their fullest glory, so plan your visit for the best blooms. It’s one of the main reasons that thousands of tourists travel to the Netherlands in spring every year: to take beautiful pictures of our blooming bulb fields.
The tulip came to the Netherlands in the sixteenth century. They originally come from the mountains of Kazakhstan and found their way to The Netherlands via Persia, China, Turkey and Antwerp. In the seventeenth century, the tulip became so popular that a real speculation trade arose, in which a lot of money was paid for a single tulip. After this period, the tulip remained popular in the Netherlands. The fields full of colourful hyacinths, tulips and daffodils are a beautiful and unique phenomenon.
Within half an hour to an hour's drive from Amsterdam, you can enjoy a beautiful road trip along the Tulips. And even without navigation, you can follow a route with the help of the Tulip Festival signs. You can easily park your car along the route, should you wish to get out to take some awesome Instagramable pictures.
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Flevoland, the Noordoostpolder
Seen from above, Noordoostpolder is one big colourful palette during the tulip bloom. You will see an alternation of fields of flowering tulips, fresh green fields and orchards. It is a beautiful place to drive by. And according to National Geographic, this is the most beautiful driving route in the world. The Tulip Route is about 100 kilometres long and takes you along 1000 hectares of tulip fields!
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Bollenstreek route
Wind down your car windows and take in the fresh smell of blooming flowers. The Bollenstreek route covers approximately 62 kilometres. Because you'll be travelling through village streets and sometimes narrow roads, you won't be able to drive fast. You can drive the route in about three hours, but count on a good half day if you want to take photos and have lunch or a picnic somewhere. The route starts in the small town of Oegstgeest and heads for the Dutch coast. The first part is not yet dominated by bulb fields, but by picturesque villages and beautiful dunes.
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The Tulip Route through Goeree-Overflakkee and Zeeuws Vlaanderen
Another beautiful spring garden route is just half an hour's drive from Rotterdam, the second largest city in the Netherlands, a short Tulip Route is set out on the peninsula of Goeree-Overflakkkee, about 37 km long. It takes you by car along dikes and fields full of yellow, white, pink, orange, red and purple flowers. And through picturesque villages such as Dirksland and old Middelharnis. And if you drive a bit further south, you will find even more colourful bulb fields in the province of Zeeland. In the east of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen for example, between Terneuzen & Hulst, around ancient villages such as Graauw, Lamswaarde & Koewacht, and hamlets such as Reuzenhoek, Hengstdijk & Schapenbout.
Don't forget to bring your camera and please be kind to the flowers and plants. When you visit the tulip fields in The Netherlands it is important that you stick to a couple of rules. The fields are charming. But if you walk into the flower fields, you may trample or damage the flowers. Or you may be carrying diseases on your shoes that can damage the flowers. For the farmers this may cause a lot of financial harm. So enjoy the flowers, whilst minding the fields and fill up your memory cards with mesmerising photos.
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