The vanguard
04/08/2021 6:38 AM
Clarín.com
Trips
Updated 04/08/2021 6:38 AM
The
Netherlands
is the world leader
in tulip cultivation
, and this is where most of the bulbs planted in Europe and North America come from.
The export of bulbs, the cultivation of flowers, in their different species, is one of the economic mainstays of the country and, also, one of its great
tourist attractions
.
The tulip fields form a multi-colored blanket that can be
enjoyed in all its splendor, usually between April and May
.
Hectares and hectares of plantations offer the visitor a multicolored mosaic neatly arranged in vertical lines, from which the different flowers stand out, growing, looking for the sunlight.
A stunning panoramic tulip fields between Lisse and Sassenheim, Zuid-Holland province.
Photo Shutterstock.
Plantations and routes
There are two large areas where most of the tulip fields in Holland are concentrated.
In the polder -Dutch term that describes land areas reclaimed from the North
Sea- Noordoostpolder
, in the province of Flevoland, and
near the western coast
, in the entire area between the city of Haarlem and towards the north of the province of Noord Holland , to Alkmaar.
In Flevoland is the well-known Tulip Route, considered
one of the most beautiful itineraries in the world to travel by car
.
It is a route of more than 100 kilometers that covers some 2,000 hectares of fields of red, yellow or purple flowers.
The bulb fields are in the east and south of the region, but mostly in the Noordoost polder.
You can follow the Route on foot, by bicycle or by car.
In addition to admiring the flowers,
many activities related to this crop
are offered
, such as tulip photography workshops.
Charming villages and flowers with art
Flevoland is the largest flower bulb growing region in the whole of the Netherlands, but
the area around Haarlem is the most picturesque
.
You can cycle, walk, and depending on which areas you can also see while driving in the car over the levees.
Flevoland is the largest flower bulb growing region, but the area around Haarlem is the most picturesque.
Photo Shutterstock.
The so-called “Bollenstreek”, the tulip belt, has fields and fields of flowers and also a
multitude of villages with a lot of charm and history
.
Typical bulb-growing villages such as Sassenheim, Hillegom and Noordwijkerhout join Lisse, where you can visit the De Zwarte Tulp (the black tulip) museum to discover all about bulb culture.
In addition to the fields, this region has vast stretches of coastal dunes that are worth a trip, and lively beach towns such as Noordwijk and Katwijk.
Polders
Mild springs and cool nights make the Netherlands the
perfect place to grow tulips
.
The polder soil is constantly draining, creating ideal conditions for tulip bulbs, which need moist, but well-drained soil.
The culture of flower growing in the Netherlands began in the 16th century.
Photo Shutterstock.
In fact, this
floral culture began as early as the 16th century
, when the inhabitants of the region began to dig dunes, as they needed the sand to expand their cities and roads.
The uncovered land turned out to be perfect for growing tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, and the mild oceanic climate was also ideal for growing bulbs, which exploded in the 19th century.
The season normally begins in March, with the flowering of the crocuses.
Daffodils and hyacinths follow and finally,
from mid-April to mid-May, tulips emerge majestically
.
Flower parades
This cup-shaped flower (although there are many other varieties with other forms, somewhat less known) is the star of this area of the country.
Many localities live the cycle of the year according to the planting and flowering cycles of these bulbs, with
various celebrations and activities
, in a similar way to how some Spanish localities experience carnival throughout the year.
Among the most spectacular activities are
parades with floats decorated entirely with flowers
, usually between April and May.
The
Bloemencorso
is one of the most important, an annual floral parade that begins in Noordwijk and ends in Haarlem, in which figures made exclusively of flowers delight visitors.
There are numerous activities and celebrations related to crops.
Photo Shutterstock.
This year, because of the pandemic, everything is changed, but normally a score of huge floats and a multitude of decorated cars make this 42 km route that passes through the
Keukenhof
garden gate
.
This garden is
one of the most important of its kind
: it opens exclusively in the tulip and bulb flower season to display authentic works of art made from the different blooms.
Nearly seven million tulips
and lilies of many different varieties, as well as daffodils, hyacinths, orchids and many other flowers make up precious sculptural ensembles.
Beware of selfies
In the tulip fields, no matter how beautiful the flowers are up close and no matter how spectacular the rows arranged by color are, we must not forget that
the show is a private plantation
and, therefore, care must be taken and respected. around.
In some gardens they allow you to walk among the flowers and cut some to take away.
Photo Shutterstock.
As a general rule,
you cannot enter the fields
, much less pick flowers.
The farmer will tolerate with an attentive smile the tourist taking a photo at the end of the colorful line, but if he tries to go out into the field to soak up the sensation, he will receive a reprimand.
It is allowed to walk along the edges of the fields, but the temptation to take a selfie surrounded by tulips must be overcome, because it can spoil the plantations and transmit diseases to the flowers.
In any case, to avoid temptations
there are some gardens where it is expressly allowed to go among the flowers and cut them
to take some home.
These include Anneke's Pluktuin in Biddinghuizen and the Tulpenpluktuin van de Boerenshop tulip garden in Marknesse.
Carmen Giró / The avant-garde
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