Keukenhof, Lisse, The Netherlands *****

Keukenhof ("Kitchen garden", Dutch pronunciation: [ˈkøːkənˌhɔf]), also known as the Garden of Europe, is situated near Lisse, Netherlands, and is the world's largest flower garden. According to the official website for the Keukenhof Park, approximately 7,000,000 (seven million) flower bulbs are planted annually in the park.^[1]

Keukenhof is located in South Holland in the small town of Lisse, south of Haarlem and southwest of Amsterdam. It is accessible by bus from the train stations of Haarlem, Leiden and Schiphol. It is located in an area called the "Dune and Bulb Region" (Duin- en Bollenstreek).

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 Netherlands export industry (it is the world's largest exporter of flowers). Keukenhof has been the world's largest flower garden for over fifty years.

Keukenhof is open annually from the last week in March to mid-May. The best time to view the tulips is around mid-April, depending on the weather. In 2010 Keukenhof will be open from March 18 to May 16.

Source: Wikipedia

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