Tour of the tulips!
Ever since deciding to move to the Netherlands, I have been looking forward to seeing the famed tulip fields! And after two years of being here, we finally made it happen! :)
The best time to view the tulips is from mid-April to early May. Due to the restrictions, we weren’t able to venture out earlier. But luckily, we caught them just in time before they disappeared until next year! Most of the tulip fields are in the northern part of the country, near Den Haag (The Hague), Rotterdam, and Leiden. Of course, it wasn’t possible to visit them all, but we did manage to find a few fields with tulips.
Tulips have become almost synonymous with the Netherlands. When you think of Holland, you surely think of these flowers! Did you know that their love affair goes back centuries?
Fun fact: Tulips are not originally Dutch flowers! They were brought to the Netherlands from Central Asia around the 16th century.
Finding an odd colored flower in the sea of colors was adorable! Look at the red ones!
The Dutch found such a penchant for the flower, that in the 17th century, they were also used as currency!
The intensely saturated color of its petals was hugely attractive to society. During this period, tulips became the fourth largest exported product of the country!
The wealthy took a liking to the bulbs, and they were traded as highly valuable commodities.
This lead to the infamous ‘Tulip Mania’, where the exotic bulbs were promised at high prices to buyers.
Close-up of the gorgeous tulips!
Tulips grow well in the Netherlands as they thrive in the weather and humidity conditions. Tulips require a temperate climate.
Driving around the area, one can spot the tulip fields from the roads! It is quite incredible to look over and find a sea of red or yellow tulips swaying in the breeze.
Did you know there are rules that one has to stick to while visiting the fields?
You cannot pick the flowers. This is a no-brainer! Not only is it incredibly juvenile, it is also not worth it to destroy such beauties just for a picture!
You cannot walk into the fields. There are paths along the flower beds that you can walk on, but only till a short distance.
You cannot trample the flowers. As our shoes or clothes may contain pathogens or dirt that may damage the flowers, one should keep a distance, and take care to not step on the precious bulbs!
Hope you enjoyed this virtual tour of the tulip fields! Already looking forward to visiting them again next year!
