This past weekend marked the opening of the Keukenhof Tulip Gardens in the Netherlands, the first time the festival has been open to the public since the Covid-19 pandemic.
The park was closed in 2020 and 2021, providing virtual tours instead. On 24 March, Keukenhof was finally able to welcome visitors for the first weekend of the 2022 season.
"We are so happy that we can welcome visitors again," the festival's director Bart Siemerink said in a statement on Keukenhof's website.
"We were not allowed to open for two years, even though the park looked beautiful. Over the past year, millions of people have enjoyed videos of our blooming park. But admiring the flowers in person is something no video can compete with as you will miss the smells and the atmosphere in the park."
Keukenhof is one of the largest flower parks in the world, with more than seven million flowers blooming each year. In addition to the renowned Dutch tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and lilies are among the other flowers featured.
The gardens at Keukenhof feature a variety of flowers. Photo by Maddie Densmore / The Brussels Times.
Tulipmania
Tulips have long held cultural significance for the Netherlands and Holland in particular. The flowers were originally cultivated in Persia and were regarded as a symbol of the Ottoman Empire. In the sixteenth century, global trade routes increased and tulip bulbs were introduced into Europe via the Netherlands.
Their popularity grew throughout the century, especially in the Dutch Republic, and prices skyrocketed. Demand for bulbs grew into a frenzy, creating a speculative economic bubble known as 'tulipmania'.
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The tulip craze reached its height during the 1630s, with prices rising 20 times higher from the winter of 1636 to 1637. Bulb prices then plummeted once the bubble eventually burst.
Particularly sought after were "flaming" tulips, flowers with unique designs on the petals that created a flame-like effect. It has since been discovered that these patterns occur due to a "tulip-breaking virus", which breaks the petal into two or more colours. Tulips continued to remain popular in the region after the craze died down.
Flowers at Keukenhof planted in the shape of a tulip. Photo by Maddie Densmore / The Brussels Times.
2022 season
The festival's 2022 season runs from 24 March to 15 May. While various types of flowers will be in bloom all season long, Keukenhof states that the most ideal time to see the tulips in bloom is mid to late April. More information about the festival and how to buy tickets can be found here.
