Skip to content Skip to menu Skip to search
Your official guide for visiting the Netherlands.
You are looking at
in
Bulb field with hyacinths and daffodils
© Cornelie van Vliet
Category:South Holland

The Flower Bulb Region

Wedged between the bustling cities in the Randstad is a unique landscape: the Flower Bulb Region. It boasts big fields filled with colorful flowers. Discover this region by bicycle, hike past the fields, take the most beautiful flower photos, and find a table on a terrace in one of the attractive villages.

  • Enjoy the colorful flower-bulb fields, from bright red to soft pink and fresh yellow.
  • Visit great villages, the flower parade, and the Keukenhof.
  • Walk through the dunes along the coast.
The Bollenstreek or flower-bulb region is the most famous (but not the only) region to see the world-famous Dutch flowers with your own eyes. Every spring, the flowering tulip fields make for stunning views. Driving through the flower-bulb region, you will frequently encounter flower stalls with bulbs and fresh flowers along the road.
  • © Cornelie van Vliet
  • Bulb field with hyacinths and daffodils
    © Cornelie van Vliet
  • © Cornelie van Vliet
  • © Cornelie van Vliet
  • © Cornelie van Vliet

Emergence of flower-bulb cultivation

Dunes were being dug out in this area as early as the 16th century, using the sand to expand cities and build railway tracks. The remaining soil, the geestgronden, proved eminently suitable for cultivating tulips, narcisses, and hyacinths. The gentle maritime climate also favored flower-bulb growing, which became very popular in the 19th century. Today, you can also admire vast and colorful flower fields in other areas, such as Flevoland and North-Holland.

Flower parade

The annual flower parade is the biggest flower related event in the Flower Bulb Region. Dozens of motorized floats follow a route from Noordwijk to Haarlem. The floats are made up with thousands of flowers to represent the most wonderful creations. After arriving in Haarlem they can be admired on Grote Market square for one day so you can admire them at leisure.

Beautiful spots in the Bollenstreek

At the northern edge of the flower-bulb region is Haarlem, also the destination of the flower parade. You will find typical flower-bulb villages like Sassenheim, Hillegom, Lisse and Noordwijkerhout in this area. Visit Museum De Zwarte Tulp in Lisse and learn all there is to know about flower-bulb cultivation. Walk or cycle through the picturesque region and the vast dune areas along the coast. Noordwijk and Katwijk are attractive seaside towns and Leiden is well worth a visit, too.

Tip: There is another flower parade in August, the Flower Parade Rijnsburg. This colorful parade starts in Rijnsburg and passes through Katwijk on its way to Noordwijk aan Zee.

Did you find this interesting? Discover more

South Holland Unique provinces Destinations

Flowers

Dive into the story of Dutch flowers, meet growers and florists, and discover the best insider tips.

Go to Flowers