Public Republic

This is the theme this year for the International flower exhibition of Keukenhof in Lisse, the Netherlands.

Germany, Nation of Poets and Philosophers, Photo: Keukenhof

The 62nd edition of the world famous international flower exhibition of Keukenhof was officially opened by Mrs. Bettina Wulff, spouse of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Accompanied by her husband Mr. Christian Wulff and the Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander as well as a series of dignitaries she baptized a newly bred, beautiful colored tulip, named after her.

Christian Wulff, Bettina Wulff and Prince Willem-Alexander, Photo: Keukenhof

Bettina Wulff tulip, Photo: Keukenhof

Around seven million flowering bulbs have been planted during the past months and as spring breaks these will provide the traditional colorful splendor of the international flowering bulb exhibition.

For several years now Keukenhof has chosen to feature a different theme country each season. This year’s theme for Keukenhof is “Germany, Nation of Poets and Philosophers”.

Fotos: D. Berndt

Germany is the second most important export market for flowering bulbs and the country which supplies most of Keukenhof’s foreign visitors. In 2010 around 135,000 visitors from Germany passed through the gates of Keukenhof, approximately 17% of the total number of visitors.

The park, Photos: D. Berndt

The Keukenhof flower exhibition will be open until May 20th.

The Van Gogh Museum and Keukenhof are celebrating spring together. During the Easter holiday a splendid flower mosaic of Van Gogh’s Self-portrait with Felt Hat was arranged at Keukenhof, Molenplein.

Van Gogh mosaic, Photo: D. Berndt

Last year approx. 78% of the guests came from outer Holland. The number of visitors from China and India exploded and those from Russia and other Eastern European countries are constantly growing.

The park, Photos: D. Berndt

The highlight in this theme year is the Holland-Germany Experience, an exhibition in the Juliana Pavilion in which the many aspects of German-Dutch solidarity will be expressed.

Juliana Pavillion, Photo: D. Berndt

The most popular draw at this year’s Keukenhof is sure to be the flower bulb mosaic of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin incorporating more than 100,000 bulbs.

Brandenburg Gate, Photo: D. Berndt

The final bulbs for this were planted back in October by the German ambassador in the Netherlands, Heinz-Peter Behr. Parallel to this event in Keukenhof, the Dutch ambassador in Germany, Marnix Krop, planted the first of a total of 55,000 flowering bulbs at the Pariser Platz near to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin itself.

Brandenburg Gate, Photo: Keukenhof

Entrance

In 2011 the most beautiful spring garden in the world will be open from March 24th up until may 20th, including all Sundays and public holidays.

Keukenhof is open from 8.00 a.m. to 19.30 p.m. daily (ticket office closes at 18.00 p.m.).

www.keukenhof.nl

The park, Photos: D. Berndt

History

Where Keukenhof is situated now, was a hunting area in the 15th century. Herbs for the kitchen of the castle of Jacoba van Beieren were also collected here; hence the name Keukenhof.

The current park was a section of the sizeable estate of Slot Teylingen, with beautiful untamed bushes and dunes. After the decease of Jacoba van Beieren Keukenhof fell into the hands of rich merchant families. Baron and Baroness Van Pallandt invited landscape architects J.D. and L.P. Zocher, designers of the Amsterdam Vondelpark, to make a design for the garden around the castle. This design, in the English landscape style, has always been the basis of Keukenhof.

At the moment the estate belongs to a Foundation. On the initiative of the Lisse mayor of that time and a number of leading flower bulb growers and exporters, an open air flower exhibition was organised here for the first time in 1949.