The Most Beautiful Spring Garden In The World: Holland's Keukenhof

The world's second largest flower garden and arguably one of the world's most spectacular gardens, Keukenhof Gardens is located in the picturesque town of Lisse in the Netherlands (just an hour by train from Amsterdam).

Keukenhof Gardens, known as the Garden of Europe, showcases seven million blooming bulbs on its grounds, all of which are hand-planted, including rare species of tulips, an impressive collection of orchids, vibrant daffodils, more than 2,700 trees, and a spring garden covering 32 hectares (that’s roughly 79 acres for us Americans). Keunkenhof contains large indoor exhibition pavilions named after the Dutch royals, a traditional 19th century Dutch windmill, a lake with stepping stones, and an electric boat ride (45 minutes) past the adjacent bulb fields. The park also contains many outdoor artwork sculptures, and even a petting zoo for children. Also located nearby is the Keukenof Castle, a Dutch manor built in the 17th century.

Despite the Keukenof Gardens being open only for 2 months between late March to late May each year, the attraction draws up to 800,000 visitors. Peak bloom is around mid-April, but this can vary somewhat with the weather. Every year, Keukenhof creates a completely new look according to a central theme. This year, the park will pay tribute to Dutch artist Van Gogh with their curated, hand-planted floral designs and a Selfie Garden (inspired by the "selfies" Van Gogh painted).