Keukenhof Holland - Lisse

The history of Keukenhof estate and castle goes back quite a while: namely to the 15th century. Countess Jacoba van Beieren (1401-1436) collected fruit and vegetables from the Keukenduyn area to prepare them in the kitchen of Teylingen Castle. She also used the estate as a hunting ground.

In 1857, landscape architects Jan David Zocher and his son Louis Paul Zocher were hired by the noble Steengracht van Oostcapellen family to redesign the gardens of the castle, which had been built in the meantime. It became a design in English landscape style, which still forms the basis of Keukenhof today.

After the war (1949), a group of leading flower bulb growers and exporters came up with the idea of organising a flower bulb exhibition on the estate. No sooner said than done, the first exhibition was realised in 1950. It was the beginning of Keukenhof as we know it today.

Since 2016, the castle and the flower exhibition have merged as one attraction. It has since become one of the busiest attractions in the Netherlands for both Dutch and international tourists.

The flower show can be visited from late March to mid-May. Check the website for the latest information. The castle's park can be admired all year round.