Tweet27-04-2011 om 12:00 by Amanda Potter

Spring time means tulip time and while the Maastricht Region is beautiful in the spring, you’ll have to travel north to get a real taste of the Dutch tulip fields. This year we did so in order to show off the famous tulip fields and the Keukenhof to my parents who were visiting for a week from the United States.



The best way to reach the Keukenhof from the Maastricht region is to take a train to Leiden (or Den Haag) where you can catch a bus the rest of the way to the garden. The train ride costs about 46 euros round trip and a combo Keukenhof/Bus ticket is approximately 21 euros. It’s a long trip, about 3 hours one way plus the bus, so we chose to spend the night in Haarlem (a bit further north), but you can make a day of it if you like. The gardens are lovely and popular, especially since you can only visit for a limited time each year. The fields of blooming flowers are also impressive and colorful. This year the tulips were nearly all open outside in the flower beds last week, so if you want to visit, do it soon. The Keukenhof is best if you can catch the peak of the season.



If you want to explore the fields themselves, biking is an excellent way to do so. You can usually take your own bike on the train for an additional 12 euros/bike (don’t try this during rush hour), but you can also rent a bike when you get there. Leiden has all the usual bike shops or you can rent a bicycle at the Keukenhof entrance. Some people wander the gardens and bike on the same day, but honestly my feet and legs had given out after a day in the garden, so we haven’t tried biking the fields yet.

Of course tulips aren’t everything. Maastricht’s green spaces are particularly beautiful this time of year and the fine weather we’ve been having is perfect for walks or bike rides in green spaces. Try taking the bike paths or a walk in the woods to enjoy my favorite season in the Netherlands. Or if you don’t want to self-propel, try a river cruise on the Meuse and see the beautiful fields and landscape of the region. Enjoy the sun!

Leave a reply