The bulb fields of the Bollenstreek in bloom

What it is

The Bollenstreek, the bulb district, lies behind the dunes between Haarlem and Leiden. Its sandy soil drains well, and Dutch growers have raised bulbs here for about four hundred years. The fields flower in a sequence: crocus and daffodil first, then hyacinth, whose scent carries across the road, and tulips last, usually from mid April into early May. These are working farms, and the crop is the bulb, not the flower. Growers cut the heads off after a few weeks so the plant feeds its bulb, which is why a field can be bright one day and green the next.

Before you go

• Stay on the road or the field edge. Walking between rows spreads disease and damages the crop.
• Go on a weekday morning. Weekend roads around Lisse are slow in April.
• The season shifts with the weather by a week or two, so check a local bloom report before fixing dates.

The flowers you will see

TulipSpring-blooming bulbs with showy, cup-shaped flowers in many coloursGarden hyacinthA spring bulb with dense, fragrant flower clusters in many coloursNarcissusSpring-flowering bulbs with trumpet-shaped blooms in white, yellow, and orangeCrocusSmall corm-grown flowers in white, yellow, orange or purple

More in Lisse

🇳🇱 Lisse · Mar to MayKeukenhof in tulip seasonA woodland park in Lisse planted each autumn with millions of bulbs and open for about eight weeks in spring. 🇳🇱 Lisse · Apr to MayCycling the bulb fields from Lisse to the dunesA flat day's ride on marked cycle paths through flowering bulb fields between Lisse, Hillegom and Noordwijk. 🇳🇱 Amsterdam · All yearThe floating Bloemenmarkt on the SingelA row of flower stalls built on barges along Amsterdam's Singel canal, selling bulbs, seeds and cut tulips. 🇳🇱 Aalsmeer · All yearWatching the Aalsmeer flower auction at dawnThe world's largest flower auction, seen from a gallery above a hall of moving carts near Schiphol airport.