Keukenhof is a garden of about thirty-two hectares, and for around eight weeks in spring it holds several million flower bulbs in bloom, which makes it the biggest show of its kind in the world. The name means kitchen garden, and it is old: the land was once part of the hunting grounds and herb gardens of Countess Jacoba of Bavaria in the fifteenth century, supplying her castle with produce. In the nineteenth century a landscape architect designed the park around the manor house in an English style, and in 1949 the bulb growers of the region came together to turn it into a permanent showcase for their trade. They have kept it going ever since.
The gardens are laid out among old trees, ponds and winding paths, with huge beds of tulips in blocks of colour, hyacinths with a heavy sweet scent that reaches you across the lawns, and pavilions with flower arrangements inside. The season runs from about mid-March to mid-May, and the timing of the peak depends on the weather. A warm spring brings it early. The park is open only for that short period, and tickets are sold in advance, so check the dates before you ride out.
Getting there is a matter of timing and patience. The roads near Lisse get crowded with buses and cars, queues form on the approach, and the car parks fill by mid-morning on a good day. Motorcycles usually have a separate parking area, which is a small mercy. Aim for the opening hour on a weekday, or the late afternoon when the crowds thin. The surrounding fields are just as beautiful as the garden, and free, so do not skip the ride around them.
There is fuel in Lisse, about a kilometre away, and a café and snack stalls inside the park itself. Dress for a changeable climate: April can be sunny and bright, or windy and cold with a shower. A thin waterproof is better than nothing. Allow at least half a day, wear shoes you can walk in, and bring a little patience for the people who stop dead on the path to photograph a single tulip.