and spring blooms
The Noordoostpolder is one of the largest tulip areas in the Netherlands. Every year in April and May, but depending on weather conditions when exactly, the colourful fields bloom again! The tulip is a special product. In this blog, we would like to tell you more about it. You will learn more about the origin of the tulip, why it is so important not to enter the tulip fields and why tulips are 'cut'. Be sure to go out in the Noordoostpolder during the annual tulip festival.
When the Noordoostpolder was drained in 1942, much of the area was set aside for agriculture. The first tulip bulbs went into the ground in the 1960s. The former sea bed proved to be fertile soil and very suitable for growing tulips. This is because the minerals in the soil are used by tulips as nutrients. Since then, many growers have established themselves in the Noordoostpolder and, with some 2,000 hectares of tulip fields, this polder has become one of the largest tulip growing areas in the Netherlands, good for almost 1 billion saleable bulbs!
The tulip is seen as something typically Dutch, but originally the tulip comes from Turkey. The word tulip comes from the Latin word Tulipa: the flower that resembles a turban. In the sixteenth century, the tulip was brought from Turkey to the Netherlands, where it quickly became very popular among the well-to-do. So popular, in fact, that there was a real tulip mania: tulips became worth more and more until eventually the market collapsed completely. The tulip trade was the first economic bubble to burst in the Netherlands...
In general, tulips bloom from mid-April to early May, but exact dates cannot be predicted. This is because the tulip is a natural product, so the flowering of tulips largely depends on the weather and, moreover, each variety can bloom at a different time.
Are you curious to know how the blooms are coming along? Then check out the Tulip Festival’s bloom meter between April and May. During the annual Tulip Festival, the bloom meter is updated daily. This way, you can see what percentage of the tulips are currently in bloom.
In spring, the polder is in bloom: a beautiful sight. Watch the tulips from a distance and do not enter the fields. By doing so, you run the risk of damaging the crops, with many consequences for the grower. Also, you are not supposed to park in the growers'/residents' yards. This is their private property and personal living space, which we should respect. Parking along the road and taking photos from the verge is of course allowed. But please be careful when crossing the road.
Would you still like to take a selfie in the tulip fields? Then be sure to visit the Tulip Experience Field in Creil during the Tulip Festival. Here, you can stroll amongst hundreds of different varieties of tulips in the show garden and take as many beautiful photos as you like. There are also three ‘selfie fields’, planted in a special pattern. When the tulips are in bloom, the most beautiful works of art emerge there.
Another must-visit is the Tulip Picking Garden in Marknesse. There, you can take the most beautiful photos and even have a picnic amongst the tulips. And don’t forget to pick your own bunch of beautiful tulips to take home with you. That way, you can continue to enjoy the memories of your visit to the tulip fields of the Noordoostpolder when you get back home.
Did you know that tulip bulbs are grown in the field for the bulb itself rather than for the flower? Once a selection has been made and the field has been inspected, the flowers are cut off: the blooms are removed. A shame, many people think. But this way, all the energy goes into the bulb and no longer into the flower. At the end of June, the bulbs are harvested, a process also known as ‘digging up’. The bulbs that are large enough are sold – for example, to growers who will use them to produce beautiful tulip flowers. If the bulb is not yet large enough, it is replanted in the autumn for a new growing cycle.
Every spring, the Noordoostpolder transforms into a colourful landscape. And the Tulip Festival takes place annually in the April-May period. The start and end dates depend on weather conditions and are therefore different every year.
When will the next edition take place? You’ll find this information first on the Tulip Festival website, but do keep an eye on the Visit Noordoostpolder calendar too. Make sure you don’t miss the next edition of the Tulip Festival and come and enjoy the beautiful tulip fields and fun activities.
Picking tulips? That's not allowed anywhere, except at the De Tulpenpluktuin in Marknesse. Pick the most beautiful tulips and turn them into a bouquet yourself. This way, you will create a beautiful and unique souvenir of your visit to the tulip fields of the Noordoostpolder.
Finished picking? Then climb the observation tower for the best view of the tulips or enjoy a cup of coffee on the terrace.
The basis of the Tulip Festival are the (free) car and bicycle routes. By following the signposted routes, you will pass the many tulip fields in the Noordoostpolder region. The car route of around one hundred kilometres is the longest continuous route in the Netherlands. The cycle route is around fifty kilometres long.
A nice addition to the car route is the Tulip Festival app, which uses video and audio clips to provide information about the area, tulip cultivation and the history of the Noordoostpolder while driving.
