In the afternoon of Wednesday 23 March, Mrs Bettina Wulff will open the Keukenhof International Flower Exhibition in Lisse, accompanied by her husband Christian Wulff, President of the Federal Republic of Germany. His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange is intending to attend the ceremony.
Lisse. Around seven million flowering bulbs have been planted during the past months and as spring breaks, these will provide the traditional colourful splendour of the international flowering bulb exhibition.
In the period from 24 March to 20 May, a colourful tribute will be paid to Germany, our most important export market for flowering bulbs and the home of the largest number of foreign visitors to Keukenhof. In 2010 around 800,000 visitors passed through the gates of Keukenhof, Germany: Land of Poets and Philosophers is the theme for Keukenhof 2011. Highlights this year are the exhibition Holland – Germany, the Inspirational Gardens with a German twist, the flowering bulb mosaic of the Brandenburg Gate and a special theme route.
Keukenhof was originally the herb garden (“keuken” means kitchen in Dutch) of the Countess of Holland, Jacoba van Beyeren (1401-1436). In 1840, the horticultural architects Zocher, a father and son, designed the park that forms the basis of the current Keukenhof. They also designed the noted Vondelpark in Amsterdam.
Keukenhof will be opening its gates to the public for the 62nd time on Thursday 24 March 2011. When the gates close eight weeks later, once again many guests from all over the world will have visited Keukenhof, making Keukenhof a significant contributor to the success of the tourist industry in the Netherlands and this region in particular.
The official opening of Keukenhof will take place on 23 March. The park will be open to the public from Thursday 24 March to Friday 20 May 2011.