Denise

Will be in Amsterdam May 27 thru June 2 and noticed that the gardens are "open" until May 20th...is that jus the end of the tulips or are the gardens then closed period?<BR><BR>Thanks!

Myriam

<BR>Denise,<BR>The gardens are closed from May 21st until somewhere in the fall. Too bad!

Danna

Denise... the Floridae (spelling unknown) exhibit should still be happening during your visit... it's a once a decade garden and flower event, about 10k from Schiphol Airport. Have a grand time!

kh

Denise: Change your plans, go earlier. Keukenhof Palace is a planted, organized garden. It is amazing (I am going back again this spring with friends). However, the bulb fields throughout The Netherlands will be in bloom all summer and you will see plenty just driving about. Anyone thinking of being near Amsterdam on Saturday, Apri 20, should try to take in the Bluemen Corso ( a parade with wildly decorated cars - flowers galore).

John Bermont

You won't see tulips in the summer. Shortly after the flowers bloom in early spring they are cut and discarded. This lets the bulbs prosper and multiply. The bulbs are dug up in the summer, then cleaned and dried in preparation for sale or replanting. If you are in Holland in the summer the fields will be brown earth - no flowers. My page www.enjoy-europe.com/cds/holland.htm has elementary information for visitors to The Netherlands. One of the biggest street parties in the world takes place in Amsterdam on April 30, Queen's Day. And on the last Saturday of April is the annual flower parade from Lisse to Haarlem; the floats are left in Haarlem through Sunday evening, providing another opportunity to meet the Dutch relaxing.

kh

John is correct about the tulips being gone (they are beheaded and the flowers are fed to dairy cattle whose favorite color is red) but there are plenty of other bulbs in bloom - hyacinths are the best as they are sooooo fragrant.<BR>Have fun! Gardens at Keukenhof re-open mid-March (2 months is all you've got!).

Dawn

Denise,<BR>I agree with KH! If at all possible, try to rearrange your plans. Easier said than done but the gardens are not to be missed. We were there the first week of May and it was spectacular. You can even rent bicycles where the train drops you off in Lisse and bike the bulbfields. It was one of the best days of my vacation.<BR>Don't expect to find tulips in amersterdam. For such a beautiful city on the canals, the city was devoid of flowers (except of course the markets and the auctions).<BR>

trynig

Just a note, even if you get to the K after the beheading of the tulips, it is still an interesting park. Unfortunately, when we arrived in May 2 years ago, nothing was left of the tulips, but the stems. There is a lot of other things to see, though.

Dianna

We'll be in Amsterdam May 29 and plan on seeing Floriade 2002 then. It is 10 km from Schiporol Airport, between Hoofddorp & Haarlem. Visit www.goholland.com.