It’s my favourite time of the year; when the trees and plants awake from their winter slumber and celebrate this with a riot of colours, the family of green frogs in my pond pop their heads out of the water, and everything looks so incredibly fresh. I love spring! One of the things I most look forward to in the spring are the tulips. These gorgeous flowers have their origins in Turkey but nowadays, the tulips in Holland are famous the world over.

The tulip fields in North Holland

In Holland, when it’s spring, there’s one thing you absolutely have to do: go on a walk or drive around the tulips fields. There are various areas where you can do this. My favourites are around the town of Lisse (southwest of Amsterdam, where the famous Keukenhof gardens are located) and the ‘Kop van Noord Holland‘ (North Holland tulip fields), a region north of Amsterdam. I love driving around this region to admire the tulip fields – compared to the Lisse area, it’s more expansive and less touristy. It’s easy to find them – simply follow a route connecting the towns of Callantsoog, Schagen, Abbekerk and Medemblik (map). The endless fields of tulips are truly a sight to behold.

The tulip fields of North Holland are an amazing sight – they just blow me away every time I see them, from the ground and from the air. When you’re in Holland in the spring (mid- to late-April is the best time), you HAVE to check out the tulips! The Kop van Noord Holland region is less than an hour’s drive north of Amsterdam. Follow the A9 highway to Alkmaar, then follow either the N9 or N245 roads to see the fields. Many of the tulip fields can be found along the Callantsoog–Schagen-Medemblik axis between the N9 and N240 roads.

Tulip Highway

The stretch of the A7 highway between Purmerend and Middenmeer (map) is often called the Tulip Highway!  If you have time, this route can be done as part of the larger Markermeer route.

Please refrain from touching, plucking or trampling on the flowers!

Tulip Train

During the spring months, you can also hop aboard the historic steam train from Hoorn to Medemblik to see the tulip fields of North Holland.