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Hortus Bulborum Limmen | daily at 2 pm (March 21 to May 10, 2026)

  • myrthe541
  • Apr 14
  • 2 min read

Keukenhof sold out?

Or perhaps you simply don't feel like walking between tourist buses and queues of people?

We understand.


Just ten minutes from Uitgeest lies a place where you can also stroll amidst flowers – completely stress-free. The Hortus Bulborum in Limmen isn't a show garden like the Keukenhof. And that's precisely what makes it so appealing.


Here, you don't stroll past perfectly manicured fields, but through a peaceful garden full of historic flower bulbs. Varieties that have existed for centuries and that are now rarely seen anywhere else.


It feels less forced. Less pressure. Just a nice walk.

You can join a guided tour daily at 2 p.m. And then it suddenly stops being just "looking at flowers" and becomes a story.


How this landscape came to be. Why flower bulbs grow here in particular. And why this natural spectacle can only be experienced during these few weeks of the year.


Because flower bulbs are stubborn.


They need the cold to bloom. No winter = no bloom. And once they get started, everything happens at once… and then it's all over again.


Why here of all places?

This region lies directly on top of old beach ridges: light, sandy soil with good drainage.


And that's ideal for flower bulbs.


Not too wet, not too heavy – just right so that it can grow underground without rotting.


What you see above ground is actually only a small part of the story. The real work takes place underground.


Practical information

Location: Limmen (± 10 minutes from Uitgeest)

Tour start: daily at 2:00 PM

Period: March 21 to May 10, 2026

Admission: €5.50 per person

Guided tour: €15 including admission

Children up to and including 12 years of age: free


Please note: less suitable for wheelchair users and limited catering options are available.

This isn't a day trip like to Keukenhof. But that's precisely why it's ideal for a weekend getaway.


Just a quick trip outside. A breath of fresh air. Doing something nice without having to spend half a day planning it.


Just one more thing (and they are really beautiful)

  1. During the famine winter, people actually ate flower bulbs. Not because they tasted good – but because there was nothing else. At least they could be used for survival.

  2. Some of the tulips growing here have existed since the 17th century. So what you see now is what people saw hundreds of years ago.

  3. Flower bulbs store energy for an entire year, but release it again within just a few weeks. In short: it all happens at once, and then it's gone again.

  4. If you dig them up and store them incorrectly, they simply stop growing. So they really do have a will of their own.

  5. And this one is perhaps the most beautiful of all: The flowers you see were actually "prepared" last year. What is blooming now already began last season.


This event is part of the local events calendar of Uitgeest. The full events calendar can be found at https://www.boutiquestay.nl/uitagenda .


Final verdict

Not as opulent as the Keukenhof. But perhaps that's precisely why it's so entertaining.

Quiet, nearby, and simply a good alternative if you don't feel like crowds.

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