Het Loo Palace Gardens

This beautiful seventeenth century palace was built for William and Mary of Orange, joint monarchs of England through the turn of the eighteenth century, and it is now a state museum whose ‘lost gardens’ were restored for its tri-centennial celebration in 1984. The baroque ‘Great Garden’, directly behind the palace, is beautifully laid out with formal geometric beds, raised walks and elegant fountains according to the original symmetrical design created by Claude Desgotz.

Het Loo Palace and Gardens, Apeldoorn, Netherlands by Je at uwo

As a nephew of André Le Nôtre, the creator of the Baroque formula, Desgotz was uniquely placed to design such a garden and the result is often labeled the ‘Versailles of Holland’, although with more enthusiasm than accuracy as this garden is far more conservative than the extraordinarily elaborate design at Versailles. On the other hand, the fountains here, especially in the upper and lower gardens, originally designed to be the public gardens, are said to supercede those at that famous palace in both number and beauty. William and Mary each had their own private garden, one each side of the palace, and the overall planting is designed to be viewed as a seasonal display of the individual plant species rather than just flowers en masse.

Keukenhof Gardens

The Keukenhof Gardens, known as ‘The Garden of Europe’, are the world’s largest flower gardens; over 32 hectares of spring flowers dazzle the eye, as some seven million tulips, hyacinths and daffodils all compete to create a brightly hued carpet of flowers as far as one can see in all directions! Justly famous for their springtime displays, Keukenhof also has more than 30 different flower shows throughout the year to showcase the various floral delights available, and their seven amazing individual gardens house over 100 works of art.

Keukenhof Gardens, Lisse, Netherlands by Tiago Fioreze

Originally a section of the fifteenth century estate of Slot Teylingen, Keukenhof contained the herb gardens of the castle of Jacoba van Beieren, hence the name. On her death, the estate passed to rich merchants Baron and Baroness Van Pallandt, who asked landscape architects JD & LP Zocher to provide a garden design in the English Landscape style, and this became the basis of the present gardens. Now owned by a Foundation, the first flower show was organised in 1949 and was so popular it became an annual event, then one of several a year and Keukenhof hasn’t looked back since, quickly becoming renowned for its wonderful displays, events and activities, all centred around every gorgeous flower known to the gardeners of the world.

Discover more in Holland

The Netherlands are famous for their tulip farms, but if you take this tour you’ll discover that tulips are far from the only flowers the Dutch have on show in the spring. Admire the beautiful surroundings, relax and ‘take time to smell the flowers’ – and don’t forget your camera!

Travel 55 have years of experience working with tour operators such as Shearings Tours that over great Coach Tour Holidays visiting destinations across Europe and the UK.

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