The Bollenstreek is a region in the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 consisting of areas in North and South Holland that feature the cultivation of flower bulbs. The colourful flower fields that have come to symbolise Holland can be seen in these areas around April.

South Holland

• The Duin- en Bollenstreek
  Duin- en Bollenstreek
  The Duin- en Bollenstreek is a region in South Holland, The Netherlands, that features coastal dunes and the cultivation of flower bulbs. Situated at the heart of historical Holland between Leiden and Haarlem, the combination of beaches, flower fields, lakes and history makes this area attractive...
  
  (Dune and Bulb Region) extends from Leiden to Haarlem
  Haarlem
  Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
  
   in southern North Holland
  North Holland
  North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:...
  
  . This area, which includes Keukenhof
  Keukenhof
  Keukenhof , also known as the Garden of Europe, is situated near Lisse, Netherlands, and is the world's largest flower garden...
  
  , is the best known flower region.

• There are a few flower fields in the area south of Leiden (Wassenaar
  Wassenaar
  Wassenaar is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. A fairly affluent suburb of The Hague, Wassenaar lies 10 km north of that city on the N44 highway near the North Sea coast. It is part of the Haaglanden region...
  
   and Voorschoten
  Voorschoten
  Voorschoten is a village and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a smaller town in the Randstad, enclosed by the cities of Leiden and The Hague. The municipality covers an area of 11.59 km²...
  
  )

• There are a few flower fields on the South Holland islands of Voorne-Putten
  Voorne-Putten
  thumb|225px|right|Satellite image of the [[Rhine]]-[[Meuse river|Meuse]] [[river delta|delta]], showing the island of Voorne-Putten Voorne-Putten is an island between the North Sea, the Brielse meer and the rivers Oude Maas, Spui and Haringvliet in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands...
  
   and Goeree-Overflakkee
  Goeree-Overflakkee
  Goeree-Overflakkee is the southernmost delta island of the province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is separated from Voorne-Putten and Hoeksche Waard by the Haringvliet, from the mainland of North Brabant by the Volkerak, and from Schouwen-Duiveland by Lake Grevelingen.From west to east, it...
  
  . These fields are found in the sandy clay ground behind the dunes.

North Holland

• The "Kennemerland
  Kennemerland
  Kennemerland is a region in the Netherlands, near the coast in the province of North Holland. In includes the sand dunes north of the North Sea Canal, as well as the dunes of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park.-History:...
  
   Bulb Region" in North Holland
  North Holland
  North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:...
  
   extends roughly from the Haarlem
  Haarlem
  Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
  
   area (including villages to the south and west of Haarlem
  Haarlem
  Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
  
  ) to Petten
  Petten
  Petten is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Zijpe, and lies about 15 km northwest of Alkmaar, on the North Sea. The population is ca. 1900....
  
   (northwest of Alkmaar
  Alkmaar
  Alkmaar is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of Noord Holland. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination.-History:...
  
  ). Wealthy merchants from Haarlem
  Haarlem
  Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
  
   and Amsterdam
  Amsterdam
  Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
  
   introduced the cultivation of flower bulbs on a small scale basis in the sandy soil located close to the dunes in the 16th century. After the Tulip Mania
  Tulip mania
  Tulip mania or tulipomania was a period in the Dutch Golden Age during which contract prices for bulbs of the recently introduced tulip reached extraordinarily high levels and then suddenly collapsed...
  
   crash of 1637, floriculture
  Floriculture
  Floriculture, or flower farming, is a discipline of horticulture concerned with the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry, comprising the floral industry...
  
   strongly declined. Unlike in the Duin- en Bollenstreek
  Duin- en Bollenstreek
  The Duin- en Bollenstreek is a region in South Holland, The Netherlands, that features coastal dunes and the cultivation of flower bulbs. Situated at the heart of historical Holland between Leiden and Haarlem, the combination of beaches, flower fields, lakes and history makes this area attractive...
  
   to the south, the Kennemerland Bulb Region was not -- despite the broad dune area south of Castricum
  Castricum
  Castricum is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.Castricum is a tourist attraction in the province North Holland...
  
   -- extensively cultivated for this purpose. In the 19th century the area had been earmarked for preservation of the Amsterdam water supply (Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen) and as a location for the national steel company (Koninklijke Hoogovens
  Koninklijke Hoogovens
  Koninklijke Hoogovens was a Dutch steel producer founded in 1918. In 1999, the company merged with British Steel to create Corus Group steel company. In 2007, Corus Group was purchased by India-based Tata Steel.- History :On April 19, 1917, H.J.E...
  
  ).

• The "Northern Bulb Region" is the area around Breezand in the north of North Holland
  North Holland
  North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:...
  
  . This area also did not develop as extensively as the Duin- en Bollenstreek
  Duin- en Bollenstreek
  The Duin- en Bollenstreek is a region in South Holland, The Netherlands, that features coastal dunes and the cultivation of flower bulbs. Situated at the heart of historical Holland between Leiden and Haarlem, the combination of beaches, flower fields, lakes and history makes this area attractive...
  
   to the south. The soil was not as ideal and some of the bulb farmers left to work in the more developed area in the south.

Towns and villages

Towns and villages in the various parts of the Bulb Region:

• Aerdenhout
  Aerdenhout
  Aerdenhout is a small town in the municipality of Bloemendaal, the Netherlands. Located in the dunes between Haarlem and the Netherlands's popular beach town Zandvoort, it ranks as the wealthiest town in the Netherlands...
  
  
• Avenhorn
  Avenhorn
  Avenhorn is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Koggenland, and lies about 9 km west of Hoorn.In 1979, the former municipality of Avenhorn merged into the new municipality of Wester-Koggenland....
  
  
• Bennebroek
  Bennebroek
  Bennebroek is a town and former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland, now part of Bloemendaal municipality. Before its merger, it was the smallest municipality in the Netherlands, covering an area of only 1.75 km².-History:...
  
  
• Bergen
• Beverwijk
  Beverwijk
  Beverwijk is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The town is located about northwest of Amsterdam in the Randstad metropolitan area, north of the North Sea Canal very close to the North Sea coast...
  
  
• Bloemendaal
  Bloemendaal
  Bloemendaal is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. According to the Dutch Central Statistical Bureau, Bloemendaal is the wealthiest place in the Netherlands.-Population centres :...
  
  
• Breezand
• Castricum
  Castricum
  Castricum is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.Castricum is a tourist attraction in the province North Holland...
  
  
• De Engel
• De Goorn
  De Goorn
  De Goorn is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Wester-Koggenland, and lies about 9 km west of Hoorn.In 2001, the town of De Goorn had 7256 inhabitants...
  
  
• De Kaag
  Kaag
  De Kaag is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Kaag en Braassem, and lies about 8 km northeast of Leiden.De Kaag lies on an island, Kagereiland, in a lake system called the Kaag Lakes...
  
  
• De Zilk
• Egmond
  Egmond
  Egmond is a former municipality in the north-western Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. In 2001, it was merged with the municipalities of Schoorl and Bergen to form the municipality of Bergen. The three main villages in the former municipality are Egmond aan den Hoef, Egmond aan Zee...
  
  
• Groet
  Groet
  Groet is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, and lies about 11 km northwest of Alkmaar.Groet was a separate municipality between 1817 and 1834, when it was merged with Schoorl....
  
  
• Heemstede
  Heemstede
  Heemstede is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.-History :Heemstede formed around the Castle Heemstede that was built on the Spaarne River around 1286. Before 1296, Floris V, Count of Holland, granted Heemstede as a fiefdom to Reinier of Holy...
  
  
• Heemskerk
  Heemskerk
  Heemskerk is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.-Local government:The municipal council of Heemskerk consists of 25 seats, which are divided as follows:* PvdA - 5 seats* CDA - 5 seats* VVD - 5 seats...
  
  
• Haarlem
  Haarlem
  Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
  
  
• Hillegom
  Hillegom
  Hillegom is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 13.48 km² of which 0.61 km² is water....
  
  
• Julianadorp
  Julianadorp
  Julianadorp is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Den Helder, and lies about 6 km south of Den Helder.It was formed in 1909, and named after Princess Juliana who was born that same year....
  
  
• Katwijk
  Katwijk
  Katwijk is a coastal municipality and town in the province of South Holland in the western Netherlands. It has a population of 61,292.-Location:...
  
  
• Keukenhof
  Keukenhof
  Keukenhof , also known as the Garden of Europe, is situated near Lisse, Netherlands, and is the world's largest flower garden...
  
  
• Langevelderslag
• Lisse
  Lisse
  Lisse is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 16.11 km² of which 0.41 km² is water. Its population is 21864...
  
  
• Lisserbroek
  Lisserbroek
  Lisserbroek is an unincorporated village town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, and lies about 10 km southwest of Hoofddorp. It is located along the Ringvaart opposite the town of Lisse in the area called the "Dune and Bulb Region"...
  
  
• Noordwijk
  Noordwijk
  Noordwijk is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 51.53 km² and had a population of 24,707 in May 2006....
  
  
• Noordwijkerhout
  Noordwijkerhout
  Noordwijkerhout is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 23.40 km² and had a population of 15,121 in May 2006...
  
  
• Obdam
  Obdam
  Obdam is a former municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia. The municipality ceased to exist on 1 January 2007 when it merged with Wester-Koggenland to form the new municipality of Koggenland....
  
  
• Oegstgeest
  Oegstgeest
  Oegstgeest is a town and municipality in the province of South Holland in the western Netherlands. Its population was 22,576 in 2008.-Location :...
  
  
• Overveen
  Overveen
  Overveen is an affluent town in North Holland in the Netherlands, in the municipality of Bloemendaal.Overveen lies on the eastern fringe of the North Sea dunes...
  
  
• Piet Gijsenbrug
• Ruigenhoek
• Schermerhorn
• Sassenheim
  Sassenheim
  Sassenheim is a town and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland.The former municipality covered an area of 6.62 km² and had a population of 14,906 in 2005...
  
  
• Schoorl
  Schoorl
  Schoorl is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, and lies about 8 km northwest of Alkmaar. Until 2001, Schoorl was also a municipality of its own....
  
  
• Spierdijk
  Spierdijk
  Spierdijk is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Koggenland, and lies about 8 km east of Heerhugowaard.In 2001, the town of Spierdijk had 554 inhabitants...
  
  
• Teylingen
  Teylingen
  Teylingen is a municipality in the province of South Holland, the Netherlands. It was created on January 1, 2006, through the amalgamation of Sassenheim, Voorhout, and Warmond...
  
  
• Uitgeest
  Uitgeest
  Uitgeest is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.-Population centres :The municipality of Uitgeest consists of the following cities, towns, villages and/or districts: Assum, Busch en Dam, Groot Dorregeest, Uitgeest....
  
  
• Ursem
  Ursem
  Ursem is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Koggenland, and lies about east of Alkmaar and north of Amsterdam and west from Hoorn....
  
  
• Velsen
  Velsen
  Velsen is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is located on both sides of the North Sea Canal.On the north side of the North Sea Canal, in IJmuiden, there is a major steel plant, Corus Strip Products IJmuiden, formerly known as Koninklijke Hoogovens...
  
  
• Velserbroek
  Velserbroek
  Velserbroek is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Velsen.The statistical area "Velserbroek", which also can include the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 16220....
  
  
• Vogelenzang
  Vogelenzang
  Vogelenzang is a village in the municipality of Bloemendaal, North Holland, Netherlands. The village has a population of 2,260 . The name "Vogelenzang" is Dutch for "bird song".-Attractions:...
  
  
• Voorhout
  Voorhout
  thumb|250px|right|Location of Voorhout.Voorhout is a town and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The former municipality covered an area of 12.59 km² of which 0.33 km² is covered by water, and had a population of 14,792 in 2004...
  
  
• Voorschoten
  Voorschoten
  Voorschoten is a village and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a smaller town in the Randstad, enclosed by the cities of Leiden and The Hague. The municipality covers an area of 11.59 km²...
  
  
• Warmond
  Warmond
  Warmond is a village and former municipality in the western Netherlands, north of Leiden in the province of South Holland. The municipality covered an area of 14.42 km² of which 4.42 km² is water, and had a population of 4,977 in 2004. Together with Sassenheim and Voorhout, it became...
  
  
• Wassenaar
  Wassenaar
  Wassenaar is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. A fairly affluent suburb of The Hague, Wassenaar lies 10 km north of that city on the N44 highway near the North Sea coast. It is part of the Haaglanden region...
  
  
• Wijk aan Zee
  Wijk aan Zee
  Wijk aan Zee is a small town on the coast of the North Sea in the municipality of Beverwijk in the province of North Holland of the Netherlands. The prestigious Tata Steel chess tournament formerly Corus chess tournament and before that called Hoogovens tournament takes place there every year.Due...
  
  
• IJmuiden
• Zandvoort
  Zandvoort
  Zandvoort is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.Zandvoort is one of the major beach resorts of the Netherlands; it has a long sandy beach, bordered by coastal dunes...