Holland at Tulip Time

"God made heaven and earth," the saying goes, "but men made Holland." With more than a quarter of its landmass below sea level, Holland’s diked, drained and “reclaimed” polderlands never fail to impress as one of the most unusual human-influenced landscapes on Earth.

Though the Netherlands is one of the world’s most densely populated countries, the Dutch pride themselves on being at the vanguard of the environmental revolution of the past 25 years. And even more important, they have figured out a way to make money while being green by exporting their innovative environmental technologies around the globe.

Our Holland at Tulip Time photo tour concentrates largely on the northwestern provinces of Noord and Zuid Holland (North and South Holland) from which the Netherlands get their “Holland” moniker. Colorful commercial tulip fields and a world famous tulip garden are an important part of our photography. First, we visit the spectacular 80-acre Keukenhof garden park—the world’s largest spring bulb garden—where seven million exuberant tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and other bulbs are planted in a tailored woodland setting. The Keukenhof garden is literally a trade show for Holland’s major bulb producers. The newest hybrids are presented here en masse, and a remarkable glass-enclosed pavilion offers thousands of tulips and other flowers in perfect light and near-windless conditions for photography.

The commercial tulip fields of Noord Holland are next on our agenda, along with the picturesque hamlet and working windmills of Zaanse Schans. The density of tulip and hyacinth fields in this area is the highest in Holland. Field after field of vivid color gives us much to do.

We photograph one of the best-known examples of the typical Dutch landscape—the windmills of Kinderdijk. Images of this unique windmill landscape are featured in virtually every photo book of Holland. And, in 1997, the 19 Kinderdijk mills were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For our final stop, we travel to northern Belgium to the “Venice of the North,” the delightful medieval city of Bruges. One of the most visually-stunning cities in Europe, the historical center of Bruges was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Here, as we walk the egg-shaped maze of cobblestoned streets, follow the winding canals, and explore the town squares, we find ourselves in a photogenic world of colorful brick and stone—brilliant in the spring sunlight. We climb the winding staircase of the belfry of Bruges, a medieval bell tower, to capture panoramic images of red brick facades, steep Flemish rooflines, and the market square below.

Each evening, just at dusk, the landmark buildings along the canals are illuminated to create an exquisite palette for photography—medieval gables and spires, and gracefully-arching stone bridges are reflected in a warm golden glow during the magical hours of transition.

Travel with us to where the North Sea meets the land—and the present and past await our cameras. In Holland, vibrant springtime flower bulb gardens and fields of unimaginable hues stretch to the horizon. Iconic windmills pierce the softly-lit sky and reflect in the calm waters of the polderlands. Bruges, in Belgium, is a timeless world where architectural imagery abounds throughout the day and into the luminous night.