One of the most popular themes for a river cruise around the waterways of the Netherlands and Belgium is a voyage focused on the famous tulip fields and gardens. This region is particularly famous for its tulips, and it’s not strange to see street vendors selling bulbs in the city centres rather than your more typical wares.
Tulips were first introduced to the low lying nations in the late 16th century, so they’ve been popular now for a few hundred years. They originated in Turkey, and it was believed the first bubs were sent by Ogier de Busbecq to Vienna, where they were then distributed to Antwerp and Amsterdam.
The flower was found to be able to tolerate the conditions of the winter in the region, and the fact that no such striking and colour flower existed in the area at the time helped to make it so widespread. However it was also a luxury item, thanks to the Golden Age of the country, with trade prices skyrocketing.
As the world entered the middle of the 17th century, tulips became the fourth leading export of Holland, only behind gin, herring and cheese. This whole period is famously referred to as ‘tulip mania’, as many people became rich simply from importing and exporting the bulbs.
Following this period, prices did start to falter, but because of this exciting time the tulip has lived on as a symbol of the low countries, with the tulip celebrated not only in the Netherlands but also in various states of the US, home to people with Dutch heritage.
So there you have it. Next time you take a river cruise through the beautiful lands of the Netherlands and Belgium, and you see the tulip fields in all of their glory, or the landscaped gardens which include the famed flower, you’ll know a bit of the history, including just how important it is to the region.
By Ian Lewis
Google
