Hillegom Travel Guide

Through the seasons blossom for example:
Crocusses (white, yellow, purple)
Narcissus (yellow, white, orange)
Hyacinths (purple, blue, pink, white)
and of course most famous
Tulips (red, orange, yellow, white and many other colours)

Only on the bike you will enjoy the flowerfilds maximal. The speed offers you a nice range to explore and the being outdoors will give you the opportunity to become one with nature. In March, April and May various flowers blossom and thus various smells will be there during your bikingtour. The hyacinth is definately the most sweet and explicit smell.

Most of the flowers are destroyed. "WHAT!!!" I hear some say and I also find it a pitty. But it's not so much about the flowers as it is for the bulbs that the fields are there. A part is sold at the farmhouses in the flowerfield-district. Against low prices, that can be imagined. After visiting the flowerfields we retrurned home with many bouquets of early tulips and some hyacinths.
Another use of the flowers is in the enormous flowerparade that is held in April (changing dates, so check the internet). This parade ends in Haarlem, where the dressed up wagons can be admired for an extra day.

Here's a little treat to those who dare to make a long bikingtour through the flowerbulbarea. Do it in April and May and you will be asured of colourful fields and lovely smells surrounding you on the tour.
For those who come from Amsterdam, take the train to Haarlem and switch to a stoptrain in the direction of Leiden. Get out in Hillegom and rent a bike (this might be better done in Amsterdam already as there it will be cheaper, though the rental shops are almost always open). Taking bikes on the train is quite normal in The Netherlands, just order an extra biketicket.
In Hillegom you start your round and can choose between the "Bollenstreek-route" from the ANWB) or the "Floriade 2002-route"
Also possible is just to start biking to Lisse and Noordwijkerhout, to return through the dunes and keep directions of De Zilk. Reckno with around 50 to 60 kilometres and you will have a spectacular day.