Spouse of German Federal President Opens 62nd Keukenhof Flower Exhibition

LISSE, The Netherlands, March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mrs Bettina Wulff, spouse of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, has officially opened the 62nd edition of the world famous international flower exhibition of Keukenhof in the Netherlands. Accompanied by her husband, Mr Christian Wulff, and the Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander as well as a series of dignitaries, she baptized a newly bred, beautiful coloured tulip, named after her.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20110323/444985 )

This year's theme for Keukenhof is 'Germany, Nation of Philosophers and Poets'. Among others, a huge mosaic of the Brandenburger Tor in Berlin, incorporating tens of thousands of flower bulbs, and the 'Dutch-German 1-1 Experience' emphasize this theme. In the Experience, visitors are led through a spectacularly expressiveworld of similarities and differences. They will celebrate the victories of the greatest Dutch and German athletes, become part of football lunacy and pretend to be goalkeepers against national football heroes. Guests will even have the opportunity to take a seat on a throne and become immortalized.

25,000 tulips planted near the real Brandenburger Tor will be in full bloom when Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and the Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima arrive in Berlin for an official state visit in September.

Blooming park

The Board of Directors viewed with a certain satisfaction the atmosphere of Keukenhof at the moment. "The park is splendid, almost all the lawns are coloured green, and a great many bulbs are already blooming," Mr Jansen said. He emphasized the importance of Germany - for the Dutch economy in general and for Keukenhof specifically. "Germany is more than just a stable and successful economy. It is a country of enormous cultural and scientific richness as well. Our choice for Germany as this year's theme exemplifies in particular the bonds of friendship between our nations."

The Keukenhof flower exhibition opens its doors tomorrow and will be open until May 20th. During this period some 800,000 people will pass the cash points, most of them from abroad. Last year approx. 78 percent of the guests came from outside Holland. The number of visitors from China and India exploded, and those from Russia and other Eastern European countries are constantly growing.

http://www.keukenhof.nl