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A photographer gained exclusive access to the world's most beautiful garden even though it's closed

A photographer gained exclusive access to the world's most beautiful garden even though it's closed

Talia Lakritz

Keukenhof flower gardens.Courtesy of Albert Dros

Keukenhof park in the Netherlands hosts a world-famous tulip festival every spring, but is closed due to social distancing.
Landscape photographer Albert Dros gained access to Keukenhof to photograph the empty park in bloom.
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Dutch landscape photographer Albert Dros had only been to Keukenhof's world-famous flower gardens once before. He preferred to photograph flowers in less crowded settings, working with local farmers on the Dutch countryside.

When Keukenhof closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Dros received special permission to visit the gardens and photograph the empty fields of flowers in bloom.

Here are 15 photos that show what Keukenhof looks like without its hundreds of thousands of visitors.

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"Now that the park is closed this year, I hope to show the beauty of our flower garden to the people sitting at home," he said.

Lanes of colorful tulips. Courtesy of Albert Dros

"Sometimes people can get depressed, and with these colourful images I hope to show a little bit of color on a grey day," he said.

He hopes that his photos bring the joy of the Keukenhof gardens to everyone in need of a pick-me-up.

Tulips in the shape of a tulip. Courtesy of Albert Dros

Many people had to cancel their travel plans for seeing the flowers in person due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He also noticed the park's attention to detail in paths and flower layouts in a new way.

Paths snake through the gardens. Courtesy of Albert Dros

"You don't really notice that when there are dozens of people walking around everywhere. You don't see the structure," he said. "Being there alone really showed me those details."

Drone photos usually aren't allowed in the crowded park, but Dros took advantage of the empty fields to capture some aerial shots.

A drone photo of the park. Courtesy of Albert Dros

"Obviously, you can't fly a drone there when you're in the park with other people," he said. "But being there alone allowed me to take some drone shots to show the structure of some of the planting of the tulips."

Dros told Insider walking around the empty park was "surreal."

Hyacinths at Keukenhof. Courtesy of Albert Dros

"It was a beautiful sunny day and I was occasionally just stopping without taking any photos and just enjoying the silence," he said. "Taking it all in, hearing the birds sing, and the fountain of water. All the little things, it was just so relaxing."

"It's just beautiful as a whole, but it's also the little details," he said. "The paths, the swirls of flowers, the swans around the fountain. The whole thing is just magical."

Bridges across the river that runs through the park. Courtesy of Albert Dros

People used to enter the park through the Lake Garden. That historic entryway still stands, but is no longer used.

He ate lunch in Keukenhof's Lake Garden, one of his favorite spots.

The Lake Garden at Keukenhof. Courtesy of Albert Dros

Without crowds of tourists, the lakefront was quiet and still.

Keukenhof's cherry blossoms were also in bloom.

Cherry blossoms in bloom. Courtesy of Albert Dros

Hyacinths and cherry blossoms usually bloom earlier in the season.

He visited the park's famous "blue river" of grape hyacinths.

Grape hyacinths at Keukenhof. Courtesy of Albert Dros

Keukenhof staff pin the hyacinths' flower clusters up with sticks to prevent them from drooping.

He stopped by the characteristic Keukenhof windmill surrounded by tulips.

The windmill at Keukenhof. Courtesy of Albert Dros

The windmill's observation deck is usually packed with tourists.

Keukenhof gave him permission to visit the empty park and photograph its perfectly curated flower gardens.

The flower hill at Keukenhof. Courtesy of Albert Dros

Keukenhof is also offering virtual tours of the park in bloom.

Dros has always wanted to photograph the Keukenhof flower gardens without the thousands of tourists that visit each year — a task that would have been impossible before the coronavirus pandemic.

Walkways lined with flowers at Keukenhof. Courtesy of Albert Dros

Keukenhof's world-famous tulip festival usually attracts visitors from around the world, but the park is closed for the season.

"I've enjoyed flowers ever since I was a little kid," he said. "I used to be in the garden with my grandma and always loved gardening. Now I just love colors. You can see it in the style of my photography. It's very colorful in general."

Flowers at Keukenhof. Courtesy of Albert Dros

The beautiful colors aren't the only perk of photographing flowers — their fragrant smell also adds to the experience.

"I just can't get enough of it," he said.

He particularly enjoys taking pictures of Dutch flower fields.

Flower fields. Courtesy of Albert Dros

He works with local farmers to arrange photo shoots in their fields.