One of the Most Magnificent Spring Festivals (The Canadian Tulip Festival) – Begins Every Year in Ottawa in the First Week of May and Lasts for Just Over Two Weeks2 photos

Every year in May, Canada’s capital is immersed in a sea of colorful tulips, which, according to a long-standing tradition, are donated by grateful Dutch people to Canada.
This tradition originated after World War II, when Canada provided refuge for the Dutch royal family fleeing the fascist regime. Queen Margrethe was born in North America, but to become the heir to the throne, she had to be born in her homeland. The Canadian government officially designated a room in an Ottawa hospital where she was born as Dutch territory.

After returning to the Netherlands in 1945, Princess Juliana of the Netherlands donated 100,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa as a gesture of gratitude for the asylum provided and in recognition of the role played by Canadian forces in liberating the Netherlands. Since then, tulips have become a symbol of international friendship and the first sign of true spring in Ottawa. The first festival took place in 1953. Today, 20,000 tulip bulbs are sent from the Netherlands every year, and now Ottawa has more tulips than any other city in the world.

During the tulip bloom period, Ottawa becomes the world’s flower capital, despite being one of the coldest capitals. Every year, over 1.5 million tourists come to see more than 5 million tulips in bloom.

The festival begins with the traditional Tulip Ball and a fashion show where models wear clothing made from tulips. The Tulip Ball is now held in a unique mirrored gazebo, and it features cabaret-style performances by famous dance groups and international cuisine along with top-quality champagne.

During the festival, visitors can take special tours to see the tulip fields in Ottawa and its suburbs. The most beautiful part of the route is called “The Loop” – a semicircle surrounded by a sea of tulips of all colors, featuring Ottawa’s most iconic buildings such as Parliament Hill, the World Tower, Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel, and the U.S. Embassy. In the parks on Parliament Hill, artisans display their works in exhibitions.As usual, a flower fleet will float down the Rideau Canal in Ottawa – a stunning sight that makes one forget that this canal is often the world’s longest ice road during the winter months. In winter, locals enjoy skating here, and a traditional ice sculpture competition is also held here.

During the festival, thousands of additional tulips added to the already vibrant colors of Ottawa’s parks and squares bring joy to its residents and visitors from around the world, as the Canadian Tulip Festival is indeed the largest tulip festival in the world.