ANTWERP | Rubens House launches tulip season with garden festival

Spring is coming into bloom in the garden of the Rubens House or Rubenshuis in Antwerp, where the first rare historical tulips are now on display. These distinctive varieties flower in succession and can only be seen during April and May. 

The start of the season will be marked with a festive Garden Day on Saturday 4 April 2026, accompanied by a wide range of outdoor activities.

First tulips in bloom

Alongside stately crown imperials, speckled snake’s head fritillaries, vivid red anemones and white spring snowflakes, the first unique tulips have begun to flower. Here, quality rather than quantity takes centre stage, as the different tulip varieties bloom one after another throughout April and May. 

Visitors can expect a changing display, ranging from elegant white, bright yellow and orange-red tulips to rare flamed and striped varieties. These historic flowers bear evocative names such as Tulipa ‘Black and White’, ‘Absalon’, ‘Bacchus’, ‘Bronze Charm’, ‘Little Princes’ and ‘Rubens Broken’.

According to Alderman for Culture Lien Van de Kelder (Vooruit), flowers bring joy and vitality to the city. She noted that the rare historical tulips and early bloomers once again transform the garden into a sensory oasis of colour, scent and wonder. In the heart of Antwerp, the site offers visitors a chance to step into a living piece of heritage that comes back to life each spring.

A season of outdoor activities

The Rubens House garden is set to host a full programme of events throughout the season. The official opening on Saturday 4 April will feature lectures, performances, guided walks and creative workshops. Visitors will also be able to explore the fascinating history of Antwerp’s tulip trade.

Garden curator Klara Alen will present new archival research on Antwerp’s tulip bulb club, a group that operated a lucrative trade in bulbs just 200 metres from Rubens’ front door. Among those involved were Rubens’ beer supplier, his brother-in-law and several collectors of his work. Whether the artist himself took part in the tulip trade remains unclear.

Alen explains that tulips are by far the most frequently mentioned flower in archival records of Antwerp’s urban gardens during Rubens’ time. Recent research conducted for the garden has revealed, for the first time, evidence of a local ‘tulip mania’ in Antwerp. As in the Northern Netherlands, speculative trading in tulip bulbs was widespread in the city during the 1630s.

From April onwards, additional activities will take place every weekend, including garden yoga sessions, introductory guided tours, lectures, botanical drawing workshops and herbal walks. On Easter Monday, 6 April, a playful Easter egg hunt will be organised for visitors of all ages.

Practical information

The garden is open daily, except on Wednesdays, and requires an admission ticket. Entry costs €8, while visitors under 18 and holders of an A-card with a reduced tariff can enter free of charge. Activity prices vary. Further details can be found on the Rubens House website. The tulips will be in bloom in rotation throughout April and May.

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