The world's biggest tulip garden opened to the public on Thursday for its 75th edition, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to enjoy a bewildering array of seven million bulbs in the western Dutch city of Lisse.

Keukenhof park, southwest of Amsterdam in the heart of "bulb country", contains millions of tulips of every colour as well as other flowers across 32 hectares (80 acres).

The park is a popular tourist attraction -- 1.4 million visited last year -- that claims to be one of the most photographed spots in the world.

"This is my first time here and I'm so excited to witness the 75th anniversary," said Rocelle Braewer, 41.

She had bought a flowing pink dress embroidered with flowers specifically for the occasion.

Nisha Kasiliya-Ravindran, a 37-year-old from Chennai in India, said she was "a bit disappointed" because many of the tulips have yet to flower completely.

"We are hoping to go to the bulb fields outside as well to hopefully see some tulips," she told AFP.

Keukenhof dates back to 1949 when a group of bulb exporters and growers inaugurated it as a showcase for their wares.

As well as tourists from more than 100 countries, it has proved a draw for royalty, with kings and queens from several European nations attending the gala opening down the years.

The park is open this year until May 12.