Around 400 tulip bulbs and two shrubs have been reported stolen at the Tulip Festival in the Swiss city of Morges. It's assumed that the theft was conducted by professionals.

Theft of the tulip bulbs in Morges

The tulips were stolen in mid-March, with the thieves targeting the onion-shaped bulbs on display at the festival. Interestingly, the offence was then repeated the following weekend, when the thieves took two shrubs that were planted at the entrance of Parc de I’Indépendece.

Speaking to Blick, Véronique Hermanjat, the tourism delegate for the Morges region, claimed that the theft was performed by professionals. She explained that the displays were not ransacked and instead, the tulip bulbs were carefully removed. The perpetrators went as far as leaving behind the rotten ones, insinuating they were aware of what tulips to remove.

Why steal tulip bulbs?

The loss of the tulips most likely has little to do with their monetary amount, as unlike in the past, their market value is not high. However, they are still sold at the end of the season to help finance the festival, but as only eight to ten bags were missing, little financial damage has been done to the event. If the entire collection had been stolen, it would have cost the festival 40.000 Swiss francs.

Hermanjat said she believed that the reason for the theft was symbolic as the stolen bulbs resemble “two black holes” in the eyes of the public. The organisers of the Tulip Festival have indicated that a stricter police presence has been implemented to better patrol the area, in the hope that these thefts do not become commonplace.

Tulip Festival in Morges

Morges is a beautiful small city situated on Lake Geneva, and is coined “the flower of Lake Geneva” as it hosts a yearly tulip festival. More than a hundred thousand tulips with over 300 varieties can be found on display from early April until mid-May in the Parc de I’Indépendece.

Aside from the vibrant tulips, the park provides breathtaking views of the lake and the Alps. There are also shows, concerts, classes, workshops and egg hunts throughout the festival for visitors to enjoy.