25 Best Cities in Europe to Enjoy Cherry Blossoms
In spring, European cities are tinged with wonderful colors and sometimes with oriental nuances like the ones of cherry trees. Yes, you read that right. If you cannot travel to Japan (land of cherry blossoms) at the moment, you could surround yourself with cherry trees in some European cities. Some well known, others less so. I’ve always been fascinated by the beauty of these flowers that last a few days and that often make me think of the beauty you can live in a moment. Grab the beauty around you before it vanishes!
Hanami is the Japanese tradition to admire the blossoming of flowers in spring, especially the delicate cherry blossoms. It dates back to the Heian period. The term, however, refer to the cherry blossoms (sakura), symbol of the Japanese culture. The true meaning of this tradition is not observing flowers blooming passively, but rather in living the journey of these beautiful flowers coming off the trees by the spring breeze. Cherry blossoms are not only symbols of rebirth and wealth, but also of the samurai’s qualities: loyalty, honesty and courage. Hanami is also an opportunity to meet friends, planning parties, picnics and karaoke sitting under the cherry blossoms trees. It is amazing admiring a rain-scented flowers.
Enjoy this awesome haiku by the poet and painter Yosa Buson:
Falling cherry blossoms
over water in the paddy: stars,
the glow of a moonless night.
Here are 25 best cities in Europe to enjoy cherry blossoms.
FRANCE
#1. PARIS.
Paris is beautiful all year round. I love it in spring because watching the cherry blossoms with the background of the Eiffel Tower is super romantic and there is a nice breeze. If you are visiting Paris, don’t miss these places!
– The Parc du Champ de Mars, in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower;
– Notre Dame Cathedral;
– Just outside the Louvre, inside the Tuileries Gardens;
– Japanese gardens at the Jardin Albert Kahn, which is 30 minutes from Paris.
UK
#2. LONDON.
London has many parks where you can enjoy cherry blossoms trees.
– The Kew Gardens are one of the best places to see cherry blossoms trees in London. The only drawback of Kew Gardens is that the admission is £15, but it is a place of total relaxation and also meditative. The Kew Gardens have four entries. Enter the Victoria Gate. Head to the Japanese garden where you will find a wonderful white cherry tree next to the Chokushi Mon. The highlight area winds through the Rose Garden behind the Palm House, the King William’s Temple and the Temperate House.
– St. James Park. In this park trees are a bit scattered. I really liked those I found next to the pond.
– Regent’s Park. I have literally fallen in love with those in the south at the end of Avenue Gardens.
– Greenwich Park. This lovely park has a fab avenue of cherry blossoms leading up to the rose garden at Ranger’s House (at the top of the hill, not far from the Observatory). This is the most romantic park for lovers of cherry blossoms to me.
– The Meadows. There are cherry trees in blossom on Jawbone Walk in the Meadows, just a few hundred yards from the city center;
#4. SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND. Go to the North West suburbs of Sheffield, where there is a row of 1930’s built semi-detached houses and enjoy amazing cherry Kanzan trees.
#5. CHESHIRE. Visit the Japanese Garden cherry blossom trees at Tatton Park.
#6. ALEXANDRA GARDENS, CARDIFF. These gardens are rich in flowers and trees, placed between Edward VII Avenue and Museum Avenue.
#7. THE STRAY, HARROGATE. This amazing place is wonderful for a picnic in the shade of a cherry blossom. The Stray wraps around the “old town” of Harrogate.
GERMANY
#9. BONN. Here is perhaps one of the most famous street lined with cherry trees, located on Heerstraße street. Walking in this street is something you have to try.
#11. HOLZWEG, MAGDEBURG. Here, cherry blossoms canopies line the street.
#12. KIRSCHBLÜTENFEST, HAMBURG. It is a festival dedicated to Japan, another opportunity to find some cherry trees and to be with other people who share a passion for Japan. The festival begins in May and the ticket is €29. Hamburg was given hundred cherry trees in the 1960s. Fireworks and parties are organized in Japanese style.
#13. BERLIN. Marzahn-Hellersdorf is a green area in Berlin. Garten der Welt has theme gardens from the Orient, Asia and Europe.
BELGIUM
#14. HASSELT. There is a Japanese garden considered the largest Japanese garden of Western Europe, built about 20 years ago, in Hasselt. Waterfalls, a temple small streams and cherry trees. A place of peace, calm and serenity.
#15. COPENHAGEN. Sakura Festival takes place in Copenhagen around April 26 to 27. This is a great opportunity to enjoy to experience the atmosphere of Japan in a beautiful northern city like Copenhagen. If you don’t know what to do in Copenhagen check out my travel itinerary.
#16. AMSTELVEEN. Cherry Blossom Park is a real gem of oriental charm. There are many Japanese people who live Amstelveen. In 2000, the Japan Women’s Club donated 400 cherry blossom trees to the city. You can find them at Amsterdam Wood, a big park that borders Amstelveen and Amsterdam. If you are visiting Amsterdam in spring, don’t miss this park!
CURIOSITY: every tree has a name, the first 200 have a Japanese female name while the other 200 have a female name Dutch.
SWEDEN
#17. STOCKHOLM. Relax at Stockholm‘s Kungsträdgården (King’s Tree Garden), a park in the center of the city and admire beautiful cherry blossoms trees.
FINLAND
#19. ROIHUVUORI. It is a district with 2 parks: a Japanese park and a cherry park.
#20. JERTE VALLEY, EXTREMADURA. The Jerte Valley, in Extremadura, celebrates the blooming of cherry trees every year, with different events. This year’s event takes place from March 21 to May 3. There are exhibitions, medieval markets, tasting events which take place in towns in the provinces of Cáceres such as Jerte, Valdestillas, Tornavacas, El Torno, Cabrero.
HUNGARY
#22. KAPOSVAR. Kaposvar is very nice in spring. There are not only cherry blossoms trees but also magnolia trees.
ITALY
#24. ROME. Why don’t you visit Rome in spring? If you go to the Parco Lago dell’EUR you can enjoy the blossoming of Sakura, the Japanese cherry. Photo courtesy repubblica.it.
#25. PRAGUE. Petrin Park is in bloom with thousands of cherry blossoms in spring.
This is my top 25 of the best cities in Europe to admire cherry blossoms.
Do you love cherry blossoms trees just like me? Have you ever seen them? If yes, where? 🙂
Nice article, Many places I would love to visit… 😀
In France I think the best place is in Sceaux, a few kilometers south of Paris (20min from Notre Dame Cathedral), in the Domain of Sceaux, a huge french garden (open every day for free).
Here, the 150 cherry trees bloom in mid-April 😉
Hi Guillame!
Thank you so much for this precious tip, I will put it on my bucket list 😉
will there still be cherry blossoms in Italy end of March?
Yes Mia! Usually cherry blossoms start blooming at the end of March and you can find cherry blossoms trees in Rome at Parco del Lago dell’Eur!
Will I be able to see the cherry blossoms in June in Berlin? 🙁 I’m visiting Germany for a month. So I dint want to miss the opportunity.
Hi Gowri!
Cherry blossoms trees are in March and April, not in June! You can find beautiful cherry blossom trees where the Berlin Wall once stood. Other places in Berlin are near Lichterfelde Süd station and Bornholmer Straße station. Check them out! 🙂
Cheers,
Maria
King Georges park in Wandsworth, London is another gem of a place when the trees bloom in unison
Thanks a lot for your advice Angela 🙂 Hope to go back to London as soon as possible to see cherry blossoms this time 😉
Around what month do the cherry blossoms bloom in Paris? Informative post btw. Pinned it 🙂
Thanks for sharing! Cherry blossoms start blooming around the last two weeks of March and also in the middle of April! This is the best time to plan your journey 🙂
Ohhhh now I love Hamburg more than before <3 I didn't now there was such a festival there. I have to go there soon!
Yes Merve! I love festivals in spring… You can really breathe the essence of spring! Hamburg is so lovely <3
What a lovely post, very interesting to know the origin of the cherry blossom. I had a huge cherry blossom tree in my garden in the house I grew up in when I lived in North East England, just south of Newcastle. I wish i had a photo of it in bloom so I could add it to this post, it makes me miss my home town when I think of it.
Never thought to look out for them in Spain, I wonder if they have any around Malaga??
Hi Anna! Thanks for your comment. I’m in love with cherry blossoms trees and I do think that if you can admire one of it right in your garden you are super lucky! You can always go back to your city in spring and take a photo of it. You can find cherry blossoms in Alfarnate, Malaga. You will miss less your country 🙂
I’m pretty sure we have cherry blossoms in Greece, but they’re usually in the countryside in orchards, so not exactly on public display!
This year I took advantage of the fact that I live in the US and travelled to Washington to see the cherry blossoms!! will blog about them soon! Here’s a glimpse: https://instagram.com/p/1b-80Lgl-F/?taken-by=designedbyann
That’s amazing Anna! I’m in love with Greece. I always go back there to explore hidden places, but I’ve never visited it in spring. This is something I want to try as soon as possible! Your cherry blossoms shot is fab! Looking forward to your post 😉
CooL list Maria! I have seen them in London, Paris, Netherlands, Bonn and Madrid. Also, as I lived in Zagreb for 10 years, I used to look forward to them every spring! In Zagreb, they are everywhere! They used to make me happy cause seeing them meant one thing: the winter is over! I miss them here in the south of Spain, I am fed up of orange and palm trees. haha
Have a nice day!
Aren’t cherry blossoms fascinating Katinha? I visited Zagreb, but not in spring. It would be fab to see its cherry blossoms trees! I think it is not bad if you are fed up of orange and palm trees now. Here I am fed up of many many oranges, I can share them with you lol 😉 Have a great weekend!