This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
The Japanese have marked the arrival of cherry blossoms — known as sakura — for centuries, holding festivals across the country to celebrate the brief annual appearance of the pink flowers. In the US, cherry blossom hunters flock to Washington DC to see the delicate pink blooms during a four-week festival, but there are several options closer to home where you can catch the fleeting flush of colour in early spring. Here are the best places to see cherry blossom in Europe.
1. Stockholm, Sweden
Celebrate the appearance of cherry blossoms in Stockholm by planning your visit in time for the city’s annual Cherry Blossom Day, held on 28 April this year. Martial art displays, Japanese culture workshops and hands-on activities are held under the sea of pink flowers that cover 15th-century Kungsträdgården (The King’s Garden) between the harbour and main shopping district. The cherry trees were a present to Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf from Japan in 1998 and now bloom along both sides of a sunken pool with ornamental fountains and steps for people watching over ice cream.
The Swedish capital celebrates the annual Cherry Blossom Day each spring with Japanese culture workshops, hands-on activities and martial arts displays.
Photograph by Maria Swärd, Getty Images
2. Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Forget tulips — it’s all about the cherry blossom in Amsterdam between mid-March and early April. Amsterdam Forest, located a 40-minute cycle south from the city centre in the suburb of Amstelveen, is locally known as Kersenbloesempark (or Cherry Blossom Park). The park has 400 sakura trees, which were donated by the Japanese Women’s Club in 2000 — each tree has been given a Japanese or Dutch female name. Just be aware that picnics under the pale pink petals are only allowed on weekdays. An even more convenient option is the city’s Westerpark, which is within walking distance of the centre and loved by locals for its flat bike paths, coffee shops and grassy lawns shaded by the fragrant cherry blossom trees.
3. Bonn, Germany
Pastel-pink cherry blossom trees were first planted in Germany’s former capital, Bonn, in 1980 as part of an urban redevelopment programme. Now they usually bloom in the first two weeks of April, briefly turning the cobbled lanes of the Nordstadt neighbourhood into tunnels of vivid pink. The best streets to visit are Breite Strasse and Heerstrasse, which is nicknamed Cherry Blossom Avenue for its candyfloss-coloured canopy. Both are within walking distance of Bonn Hauptbahnhof station, less than an hour’s train ride from Cologne-Bonn Airport.
Heerstrasse in Bonn, Germany is nicknamed Cherry Blossom Avenue for its candyfloss-coloured canopy.
Photograph by Andre Distel, Getty Images
4. Paris, France
Paris in the spring is always a good idea but visit in late March or early April and you’ll catch pops of pink petals all over the city. Nowhere has quite the same wow factor as the Trocadero Gardens in the 16th arrondissement, where the Eiffel Tower looms over the clouds of pink below for the ultimate Parisienne photo op. Stop at a fromagerie on the way for cheese and appropriately coloured rosé wine, then grab a picnic spot on the grass beneath the trees.
5. Jerte Valley, Spain
A three-hour drive west of Madrid, the Jerte Valley is renowned for its sweet, stalkless Picota cherries, which have been cultivated here since the 17th century and are protected by a Denomination of Origin status. Two million trees cover the picturesque mountain slopes and burst into snow-white flowers each year around late March when the region’s 11 villages mark the occasion with a festival. Although the white petals only last two weeks, festivities continue during the cherry harvest between May and August, when visitors can help pick fruit with local farmers, join tastings and even pop by the local Cherry Museum.
Two million Picota cherry trees cover the slopes of the Jerte Valley west of Madrid, Spain.
Photograph by Gonzalo Azumendi, Getty Im
6. Edinburgh, UK
Edinburgh blooms a little later than the rest of the UK so head to Scotland between mid-April to late-May to catch the city turn blush pink. A five-minute walk south from the historic Old Town, the 18th-century Meadows Park is the best place to start for its cherry tree-lined paths, vast expanse of grass, large children’s play area and cafe with views of Arthur’s Seat. See if you can spot the plaque on one tree planted in 2022 in honour of local heroes, the Bay City Rollers. Afterwards, pop into Princes Street Gardens in the city centre, where a burst of pink sakura frames medieval Edinburgh Castle in the distance.
7. Copenhagen, Denmark
The Danes take their cherry blossom seriously and herald its arrival with the annual two-day Sakura Festival, scheduled for 20 and 21 April in 2024. It’s held in the waterfront Langelinie Park, home of the famous Little Mermaid statue and just a 10-minute cycle from the city centre. Around 200 powder-pink cherry blossom trees donated by the Japanese Honorary Consul of Denmark line the path to the Gefion Fountain, visible even by boat if you opt for a city canal tour. The festival itself is free to enter and showcases Japanese culture with tea ceremonies, workshops on haiku and origami and stalls selling sushi, mochi and sakura-themed treats.
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