Not in Japan? 10 Surprising cities in Europe to enjoy the cherry blossom season

Not in Japan? 10 Surprising cities in Europe you can enjoy the cherry blossoms too

Sarah Khan

21 Mar 2018

updated the Wednesday, March 21, 2018

1/10
London, UK
Where to catch the cherry blossoms: London is certainly not short of parks where you can enjoy the cherry blossoms - take your pick from the Kew Gardens (our top choice), Kensington Gardens, Regent's Park, St. James Park and Greenwich Park.
2/10
Paris, France
Where to catch the cherry blossoms: Catch the cherry blossoms in full bloom along the streets, close to famous landmarks like Notre Dame Cathedral, Parc du Champ de Mars, and in the Tuileries Gardens just outside the Louvre.
3/10
Bonn, Germany
Where to catch the cherry blossoms: Enjoy a springtime walk along the famous Heerstraße Street, which are lined with breathtaking cherry trees in full bloom this time of year. You can also catch the cherry blossoms elsewhere in Germany like Marzahn-Hellersdorf in Berlin and the Kirschbutenfest festival in Hamburg, among others.
4/10
Edinburgh, Scotland
Where to catch the cherry blossoms: Stroll along Jawbone Walk in the The Meadows located close to the city centre!
5/10
Copenhagen, Denmark
Where to catch the cherry blossoms: Copenhagen's Sakura Festival takes place typically towards the end of April - so mark your calendars to experience a taste of hanami in the city!
6/10
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Where to catch the cherry blossoms: Amsterdam Wood, a huge park nestled between the Dutch cities of Amsterdam and Amstelveen, is the perfect spot to enjoy a spot of oriental cherry blossom blooming. The city has a sizable Japanese population and in 2000, the Japan Women's Club donated a whooping 400 cherry blossoms to the city.
7/10
Rome, Italy
Where to catch the cherry blossoms: Go to the Parco Lago dell’EUR you can enjoy the blossoming of Sakura, the Japanese cherry.
8/10
Extremadura, Spain
Where to catch the cherry blossoms: Every year, between mid-March to early May, Jerte Valley in Extremadura comes alive with the blooming of cherry trees. To celebration the occasion, exhibitions, tasting events and markets crop up across the various provinces within Cáceres like Jerte, Valdestillas, El Torno and more.
9/10
Prague, Czech Republic
Where to catch the cherry blossoms: Thought you couldn't have a taste of Sakura in Czech Republic? You thought wrong - each year, Prague's Petrin Park blooms with thousands of cherry blossoms during springtime.
10/10
Szeged, Hungary
Where to catch the cherry blossoms: Besides Budapest, you can also enjoy the "Cherry Blossom" Festival in Szeged, Hungary's third largest city, typically happening mid-April each year.

Spring season is officially upon us – here are 10 cities in Europe to view the blooming cherry blossoms!

It’s that officially beautiful time of the year again: where parts of the world are fortunate enough to bear witness to the ridiculously beautiful bloom of cherry blossoms.

In fact, Japan welcomed its first blossoms just yesterday, marking the beginning of the next two weeks where the rest of the country will erupt in a breathtaking riot of pink and white hues.

Think ‘cherry blossom’ and chances are, only Japan comes to mind. And we can’t blame you; the cherry blossoms are emblematic of Japanese culture, after all. They even have a word for it: ‘hanami’ – which translates to the tradition of admiring the blossoming of flowers (in particular the cherry blossom) during spring.

If you’re not Japan-bound however, fret not. From Paris to Prague, check out 10 surprising cities in Europe you can enjoy the cherry blossoms too!

Sarah Khan

Photos: Getty Images

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