After a long, grey, glooming winter, spring has finally arrived. The sun comes peeping out from behind the clouds every now and then, temperatures are rising and barbecue season is upon us. Hurray! For many of us spring is also the ideal season to plan a little bit of time away from home, long before most tourist destinations get overflowed with troupes and troupes of people. And long before the summer heat and dryness make that so many places get too unbearably hot to get anything done. But deciding on where you actually go can be quite the challenge.
Depending on where you choose to go to, spring can have any faces. In the North, temperatures tend to still be quite chilly – perfect if you’re not a fan of heat at all and you want to make that winter last even longer. In the South, however, you could already be able to swim in the sea with a little luck. Yet somewhere in between lies the perfect land of flowers and pastel colors, the land where during a few weeks the landscape gets painted white, pink and yellow. Because after all, spring is the perfect time to spot some flowers in the wild. But where to go to? We selected 5 destinations which are perfect if you want to immerge yourself in a flowery explosion of colors.
1. Keukenhof, Netherlands
If you’re planning to go to the Netherlands or if you’re actually living there, a stop at Keukenhof is the perfect spring activity. Chances are, you’re already acquainted with this place and even if you’re not, you’ve probably seen pictures come by of the natural wonder that is this place. Well, natural may be a bit of a stretch as the close to 7 million tulip bulbs on the domain get planted here every year by a whole dedicated team of gardeners, making it one of the most famous tourist attractions in the Netherlands.
Open from March 23 until May 14 2023
2. Hallerbos, Belgium
Even though Belgium isn’t necessarily known for its never-ending nature (there are just a bit too many houses and people there), there are some exceptions to that rule. And the Hallerbos is definitely one of them. Every year, the forest gets transformed into a sea of blue by millions of bluebells that pop up on the forest floor, creating the impression you’re living in a magical fairytale. The many walking routes make it very easy to discover this blue landscape but beware, don’t stray away from the path as the bluebells can’t stand to be stepped on as they will then disappear.
The forest is open year-round but keep an eye on the website to know when the bluebells will be in bloom.
3. Obidos, Portugal
When you’re thinking of Portugal, Lisbon and Porto tend to be the first destinations that come to mind and that’s okay. Yet when in Lisbon, one shouldn’t hesitate to make a day trip to Obidos, a small town not that far from the capital. Apart from the ancient houses and castle, the village also asks for a detour because of its spring blossoms. The local liquor ginja is made of cherries, the blossoms of which are at their best during April. In the village center or in the surrounding country, you’ll be surrounded by pink flowers everywhere you look.
4. Tuscany, Italy
Are you more of a fan of brightly colored florals? Then you might want to travel to Tuscany in Italy as soon as possible, or at least around the end of April or the beginning of May. The usually oh-so-green rolling hills of the region get turned into a sea of red thanks to an overwhelming amount of poppies. Even though, when looking from up close, you’ll notice other wildflowers too, the poppies are definitely the most obvious ones and probably one of the most delicate. Other bonus: during spring, temperatures in the region are on the more moderate side, making it perfect for a bicycle ride amongst the poppies.
5. Tatra Mountains, Poland
Even though we don’t necessarily tend to associate snowy mountains with an overload of flowers, the Tatra Mountains in Poland prove otherwise. Once the harshness of winter has gone, the meadows get transformed by the thousands of crocuses popping out of the grass. Because of the vastness of the mountains, many crocus-clad places are hard to reach but the Chochołowska Valley is located only 60 kilometers from Krakow. Still a long road to go, but one that may well be worth it if you’re in the country somewhere at the end of March or the beginning of April. However, don’t step on the flowers and don’t pluck them either as they’re protected by law.
