Yesterday was the first official day of spring (even though it may not look like it outside), so we’ve picked five of our top favourite places to see the spring flowers.
From the famous gardens at Kew, to tulip fields near Amsterdam, a cherry blossom festival in Copenhagen and an ancient bluebell wood in Wiltshire, here are our top picks.
1. Kew Gardens, London
London’s Kew Gardens are among the biggest gardens in the country, covering 326 acres and containing over 300,000 different varieties of plants and flowers. Spring time here is one of the largest displays of colour in the country, with over five million bulbs flowering over the season. If the weather is bringing you down, then these colourful carpets of snowdrops, daffodils, crocuses and cherry blossoms are sure to brighten up your day. Kew Gardens really is one of the best Spring destinations in the UK.
2. Keukenhof Gardens and Tulip Fields, Amsterdam
Holland is well known for its colourful fields of tulips and one of the best places to see them is at the Keukenhof Gardens, near Amsterdam. Covering over 30 hectares, the garden is home to more than seven million tulips in all colours, as well as daffodils and hyacinths. Both the tulip and the hyacinth shows start on March 21 and finish on March 26. View more things to do in Amsterdam.
3. The Lavender Fields of Luberon, Provence, France
Head down into southern France, the area know as Provence and you’re in perfume country and many of the villages are surrounded by fields of sweet scented lavender. Take the Lavender and Luberon Tour with Kairos Travel and you will be able to follow in the footstep of the lavender pickers, distil your own essential oil, create your own fragrance and explore the charming market town of Luberon.
4. Oysters Coppice, Wiltshire, UK
Oysters Coppice is located in an ancient woodland in Wiltshire and one of the best places to see wildflowers in the UK. It offers great views over the Vale of Wardour, and during March the wood is covered in hundreds of bright yellow daffodils. You will also see hazel catkins, delicate bluebells, wood anemones, and primroses, which brighten up the forest floor.
5. Copenhagen Sakura Festival, Denmark
Cherry blossom festivals are most typically associated with Japan, however one of the best places to see them a little closer to home is in the Danish capital of Copenhagen at the Copenhagen Sakura Festival. To celebrate the bicentenary of Danish children’s author Hans Christian Andersen in 2005, the Danish Honorary Consul of Hiroshima gave Copenhagen 200 flowering cherry trees, creating a new city tradition. This year the festival will be held on April 27 and 28 and will feature drumming shows, Japanese dance performances and samurai sword fighting as well as the flowers, of course.
