Are you dreaming of an energising spring break? Rome, Paris, and many more of Europe's most loved landmarks and cities take on a romantic aura in the season of blossoms, flowers, and bright skies. And some of Europe's most enchanting gardens are seasonal, and re-open to the public when their daffodils or tulips are in bloom.
Why take a European spring break?
I always try and take a spring break, even just a long weekend. If I can, I go early, around the equinox, and then again in early or mid-May. It is my way of embracing the longer bright warm days.
March, April, and May are excellent months to travel in Europe. If you exclude the Easter fortnight and national holidays in different countries, many of the sought-after European destinations are less busy in spring, which makes your experience more enjoyable.
Furthermore, excluding the holidays, travel in Europe is more affordable at this time of the year.
Spring is cooler than summer and yet the days are long, and you can alternate indoor visits to museums and attractions to embracing the reawakening of nature in magnificent parks and gardens.
Speaking of gardens, some of Europe's most famous, such as the tulip paradise of Keukenhof or the wonderful grounds of Monet's home at Giverny, are only open for a few weeks or months, so seize your opportunity to see them.
If you choose the train, or drive, your trip will become a journey through the beauty of spring across different parts of the continent, a visual delight.
So, without further ado, here is my guide to the best of Europe to visit in spring (March, April, and May).
You will notice the absence of Italy from my top ten. It is not actually an exclusion, I simply felt there were so many Italian destinations to chose from that I wrote a post exclusively about my Italian top ten spring breaks.
Europe's ten most enchanting spring destinations. A short guideÂ
As you see from my list, I have tried to include a variety of countries (Spain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria) and a variety of themes, from botanical gardens to lakes and rivers, from capital cities to villages.
1.Giverny (Normandy)
I cannot think of a more atmospheric place to visit in spring than Monet's garden in the Normandy village of Giverny.
Water lilies, naturally © Pascal Bernardon/Unsplash
Oscar Wilde famously said that life imitates art. The truthfulness of his beliefs will be tested at Giverny. Here, you will discover the waterlilies series of paintings that we immediately associate with Monet actually exists, and that Monet himself planted them!
Monet moved to Giverny and set himself to create a flower garden (Clos Normand), and later bought some neighbouring land to create a Japanese gardens. It is actually quite moving to see the plants that he first planted and then acted as his inspiration for two decades.
The alleyway to the house © Veronica Reverse/Unsplash
The gardens open at the end of March for 7 months, but May is probably the best time to visit. The wisterias on the bridge in the Japanese garden are in bloom. June is heady with the scent of roses. The beautiful archway in the Clos Normand is covered in them.
The garden's website has a useful flowering calendar to help you plan your visit.
Willows and waterlilies © Pascal Bernardom/Unsplash
I have a soft spot for painter's houses - Leonardo's in Amboise and Albrecht Durer's in Nuremberg are other firm favourites - but Monet's house is truly touching. Like the gardens, it was his project, and he developed it over 40 years. Seeing his apartment, with his furniture and the objects he surrounded himself with, the room where he stored his canvas (which he preferred to paint in open air), his bedroom and even the bed where he died, it is all quite unforgettable.
 If you drive you can get to see the picturesque twin villages of Les Andelys - one of which is on the bank of the Seine - and the ruins of Le Gaillard - a castle built by Richard the Lionheart.
How to get there:Â Veron-Giverny is under 1 hours from Paris Saint Lazare station (which Monet also painted). From the station to the gardens you can catch a taxi or walk the 7 kilometres (about 1 hour).
If you want to see Les Andelys it may make sense to rent a car, as there is no train station in the village.
2. The tulip wonderland of Keukenhof (Netherlands)
In our imagination, Netherlands is the land of tulip, and it is never more so than at Keukenhof, Europe's ultimate tulip garden.
Windmills and tulips © AXP Photography
This Dutch botanical garden is famous throughout the world for its spring flowering of the velvety bulbs that famously became a Dutch obsession in the 17th century.
You'll walk through magnificent displays with a rich pictorial quality, arranged formally or shaped as rivers or waves, hypnotic in their beauty.
The gardens open on the 1st day of spring and only remain open until mid-May, so check the dates before planning your trip. I went in April and it felt just perfect,
A river of tulips © AXP Photography
You can buy a combined ticket that includes entrance to to Keukenhof and a journey by public transport on the Keukenhof Express from Leiden, Haarlem, and of course Amsterdam.
Amsterdam is magical in spring, and seeing the great masters in the capital's museums is a great way to prepare for the visual feast of Keukenhof. However, Haarlem is a delightful mini-version of Amsterdam, and far less busy. It makes a great base as you can both visit Keukenhof and take a day trip to Amsterdam (20 minutes by train).
I also recommend Leiden, a lovely city in the south of the country, home to the Netherlands' most ancient university, and Rembrandt's birth place. You can visit the house he grew up in, his school, and the studio where he learned to draw. A draw for nature lovers is the Hortus Botanicus, the most ancient botanical garden in the Netherlands.
Leiden canal © Frederic Paulussen/Unsplash
If you fancy more than tulips, base yourself in magnificent The Hague. You'll be able to reach Keukenhof by public transport and enjoy another seasonal attraction - the Japanese garden in Clingendael Park, in the suburb of Wassenaar. This ancient garden is very fragile, and only open for 6 weeks in the spring (from the last weekend of April until the beginning of June), ad 2 weeks in the autumn (last 2 weeks of October).
How to get there:Â Travel to Amsterdam by train from Austria, Germany, France, Belgium, the UK, and Luxembourg. From France, the UK, and Belgium, a quick change in Rotterdam takes you to Leiden.
For the Hague, change in Rotterdam from France, Belgium, and the UK, in Utrecht from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
3. Paris in bloom
Paris is a city for all seasons, but if you go in spring, you can take a break from its busy tourist spots and savour spring in some magical parks and gardens.
La vie en rose © Kilian Cartignies/Unsplash
The Parc de Bagatelle – part of the Bois de Boulogne - is glorious in spring. There is a chateau in the middle, allegedly built in 3-month by Marie-Antoinette's brother-in-law to win a bet against her. The chateau is a bagatelle 'trifle') because by royal standards it was a tiny little thing, but it is beautiful. Its surroundings, though, are even more beautiful, especially in spring. One of my favourite rose gardens on earth is there, as well as a beautiful pond with waterlilies and a Chinese pagoda.
The Jardins des Tuileries, although very busy with tourists, are also stunning in the season of blossoms. Plot a walk from The Louvre to The Arc the Triomphe, and then turn northwest to relax in elegant and less busy Parc Monceau, an elegant parc with majestic trees, on the site of the Renaissance City Hall of Paris - a monumental archway survives.
The Medici Fountain in the Luxembourg gardens © Pascal Bernardon/Unsplash
I am biased because in my students' days I used to live around the corner, but the Jardin du Luxembourg - officially the gardens of the French Senate) is magnificent both from a natural and historical perspective. The vast garden (now totally organic) is incredible varied, with wide treelined alleys, elegant flowerbeds, greenhouses, a heritage variety fruit garden, and an orangerie with some plants originally brought to France by Marie de Medici int he 17th century, so so the legend says. Marie left her mark on the garden in other ways, thanks to the monumental Fontaine Medici. Across the garden, you will find 102 statues of great French men and women, watching over locals playing boules or listening to classical music.
How to get there:Â Trains to Paris from the UK, the Netherlands, Luxembourg. Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and Switzerland.
4. London's royal parks
Big Ben with daffodils ©Ming Jun Tan/Unsplash
Yes, it may rain. But if the weather smiles upon you, not many cities do spring like London. The magnificent royal parks in the centre, such as Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St James's Park and Green Park (both by Buckingham Palace), and the metropolitan oasis of Regent's Park, are at its most magic in spring, their grounds filled with daffodils and their trees in bloom.
Head a bit further west and discover gems such as Richmond Park and Bushy Park, once hunting grounds of Charles I and Henry VIII respectively. To the East, enjoy the wildflowers and sweeping views of Greenwich Park, with the Greenwich Meridian running through it - you can actually walk on a path on the Meridian.
To the north lie the wild hilly grounds of Hampstead Heath.
April in Richmond Park © Luke Stackpool/Unsplash
If you prefer proper botanical Gardens, Kew Gardens in west London is a world-leading institution. There is an entry fee, but you can spend a day there, learning everything about their conservation and sustainability work, while immersed in the magic of their plants. There are famous Victorian glasshouses with tropical palms. But in spring, you'll love wandering around, embracing, depending on when you go, the daffodils, bluebells, and roses celebrated through the season.
London in bloom © Nik Guiney/Unsplash
How to get there:Â You can get to London by train from Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Lyon, Luxembourg, and various cities in Germany.
5. Madrid - Escape to El Retiro
Plaza Mayor © Andreas M/Unsplash
Madrid can be very cold in winter, although the sky is often blue and the air crisp. But spring arrives early and is beautiful. March and April are fantastic times to go. Balmy weather makes sightseeing easier, the museums are cooler and less busy, you can still eat al fresco, the tree-lined alleyway are in bloom, and you get to make the most of Madrid's gorgeous green lung, the former royal park of El Retiro.
Recently named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park includes monumental gardens, palaces, a splendid glass pavilion, a boating lake and more informal sections perfect for picnics or for basking in the spring sunshine.
It is busier over the weekend as Spanish families come to enjoy the great outdoors in their city centre, but the park is so large it will not interfere with your personal Zen.
Rose season in El Retiro © Jacob Thomas/Unsplash
El Retiro's position between Atocha and El Prado makes it very easy to use it as the centre of gravity of your trip, recharging your batteries here between trips to the museums such as Reina Sofia, Thyssen-Bornemisza and El Prado, which are on different sides of the park.
Bookstores outside El Retiro © Juan Mendez/Unsplash
Between Atocha station and El Retiro, immerse yourself in Spanish culture at the Cuesta de Moyano, a lovely pedestrianised alley next to the Botanical Grdens, dotted with delightful wooden book stalls. It is one of my favourite corners of the city!
How to get there:Â Trains to Madrid from Paris, via Barcelona.
6. Enjoy spring like a king at Versailles
A view of the south parterre © Armand Khoury/Unsplash
No matter how magnificent you think it is, Versailles will surprise you. The first surprise is its size. When I was living in Paris, I decided to go an visit it for the day. Well, in that time, I just about managed to visit the interior! I had to go back a couple more times to visit the gardens, with the additional palaces built in it, and to discover the town itself.
So a few years later, I organised a long weekend from London to spend completely in Versailles. It was early May, spring was in the air, and when we arrived on the evening of the first day we strolled into the gardens to admire the sun setting on the Apollo fountain.
Louis XIV considered the gardens of Versailles as important as the palace itself. They were a labour of love of 4 decades for some of his great artists and architects as well as gardeners. So go in spring and take your time to discover all their magnificence, from the Water Parterre, to the Orangeries, to the boating lake, to the walks constellated with statuary of the Greek gods. The Versailles estate website has some very good videos that show you what you can expect. They will wet your appetite.
Louis also had an additional palace, the Grand Trianon, built on the grounds to escape the stress of court life! Another smaller palace, the Petit Trianon became Marie Antoinette's escape from the court.
Apollo's fountain © Jan Zinnbauer/Unsplash
You'll need time to see all these palaces and explore the vast gardens, with their lakes, fountains and statues, so let yourself be guided by the weather forecast in planning your visits to the chateau, the smaller palaces and the outdoor spaces.
Spring at the Petit Trianon © Linda Gerbec/Unsplash
How to get there:Â Trains to Paris from the UK, the Netherlands, Luxembourg. Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and Switzerland. Once in Paris.
There are 3 train stations in Versailles, so plan based on your station of arrival in Paris and your accommodation in Versailles. RER line C from Austerlitz arrives at Versailles Château - Rive Gauche train station (10 minutes’ walk to the Palace); SNCF trains from Gare Montparnasse arrive at Versailles Chantiers (18 minutes walk to the Palace); SNCF trains from Gare Saint Lazare arrive at Versailles Rive Droite (17 minutes walk to the Palace).
7. Gardens and chateaux - The Loire Valley
Chaumont © AXP Photography
Perhaps because I first visited in spring, but I am convinced that the Loire valley is one of the best spring destinations on earth. If you love gardens, this is definitely the time to go, and make sure your itinerary includes Chateau Chaumont.
A former early medieval fortress, demolished because of a rebellion against the king, it was rebuilt in the 15th century in the 'modern style' imported from Renaissance Italy. In the following century, Chaumont was at the centre of the feud between Queen Catherine de Medici and her husband's lover, Diane of Poitiers.
Today, the castle is remarkable for its splendidly preserved interiors as much as for its gardens. For six months from April each year, the gardens host an International Garden Festival.
I love the castle of Amboise, a royal residence with its mighty ramparts overlooking the Loire. Amboise is where Leonardo da Vinci spent his final years working for King Francis I after leaving Milan. The great man died at his nearby estate of Clos Lucé and is buried in the chapel of Amboise.
Amboise © Stefan K/Unsplash
The formal gardens of Villandry are also magnificent in bright spring light.
Villandry © AXP Photography
Of course, it is hard to leave the region without visiting the royal palace of Chambord, with its spiral staircase inspired by Leonardo, its formal gardens and royal forest, and
the water-straddling wonder of Chenonceau, also part of the feud between Queen Catherine and Diane of Poitiers
How to get there:Â The trains for the Loire valley leave from Gare d'Austerlitz). Blois-Chambord, the main TGV station to is 1 hours and 23 minutes from Paris. Another great option is Amboise. 20 minutes further down the line from Blois.
8. The imperial gardens of Vienna
The gardens and parks of Europe's great royal residences are wonderful at this time of the year, so no surprise Vienna makes this list.
Before delving into my garden recommendations, let me say that Vienna is a very green city, with an abundance of trees and green spaces, one of the many reasons it is often ranked as the best place to live on earth.
But the Viennese enjoyment of green spaces goes back a long way. In 1779 the co-rulers of the Austrian empire (Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II) opened the gardens of their palace of Schönbrunn to the public, providing the citizens with vast recreational grounds to enjoy.
Nowadays Schonbrunn gardens and palace are on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Like its French competitor Versailles - Marie Antoinette, being Maria Theresa's youngest daughter, got to enjoy both - the palace and grounds are so vast it will take more than a day to enjoy them properly. The gardens are incredible in spring, April is a triumph of wisteria, May brings roses, and of course there are flowerbed arrangements to keep the interest all the way to autumn. There is a palms glasshouse on the grounds, and a botanical garden started by Maria Teresa's husband - he was a keen horticulturalist.
Wisterias at Schonrunn © Daniel Lorentzen/Unsplash
Another stunning Viennese garden is the one of the baroque Belvedere Palace, The Belvedere is actually 2 palaces, with the garden in the middle. It is a typical baroque garden with symmetrical features and mirroring effects.
You will not want to give the interior a miss either After the death of its first owner, Prince Eugene of Savoy, Maria Theresa purchased the the palace and housed her art collection in it, opening it to the public. Over the following centuries, the collection grew into one of the world's great art collections, becoming home to many impressionist paintings and Austrian masterpieces such as with Klimt's The Kiss.
What you see below is not another photo of Giverny places under the wrong heading. It is a photo from the Kagran Schulgarten, the garden of the Vienna School for Horticulture and Floristry.
Claude Monet's garden at Kagran © Carrie Borden/Unsplash
The Kagran school has split its grounds into various themed gardens, from a Shakespeare English-style garden, to a Styrian Beer Garden, to a garden paying homage to Monet's own garden at Giverny though, in their own words, a 'Giverny on Danube.'
How to get there:Â Regular night trains to Vienna from Rome, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Amsterdam, Venice, Bologna, Milan, Zurich, and Strasbourg.
9. The sunlit magic of medieval Toledo
I escaped to Toledo in March a few years ago and it was a wonderful way to anticipate spring.
The walls of Toledo © Alps2Coast
Toledo is one of the most remarkable cities in Spain. It used to be the capital of Castilla before the court moved to Madrid, and prior to that it had a number of incarnations. A former Roman colony, it became the capital of the Visigoth kingdom in the dark ages, before being captured by the Arabs in the VIII century. In the XI century it fell to the Castillans and became one of the most important cultural centres in Europe.
In the Toledo School, Muslims, Jews and Christians worked together in peace and translated each other's manuscripts.
Courtyard with orange trees © Alps2Coast
Located on a hilltop position, overlooking a bend on the river Tagus, the walled Toledo Old City is impressive as you approach it from the train station, entering it through a medieval bridge on the Tagus. You'll feel transported back to the middle ages.
Spring only accentuates this magic. We took a walk along the perimetre of the walls and the Tagus is most certainly beautiful at any time of the year but it was truly spectacular and I suspect its green colour had something to do with the fresh leaves on the trees of the hillside.
In the centre, magical courtyards with orange trees and flowers open up like treasures chests, luring you in.
And its landmark buildings explain why Toledo is on the UNESCO Heritage list. From a well preserved Roman Bridge and baths, to a Visigoth church, mosque and the oldest synagogue building in Europe still standing, from the beautiful gothic to its well-preserved city gates, all with their own history, there is so much to see and do a long weekend may not be enough.
How to get there:Â Catch a train to Toledo from Madrid Atocha. The journey is direct and takes 36 minutes.
10. Lake Constance and the flower island of Mainau
Lake Constance, or Bodensee in German, is the largest freshwater body in the whole of Europe. I visited at the beginning of May, and although the water was too cold to contemplate swimming in the lake, in many other ways it seems like the perfect time to go.
The shores of the lake, shared by Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein, are homes to elegant lakeside villas surrounded by lush gardens and forests, castles, the UNESCO-Heritage Abbey of Reichenau, and the delightful island of Mainau, also known as 'flower island.'
Mainau © Lisa Fecker/Unsplash
Mainau, near Konstanz, is home to the lake's botanical garden. The palatial mansion at its centre, surrounded by ancient trees, in spring comes alive with tulips displays to challenge Keufenhof's, as rhododendrons and scented roses.
Tulips on Mainau © Dragan Djukic/Unsplash
You'll feel tempted to spend a week in the area, to explore its delightful shores. Konstanz, with its old town, harbour and medieval towers overlooking the lake, and of course Mainau, is not the only attraction. On the German side, don't miss the to the picturesque island village of Lindau, and beautiful Reichenau, a monastic complex surrounded by lush fields and orchards and ringed by the waters of the lake. With its peaceful peninsula setting - it used to be an island too - Reichenau exudes a mystical aura of earth, water and sky. Its three churches are an outstanding example of Carolingian and medieval monastic architecture, and its monumental wall paintings are the first of their kind north of the Alps.
On the northern side, you are also very close to the southern edge of the Black forest, another wonderful late spring destination.
On the shores of the Austrian Bodensee Bregenz exudes old world charm - its floating opera house was also the setting of a James Bond episode.
Rhine Falls © Sven Masuhr/Unsplash
On the Swiss side, you can easily reach the Swiss UNESCO Heritage site of Saint Gallen, site of another great medieval abbey, and one of the natural wonders of Europe, the Rhine Falls of Neuhaus near Schaffhausen. I have seen the falls in May, and they were magnificent, with young trees along the banks of the Rhine painting the water a rich green.
How to get there:Â The gateways to Lake Constance are Konstanz, Zurich and Bregenz. From there, local transport takes you around the lake.
Alternatively travel to Zurich, Freiburg or Strasbourg and rent a car.
Make the most of the European spring
To the cost of sounding repetitive, if you have the opportunity to take a spring break, just do it. Europe at this time of the year is a dream come true.
Whether you prefer tulips or orange trees, roses or cherry blossoms, wisterias or water lilies, you will find a spot in Europe where you can celebrate the beauty of spring in the way that feels right for you.
If you want to combine one of the above destinations with one in Italy, check my post on the most enchanting Italian spring destinations.
If you have any questions reading this post, do get in touch through the contact form. And do not forget to subscribe to the blog to get my weekly posts on European seasonal travel, train, and road trips, directly into your inbox.
Commentaires