Spring turns Europe into a kaleidoscope of colours and a perfume shop of fragrances. Cities burst to life, warm spring days stretch into balmy nights and blooming flowers brighten even the plainest of streets.
If you want to witness spring in all its colorful glory, here are the best places to see spring flower displays across Europe in 2022.
Blooming Baroque, Ludwigsburg, Germany
The semi-permanent Blooming Baroque garden show in Ludwigsburg, Germany, has been welcoming visitors to its 30 hectares of manicured gardens since 1954. Visit the palatial grounds of the 18th-century Residenzschloss between March and November and you can not only see displays filled with spring flowers, but also visit bird aviaries and oriental gardens, cruise past Grimm Brothers fairytale scenes, climb Rapunzel’s tower and get lost in a giant hedge maze.
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Keukenhof Gardens, Lisse, the Netherlands
The largest flower garden in the world, Keukenhof in the Netherlands is the best place to see the iconic Dutch flower at its finest. Tulipmania explodes across 32 acres of patterned gardens, with more than 800 different varieties. After you’ve wandered the gardens, go Dutch and hire a bike from the main gate, then pedal through the endless rows of picture-perfect floral rainbows. The show runs from March 24 through May 15, 2022.
Festival of the Patios, Cordoba, Spain
Part festival, part competition, this Unesco-listed event in Cordoba, Andalucia, invites visitors to explore local life through elaborately decorated private courtyards. These iconic patios date back to Roman times and are cleverly designed to provide respite from the sweltering heat Andalucia endures each summer. Fountains, pot plants, flamenco music and spring flowers are all used to create colorful oases as residents vie to be awarded the city’s best patio. Visit between May 3 to 15, 2022.
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Temps de Flors, Girona, Spain
Girona’s medieval core transforms into a living gallery as art installations, flower carpets and kitsch sculptures explode throughout the city centre each May. Even the cathedral’s concrete steps turn into a cascade of colorful blooms. Running parallel, the Girona A Cappella Festival invites music lovers to engage all their senses as the sound, smell and sight of spring fills the city for 10 days in May.
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Chelsea Flower Show, London
This quintessentially British flower show is a highlight for anyone with a green thumb. Set in the grounds of London’s Royal Hospital Chelsea, this five-day event in May invites world-class landscapers, florists and designers to create inspiring gardens and exhibits. This year's theme is sustainability and climate change. Once the Queen has given her royal seal of approval, the show opens to the public. If you miss out on tickets, soak up the floral atmosphere in the neighboring shops and restaurants around Sloane Square. This year's show runs May 24 to 28.
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Infiorata festivals, Italy
During May and June, Infiorata ‘flower decorating’ festivals are held across Italy, celebrating the religious feast of Corpus Domini. Cobbled streets are turned into canvases as local volunteers use thousands of locally grown flowers to create floral religious votives. Noto in Sicily (likely to be held May 13 to 15), Spello in Umbria, and Genzano in Lazio are three of the best.
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