With spring upon us and the cherry blossom season in full swing, you may be getting jealous of seeing pictures of the hanami in all its glory in Japan. However, there are some beautiful cherry tree blossoms available closer to home if you don’t want to make the trip all the way out to the Far East. Here we’ve uncovered six options to consider…
1. The UK
While the UK cannot compete with the breadth and depth of Japan’s sakura, there are some great spots around the capital London to spot the cherry blossom boosted thanks to a gift of 25 new cherry trees in 2019 as part of the Japan-UK Season of Culture.
The Royal Parks are now teeming with pink blossom, with the most notable at Greenwich Park, Regent’s Park, around St Paul’s Cathedral as well as Kew Gardens and Alexandra Palace. Away from London, some nice blooms can also be found at Meadows Park in Edinburgh, Cardiff’s Cathays Park and Alnwick Castle in Northumberland.
2. Paris, France
Well known as a romantic city, Paris is even more beautiful during springtime when visitors can witness some magnificent displays of cherry blossoms – called ‘cerisiers’ in French.
Set in the Jardins du Trocadero are a number of large Kwanzan cherry trees which line the path and provide a showstopping view of the Eiffel Tower, making it a popular place for walks and outdoor picnics on sunny days.
There are plenty of other top viewing options for cherry trees found in Paris though, such as the Jardin des Tuileries outdoor sculpture garden by the Louvre, the botanical garden at the Jardin des Plantes, along the Promenade Plantee and outside the city at the Parc de Sceaux.
3. Netherlands
There are some great sightings of the cherry blossom in the Netherlands with over 400 Japanese cherry trees blooming in the Amsterdamse Bos, a sprawling park south-west of Amsterdam. These trees were donated in 2000 by the Japanese Women’s Club.
More beautiful blossoms can be found in The Hague, while in Utrecht you can see them close to the city centre in Valkstraat park.
4. Valle del Jerte, Spain
A spectacular sight can be found in Valle de Jerte, a three-hour drive west of Spain’s capital Madrid, when one and a half million cherry trees bloom at the same time, turning the entire valley completely white.
The bloom lasts for around two weeks and creates quite the sight with the snow-capped Gredos mountains providing the landscape. The Cherry Bloom Festival celebrates this occasion with a plethora of markets, tastings and other events.
5. Stockholm, Sweden
Sweden’s capital Stockholm has a vibrant cherry blossom in the Kungsträdgården (King’s Garden) thanks to over 60 cherry trees being planted by the city in 1998 along the central plaza, creating two walkways overlooking a reflecting pool.
Visitors can indulge in the Swedish custom of fika here, where you take a break to enjoy coffee and sweets – while Stockholm’s official Cherry Blossom Day hosts family-friendly workshops and performances honouring Japanese culture.
6. Macon, Georgia
You may not have heard of Macon but they are putting this sleepy town in Georgia, USA on the map by hosting the International Cherry Blossom Festival every spring with a stunning 300,000-350,000 Yoshino cherry trees blooming around the city towards the end of March every year.
Their efforts have brought Macon the title of the ‘Cherry Blossom Capital of the World’, with the festival lasting for 10 days – running alongside the typical blooming period – and featuring events for people of all ages.
Starting in 1982, visitors can get stuck into a host of events like pageants, street parties, arts and craft shows, food fairs, air shows and more as well as the parade, while driving along the Cherry Blossom Trail comes highly recommended.
