As February folds into March the nights start to get lighter, the weather milder and the flowers begin to bloom once more. But if those daisies and daffodils aren’t quite enough for you to get your fill of flowers, a trip to Europe surely would.
Flowers in Europe begin to really bloom from March through to May, with fields full of colourful tulips, poppies, lavender and more. With museums and festivals dedicated to them too, you’re spoilt for choice when seeking out spring flowers in Europe. Take a look at our pick of some of the best.
Holland in Bloom
Known as the centre of flower production in Europe, the Netherlands has an abundance of blooms across the country and spring is the time to see them at their best. In March the crocuses start to come out, closely followed by daffodils and hyacinths. Then the show stopping tulips poke through showing their bright colours from April through to May.
To see them for yourself there are a range of flower fields located in the Noordoostpolder area and the coast near The Hague, both just over an hour from our Dutch port. Take your car and plan a road trip filled with colour like no other. Make sure you include Keukenhof Gardens in your trip, home to over 7 million flowers and Bollenstreek, a spectacular 20 kilometre display of blossoming crocuses, daffodils, hyacinths and tulips, stretching from Haarlem to Leiden.
Provençale Poppies
Seen now as a stark symbol of the bloodshed on WW1 and WW2, the poppies which bloom each spring across France are not only an opportunity to reflect on what they represent but a chance to see the fertile countryside in full bloom once again. While you can find poppy fields in Northern France, head south to Provence to see fields full of them, as well as lavender and the famous Herbs de Provence.
Tulips in Amsterdam
If you’re more of a city break kind of person, Amsterdam has plenty of spring flowers to keep you busy. Bloemenmarkt is the world’s only floating flower market, right on the Singel canal in the centre of the Dutch capital. Here you can browse hundreds of fresh flowers with rich colours and perfumes peppering your path. You can also pick up some bulbs to grow your own tulips back home.
There is also the Tulip Museum in Amsterdam and each April, the Tulip Festival takes over the city. It has a walking trail you can follow which includes over 1 million tulips.
Cherry Blossoms & Wild Flowers in Germany
Head into neighbouring Germany to see the country in full bloom. The small city of Bonn is blanketed by cherry blossoms each spring, with the tree lined pavements peppered with pink. There’s even a street in the city now known as ‘Cherry Blossom Avenue.’
Visit Bavaria to see wild flowers growing on the mountains and beautiful boxes adorning most windows with colourful flowers filling them.
Edelweiss in Austria
The delicate white flower grows at high altitudes, normally on dry rock faces so if you’re enjoying a hike in the Austrian Alps you’re likely to find Edelweiss there. Because of its dense layer of hair, it collects thousands of tiny air bubbles which makes it look like it’s glowing. This symbol of the Alps is a protected flower which means you can’t pick them! They are hardy too, lasting until around September in most places.
