Cherry Blossoms in Europe? Is That Even a Thing?

Cherry blossoms are one of the most popular tourist attractions in East Asian countries like Japan, Korea and China. In fact, in Japan, these pink blossoms are often considered as the country's national flower.

But did you know that cherry blossoms also bloom across parts of Europe? If you haven’t heard about it, let’s dive into this article to explore cherry blossoms in Europe!

Cherry Blossoms in France

There are actually a lot of cherry trees in France, especially in Paris. Take, for example, Champs de Mars (near the Eiffel Tower) or the Tuileries (near the Louvre Museum).

However, the most amazing spot to see cherry blossoms in France is Parc de Sceaux. This park is located in the commune of Sceaux, about a 50-minute trip from Paris by public transport.  Here, there are two gardens, each dedicated to a type of cherry blossom: white cherry blossoms (Prunus avium) and pink cherry blossoms (Prunus serrulata).

The pink cherry blossom garden at Parc de Sceaux has about 150 trees and is always the spot for celebrating Hanami, the cherry blossom festival. No wonder, this spot is always bustling with both domestic and international tourists eager to see the cherry blossoms bloom every early April.

Cherry Blossoms in Germany

Much like France, Germany offers several beautiful spots to enjoy cherry blossoms. But the cherry blossom spots here are more evenly scattered across various cities in Germany. 

For example, Bonn, a city in western Germany. This city is generally not a primary destination for tourists when visiting Germany. However, when spring arrives, one street in this city, Breite Strasse, is covered in pink cherry blossoms that bloom so beautifully they form a canopy over the road.

In Hamburg, a port city in northern Germany, there’s a cherry blossom park whose saplings were gifted by the Japanese community in Germany. This flower park, called Alsterpark, is always the site of Germany’s largest annual Hanami festival.

The capital city of Germany, Berlin, has over 50 spots to enjoy cherry blossoms, with more than 9,000 cherry trees planted around Berlin and Brandenburg since November 1990. Thousands of cherry tree saplings were gifted by Japan and the Japanese people to Germany as a symbol of the reunification of West and East Germany. It could be said that the best spot to enjoy cherry blossoms in Berlin is around the former Berlin Wall.

Cherry Blossoms in the Netherlands

There is one particularly popular and spacious place to see cherry blossoms in the Netherlands. It's called Amsterdamse Bos, located in the city of Amstelveen, North Holland. This park is home to 400 pink cherry blossom trees, donated by the Japan Women's Club (JWC) in 2000.

Uniquely, each of these trees has a name: 200 trees are named after Japanese women, and the other 200 are named after Dutch women. In spring, this cherry blossom park also becomes the site of Hanami celebrations in the Netherlands.

Cherry Blossoms in the United Kingdom

The UK has a vast collection of cherry blossom trees. That's because the British also enjoy watching the cherry blossoms bloom at the start of spring. So, festivals like Hanami are quite common in the UK.

One of the best places to see cherry blossoms in this country is at the Royal Botanical Gardens in London. This botanical garden area is filled with many cherry trees, both pink and white varieties. From the trees to the cherry blossom seedlings, you can find it all here!

So, those are some of the best spots to enjoy cherry blossoms in Europe. If you're planning a trip to Europe soon, don't forget to include the spots above in your itinerary, of course, after buying your Online Travel Insurance! So, your one-of-a-kind holiday plans can come true without worries because you're fully protected!