Six Budding Destinations: Where to Go in Europe in Spring

Spring is finally here signalling the start of new beginnings. Flower buds begin to bloom, baby lambs begin to arrive, maypole dances, beer festivals and cherry blossoms adorn the streets as the sun returns to start warming up the weather thawing away the last days of winter. 

To celebrate the season of new starts, why not fall in love with a brand-new destination or re-explore it with a new lens? Here are six stunning places in Europe to travel to in spring for springtime adventures you’ll want to visit this season.

Several German cities host their own versions of a Spring Festival but one of the best places to visit in Germany in spring is Munich, when Frühlingsfest, an incredible spring-time beer festival, offers all of the perks of its famous bigger sister, Oktoberfest, but with fewer crowds. 

Taking place at the end of April/​beginning of May on the same festival site, Frühlingsfest offers many of the same experiences but just on a smaller scale; two large beer tents instead of the sixteen, all filled with singing, dancing and of course, barrels of beer. Once the effects of Frühlingsfest have worn off, head to Eisbach to join the legions of surfers carving the city’s river. 

Originating from traditional Bavarian towable plank-riding but merged with Polynesian surfing, the city’s river surfing sport has won over the hearts of the surf community. If you’re a beginner, there’s a good spot beside the Floßlände that’s perfect for novices but those looking to push their limits need to take on the legendary Eisbach.

However, if you fancy beer-fest hopping, Erlangen Bergkirchweih, an annual Volksfest (beer festival and travelling funfair) takes place in the city of Erlangen, about 2 hours north of Munich where beer tastings take place throughout the city’s caves perched up the mountainside between trees and small alleyways. 

1st May also marks the eruption of marvellous maypole celebrations throughout Bavaria, where small towns and villages across the region will host their own. To experience it at its best, head to Weiden in der Oberpfalz for a day trip. 

Woith its bucolic rural landscapes in full bloom, Bonn is a photographer’s paradise in the springtime when the city’s picturesque promenades are painted pink with cherry blossoms blooming.

In the 1980s, thousands of ornamental cherry trees were brought over from Japan and planted all over the city’s Altstadt (Old Town). Today, each April, a spring floral display unfolds as carpets of delicate pink petals coat the cobblestones.

One particular street to visit is Heerstraße (aka Cherry Blossom Avenue) located on the fringes of the Old Town between Gründerzeit buildings and old-fashioned streetlamps, where lines of trees transform the area into a fragrant candyfloss-coloured tunnel.

Famed for its glitz and glam, France’s sensational south coast offers sun and sand in abundance. Spring is the best time to visit the region, as it is not only well out of the way of peak season (typically July and August), but the warm waters lapping at the golden sands are met with a cooler sea breeze, creating the perfect climate to take in the sights and scents in and out of the water. 

Take a dip in the fresh ocean or wander the charming streets meandering along the crowd-free harbour, and if you fancy a mini-adventure, head to the seaside resort of Agay, around a one-hour drive from Cannes, Antibes and Fréjus, renowned for the beauty of its landscapes. 

Here, in the shadow of the Esterel Massif, you’ll find phenomenal views of nearby islands and unobstructed vistas of the Mediterranean coast flanked by a dazzling harbour.

Châteaux and vineyards can be found in abundance when you visit the stunning Loire Valley tucked away in the centre of France, and the springtime will see all opening their doors once again after having closed for the winter season.

If you love to be by the sea, the seductive sweeping curve of La Baule, home to France’s most beautiful bay, is a must, while thalassotherapy treatments can be enjoyed on the island of Yeu.

If you’re wondering where to go in France in April, visit Cheverny, only two hours from Paris by train, to experience trailing wisteria or the charming Château de Chambord 40 kilometres from Orléans, said to have been partly designed by Leonardo da Vinci, to admire its architectural beauty. And if you’re an oenophile, the 800 km-long UNESCO-listed wine route, where 250 million bottles of wine are produced each year, offers a romantic cycling trip through the Fiefs Vendéens or Anjou-Saumur vineyards, sampling local delicacies and chatting to winemakers en route. 

Lovingly called England’s country garden, the Cotswolds is one of the prettiest places to visit in spring in the UK with postcard-worthy villages, fields of wildflowers, thatched cottages, country pubs and teashops on tap, just one hour from Birmingham. 

While the villages of Bourton-on-the-Water and Bibury are popular photo spots, the Cheltenham Festival heralds the start of the British Social Season in March, one of the most popular sporting event on the social calendar.

For something more extravagant, head to Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire where the annual Cheese-Rolling takes place each Spring Bank Holiday and sees enthusiastic participants race down a 200-yard-long hill chasing a 7 Ib round Double Gloucester cheese wheel rolling down.

Another place to visit in spring in the UK is this quintessential Victorian spa town in the north of Yorkshire. Harrogate has been voted the happiest place to live in the UK and among the most romantic destinations in the world.

Prim, pretty and long associated with old-fashioned Englishness, flower shows and garden centres fill the town with magnificent displays of colour throughout the spring season.

Explore the town’s ancient springs that contain waters believed to have healing properties by soaking in a Turkish Bath or visit the enclosed medieval city of Ripon, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Additionally, Harrogate’s enviable location perched on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales makes it the perfect springboard from which to venture through the National Park for a day of rock climbing, caving and canoeing in the gorge.