Spring Travel Spots: 5 Lush Destinations

Spring is here! It’s time to throw off the gloom and reserve of winter and see the beauty the season has to offer. Whether you’re looking for beautiful floral blooms or countryside villages, we’ve got all you need to start planning your spring travel season. Everyone prefers something different in spring travel spots. Maybe you’re all about the bliss of a flower field in bloom. Maybe you’re more an indoorsy type, and prefer to spend the warm seasons mingling in a pub. Whatever you’re looking for, your perfect springtime destination is out there waiting for you.

Morzine, France

Kicking off our list is a European village gem, the ski resort of Morzine, France. Why is there a ski resort on a list of spring travel spots? Because once the snow of the French Alps melt, what’s left behind are its incredibly lush, green valleys. Morzine is one of the most pristinely beautiful nature spots in all of France, no matter the season. Riding a travel bicycle down its green lanes sounds like pure heaven, and it’s no surprise Morzine’s been included on the 2016 Tour de France route. The city gives a beautiful view of Mont Blanc, and serves as an entryway for backpackers looking for an alpine mountaineering challenge. As a ski resort, Morzine boasts numerous tourist-friendly restaurants and bars for the foodie in you. It’s also located close to the lovely ‘goat village’ known as Les Lindarets. This is a farming village that comes alive in the warmer seasons. During the spring and summer, the walkways are flooded with the village’s main attraction, its goat population. It really doesn’t get much quainter than that.

The Cherry Blossom Festival at Hirosaki, Japan

The stunning photo above is of the Cherry Blossom Festival in Hirosaki. Sakura-viewing is perhaps one of the most popular worldwide springtime activities, and visitors choose this particular locale for the nearby picturesque castle and moat. Here, you can rent paddleboats to get a unique waterside view of the sakura blossoms. Hirosaki is home to about 2600 trees of over 50 varieties. At night, the gardens and castle are lit up for an incomparably beautiful evening display. It’s interesting to note that Japanese cherry trees do not yield fruit. This leads many to consider them an aristocratic breed, meant not for produce, but for beauty and stateliness only.

The Bowood Rhododendron Gardens in Wiltshire, England

England has a number of fantastic spring travel spots, but the Bowood Rhododendron Gardens is probably the most popular. The gardens are located on 60 acres of forest land, and include a number of man-made sites as well. The Bowood House and the great domed mausoleum are just a few attractions, but the main event is the region’s rhododendrons. Springtime sees the Bowood forest floors and expansive fields completely carpeted in colorful flowers. The buds are descendants of 19th century transplants from the Himalaya regions. That species has since cross-bred in what are called the hardy hybrids, which were thought to have gone extinct. However, a recent survey found over 30 varieties of this hybrid flourishing in Bowood.

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Nature isn’t the only thing that makes for a great spring travel spot. If you want to mingle with your fellow man, Ljubljana is a place that absolutely opens its arms to travelers. The city was awarded the 2016 European Green Capital award for its environmentalist achievements. Less than a decade ago, the city was as car-choked as any major city. However, within a few short years, Ljubljana saw a complete makeover into a pedestrian paradise. It now boasts 542 square feet of public park space per resident, making Ljubljana one of the most strollable cities in the world. The significant foot traffic goes hand-in-hand with the city’s thriving cafe culture, and the parks are obviously spectacular. Tivoli City Park is home to the stately neoclassical Tivoli Castle, and houses an open-air library next to a pond. Simply breathtaking.

The Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherland

Located in lovely Lisse, Keukenhof Gardens is one of the yearly spring travel spots to beat. The gardens are open only 8 weeks out of the year. The rest of the months are spent preparing Keukenhof’s numerous botanical attractions. The garden grounds include numerous sculpted floral walkways beside meandering ponds. It also contains its own petting zoo, a Japanese garden, and English landscape garden, spring meadow, and garden maze. As if that weren’t enough, Keukenhof boasts seven ‘inspirational’ gardens that change themes every year. Now that’s how you do Spring abroad!