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- Sakura (cherry blossom tree) in Japan
- Tulip fields in Amsterdam
- Sunflowers in Carmona
- Flower festival in Madeira
- Hydrangeas in Portugal
- Lavender fields in Provence
- Water lilies in the French commune of Giverny
- Jacaranda in South Africa
- Lupines in New Zealand
Sakura (cherry blossom) in Japan
- Plant: Sakura cherry blossom tree
- Blossoming season: from early March to mid-April
- Directions: by airplane to Tokyo + trains
- Web site: bloom chart
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One thing everyone needs to see at least once in their life is a sakura cherry blossom in Japan (besides, not visiting an amazing Japan would be a great loss anyway). The sakura symbolizes tenderness and romantic feelings, so it’s best to go look at it with your partner.
When choosing a park to admire the cherry trees we advise to check with Google Maps — the maps will tell you if the blossoms are in full bloom or the buds are just starting to blossom.
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The most popular place for sakura blossoming is Yoshino (about 1h 40min from Kyoto station. The ticket costs 2,580 yen / ≈ 1,430 roubles). The reason for this is that there are more than 100,000 trees planted at different heights, which means they bloom at different times — even an unprepared tourist can catch the cherry blossoms in all their splendor.
For those who went to enjoy the cherry blossoms with the other half, we recommend visiting Chidori-ga-fuchi Park near the Imperial Palace — here you can hire a boat and row under the blooming Sakura cherry blossoms. Half an hour trip on a boat will cost about 500 roubles. In the evening you can stroll along the bank of the Meguro River, which illuminates the pink trees with coloured lights — a fabulous view.
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Tulip fields in Amsterdam
- Plants: tulips + other bulb flowers
- Blossoming season: April-May, festival April, 19-23
- Directions: by airplane to Amsterdam + train, taxi or bus
- Website: Bloemencorso Bollenstreek, Keukenhof
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On the outskirts of Amsterdam you’ll find the largest spring flower festival and parade, Bloemencorso Bollenstreek. A procession of flower arrangements will take place on April 22 from Nordwijk to Haarlem. Guests will be treated to an illuminated procession and an exhibition of arrangements in the heart of Haarlem, see the full program here.
Don’t miss the opportunity to visit Keukenhof Park in the small Dutch town of Lisse (about an hour by train from Amsterdam), with its millions of flowers. One of the most beautiful spring gardens in the world will be open from March 23 to May 14. On 32 hectares of flowers you’ll find hyacinth and rose shows, an exhibition of orchids and of course the famous Dutch tulips. You can buy tickets only online on the park’s website, the cost for an adult is 19 €.
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In Keukenhof you can hire a bicycle and ride through the surrounding tulip fields. It’s a gift your sweetheart won’t forget. Look for flower treasures around Lisse, Zilk, Hillegom, Nordwijckerhout or use self-guided cycling routes.
Keep an eye on the weather — tulips are very susceptible to it! To catch the blooms in all their glory, subscribe to the Flower Forecast and get emails telling you when it’s best to head to the park.
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Sunflowers in Carmona
- Plants: sunflowers
- Blossoming season: from May to June
- Directions: fly to Barcelona, change to a domestic flight and in 1h 40min you will be in Seville.
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The most summery flower will delight any traveller tired of winter’s greyness. You can find endless (about 30,000 hectares!) sunflower fields in Spain, in the province of Seville.
Don’t dismiss the sunflower because of its simplicity — this flower inspired Van Gogh, and also crowds of Japanese tourists go to Carmona every year to admire the bright yellow fields.
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The mass flowering of the sunflowers is an extremely beautiful sight. The fields are dotted with bright “suns,” which immediately lift your spirits when you look at them.
An interesting fact: the sunflower always looks at the Sun, and this phenomenon is called heliotropism. In the morning, sunflower heads greet the sunrise; in the evening, they turn toward the sunset. Not surprisingly, this wonderful ability of the plant, combined with its shape and colour, contributed to the fact that the sunflower itself became a symbol of the Sun.
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Flower festival in Madeira
- Plants: many tropical plant varieties
- Blossoming season: from 5 to 29 May
- Directions: by plane to the island’s capital, the city of Funchal
- Website
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Music and dance, a parade of extraordinary flower arrangements on floats with beautiful “flower fairies” whose dresses are abundantly decorated with fresh flowers and fruits, colourful costumes and lively carpets, murals and a splash of colour of the subtropical island are what will remain forever in your heart and memory after visiting the Madeira Flower Festival.
Bougainvillea, calla lilies, strelitzia paradise flower, jacaranda, adenocarpus and hundreds more exotic flowers await visitors to the island, often called the “garden by the sea”. To see how the parade went last year, click here.
Admire the unusual flowers on the evergreen island at any time of year. Stop by the Monte Palace Tropical Garden to learn about the island’s diverse flora and see native plants as well as Scottish heather or Belgian azaleas. Here’s a tip: From the observation deck of the Tropical Garden, you’ll get a gorgeous view of the Atlantic Ocean.
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Hydrangeas in Portugal
- Plants: hydrangeas
- Blossoming season: from June to July
- Directions: by plane to Lisbon, then another 2.5 hours to the island’s capital — the city of Ponta Delgada
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More precisely, in the Azores. The magnificent volcanic landscape combined with lush hedges of blue, white and delicate pink hydrangeas is a guaranteed top photo of any social network.
Interestingly, one of the main symbols of the Azores was brought from Japan a long time ago. These days, the “coloured clouds” that have descended on the ground can be seen almost everywhere.
A nice bonus: this is the time when the largest mammals on earth, the blue whales, migrate through the waters off the islands, and the chances of seeing them are unusually high. Hint and urge — after a walk through the blooming fields, head out to see the whales.
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Lavender fields in Provence
- Plants: lavender
- When: late June to early August
- How to get there: by plane to Nice or Marseille, then by car
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The symbol of Provence is the purple fields of lavender stretching to the horizon, which once inspired the genius Van Gogh. Different regions from the foothills of the Alps to the Côte d’Azur have different flowering times, see a map beforehand.
The most famous lavender fields are to be found on the Valencole plateau (about 2.5 hours by car from Monaco) — this is where those very photographs were taken, in the Alpes de Haute Provence and the Abbey of Senanc. Not far from the French Riviera, you can also see lavender in early August, the landmark is the perfume capital of the world, Grasse.
The season of lavender concludes with local fairs and harvest festivals, where perfume master classes are held, artisans sell all kinds of souvenirs made of fragrant flowers, mauve-coloured ceramics and lavender specialities — from honey to meat gastronomy and desserts. Be warned, leaving without a fragrant bouquet of dried lavender will be difficult.
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Water lilies in the French commune of Giverny
- Plants: water lilies
- Blossoming season: from April to October
- Directions: by plane to Paris, then 45 minutes by train to Giverny
- Website: Giverny Monet’s Garden
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Claude Monet’s garden in Giverny is an ideal place for those who love art and nature. It is here that the great impressionist drew inspiration for his paintings. Tourists can see with their own eyes the famous water lilies, which inspired the artist for a series of works (about 250 paintings).
The great landscape painter was seriously interested in gardening, studying magazines, books, corresponding with experts and exchanging seeds and plants. It was his second passion after painting.
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Over time, he created Giverny, this floral paradise with many plants and flowers that change according to the season. Monet created and experimented with gardening and then created living paintings, applying his talent as a great painter.
Today, the garden in Giverny is looked after by the specially created Claude Monet Foundation — the house itself and the entire marvellous garden are preserved intact.
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Jacaranda in South Africa
- Plants: jacaranda
- Blossoming season: from September to November
- Directions: by plane to Johannesburg, then 30 minutes by train to the city of Pretoria, which is even called the “city of jacaranda”.
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If you’ve already seen a sakura in Japan but can’t get enough, head to South Africa. The jacaranda blooms bright purple, turning everything around you into an amazing fairy tale, which can only be experienced here.
You can see the blossoms everywhere — trees decorate the city, blooming next to cafes, in parks and just on the streets. In October, the capital is literally enveloped in a haze of blue-lilac.
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The students especially enjoy the blossoming of the violet tree, because this is the end of the school year, so the blooming period of the jacaranda is closely linked to the student culture and omens. For example, there is a belief: if a bunch of jacaranda blossoms fall on your head, you will pass all your exams. Some superstitious students call the plant “lilac panic” and believe that until the jacaranda blooms, it is too early to prepare for exams, and when it blooms, it is too late.
As a side note, the Jacaranda Festival in October celebrates the blossoming of the jacaranda. Flea markets, concerts, theatrical performances, and fairground rides appear in the main streets.
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Lupines in New Zealand
- Plants: lupines
- Blossoming season: from mid-November to early January
- Directions: by plane to Christchurch, then take the State Highway 8 by car to Lake Tekapo Township
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New Zealand is worth going not only to the filming locations of “The Lord of the Rings”, for unique fauna and wine, but also to see a unique type of flowers blooming — there are thousands of tricolor lupines on the shores of Lake Tekapo.
Blue, purple, orange, yellow, pink, white or even bicolor — near Lake Tekapo you can see a real feast of colours. In addition to the spectacular scenery of the lupine valley, the island is surrounded by many mountains with snow-capped peaks.
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Legend has it that the wife of a local farmer decided to beautify the shores of Lake Tekapo and for several years diligently planted lupine seeds. The perennial flowers quickly spread and now every summer when they bloom, the lake’s surroundings are colored in a blue-purple-pink palette.
Unfortunately, all this fragrance lasts a little over a month (from mid-November to early January), but even this period is enough to fall in love with incredibly beautiful pictures created by nature itself.
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Seeing the wonders of large-scale blooms is worth seeing at least once in a lifetime. Opportunities abound: choose your favorite flower, book a nice hotel and go on an adventure. It will not only be a lifetime memory, but also a good lesson on why you should protect our planet.
