With explosions of color and soft floral aromas, spring in Europe is a festival for the senses. There is a long list of options when it comes to celebrating this season of rebirth—some well-known, others off the beaten path. Here are some of our favorites.
The Patios Festival in Cordoba, Spain
For one week in early May, the people of Cordoba open their private courtyards and walled gardens to share with the public. La Fiesta de los Patios de Córdoba (the Patios Festival) is a uniquely colorful tradition that dates back to 1918. Locals lovingly fill their outdoor spaces with layers of geraniums and other potted flowers then hold a hidden garden open house of sorts. The event is free, though it is customary to drop small donations as you visit. Plan your Andalusia UnTour for early May so you can join the locals in discovering all of this hidden beauty.
Monet’s Garden in Giverny, France
The gardens of impressionist painter Claude Monet have been etched into our collective consciousness by his timeless art. Monet and his family settled among the natural beauty and tranquility outside of Paris in 1883. Today, the gardens, which gradually change throughout the seasons, are open from late March through October. Giverny is a very popular day trip for guests on our Paris UnTour and you may find you recognize features like the water garden with its lilies, the wisteria-covered Japanese bridge, or the tulip garden.
Provence, France
There is nothing quite like seeing lavender in Provence in summer (not spring, but it’s worth a mention!). From mid-June through mid-July (sometimes lingering later at higher elevations near Sault), the fields across Valensole and around the iconic Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque turn a soft, rolling violet, humming with bees and glowing in the long golden light of early summer. Peak bloom typically falls in late June and early July, with harvest beginning soon after in lower elevations—but lavender here is more than a season, it’s a way of life. It appears in open-air markets, tucked into linen drawers, infused in honey, soap, and apéritifs, woven into the region’s quiet commitment to savoring what is in season.
Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse, Holland
For many travelers, spring flowers mean one thing: the tulip fields of Holland. Keukenhof is one of the largest flower gardens in the world, showcasing some 7 million spring-flowering bulbs. For 8 weeks, normally starting the last week in March, the colorful blooms go on seemingly forever and feature every variety of tulips under the sun! This incredible spectacle makes a great addition to a springtime Leiden UnTour.
Volksgarten in Vienna, Austria
The People’s Garden (Volksgarten) is a public park in Vienna’s Innere Stadt, the city’s central district. With the Hofburg Palace and the Austrian Parliament Building as a backdrop, the garden blooms with roses of every hue in springtime. The flowers, fountains, and monuments make this an ideal place for a quiet stroll on your Vienna UnTour.