The weather is finally warming up in the northern hemisphere, so some of us at The Department of Wandering are just itching to get outside to enjoy the sunshine! One of the best things about spring and summer is how everything begins to bloom, so we?�ve decided to put together a list of the prettiest flower festivals worth travelling for. Read on to see which ones you?�ll want to add to your own bucket list!
The prettiest flower festivals worth travelling for:
Cherry blossom festivals
Nothing says ‘spring is here??quite like waking up to see miles and miles of pastel pink flowers. They?�re so delicate that they only last a week or two and then they?�re gone for the rest of the year. Throughout history, artists have always been inspired by the ephemeral blossoms and you can find everything from haikus to paintings to even the occasional pop song dedicated to sakura.
Of course, as the original source of the cherry blossom tree, Japan is the best place to see them in bloom. Nearby Korea, China, and Taiwan also all have their own cherry blossom festivals as well if you want to make it a multi-country trip. If you can?�t make it over to Asia, plenty of other countries have their own cherry blossom festivals as well. Washington D.C. is perhaps the most famous location in the United States.
Tulip festivals
While tulips are actually from Asia, it?�s the Netherlands we often think of when we imagine them today. This is probably because of how crazy Tulip mania was in the 1630s.
The absolute best place to see them in the Netherlands is Keukenhof where there are over seven million tulips in one area. Other top places to see them are the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden in India, considered the largest of its kind in Asia, and the Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa, which is considered the largest in the world.
Rose festivals
Is there any flower as famous as the rose? Blame it on that Shakespeare quote, ‘a rose by any other name would smell as sweet??em>. Of all the flowers out there, the rose is the most obvious representation of love. Besides Shakespeare, many poets, novelists, painters, and singers reference the rose. Even as I?�m writing this, I?�m humming the tune to ‘Every Rose Has Its Thorn??by Poison!
You can find rose festivals all over the world. The Rose Valley in Bulgaria is responsible for the production of most rose oil out there and its festival has been held for over a century. Also, Portland in Oregon is known as the ‘City of Roses??and has a month of festivities to celebrate their bloom. If you happen to be in Korea, you might want to pop down to the Gokseong Rose Festival in mid-late May. It?�s very much in the middle of the countryside but it?�s worth the trip!
Sunflower festivals
Nothing quite evokes instant happiness like seeing a field of sunflowers! There?�s just something about their yellow hues.
While they?�re originally from North America, you can find a field almost anywhere in the world. From Oregon, France, Australia and even Thailand! Our advice is to search for your location and ‘sunflower fields??to find a field near you. Then look for their Facebook page for updates on when the flowers are fully in bloom.
Lavender festivals
Lavender blooms throughout the summer and is perhaps the most fragrant festival on this list, even more than the roses! People have used lavender as far back as Ancient Greece, though their name for it, nard, isn?�t quite as poetic. Most people use it as an essential oil but you can also incorporate it into different foods and drinks.
Lavender mostly originates from Cape Verde and the Canary Islands, but the real country to see fields upon fields of purple has to be the United Kingdom. From the Mayfield Festival near London, to the Cotswolds??fairytale backdrop, there are plenty of places to see them.
And there you have it! Five of the prettiest flower festivals worth travelling for and where to find them.
For more spring and summer travel guides, read these next:
- Where to Experience the Best of Japan in Spring
- Top 5 Exotic Destinations You Shouldn?�t Miss This Summer
- Where to Find Cherry Blossoms in Korea
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What are some of the best flower festivals you?�ve traveled to?
Love this post! Cherry blossoms in D.C. are definitely on my bucket list. Hoping to see the lavender in the UK later this year! ??
Thanks Maja! Hoping you get to see both the blossoms and lavender blooming this year!