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Where to enjoy cherry blossom trees in Germany

The cherry blossom season is getting underway. We've got some suggestions of the best spots in Germany to visit to enjoy the fleeting flush of pink flowers,

Bonn's famous Heerstraße during cherry blossom season.
Bonn's famous Heerstraße during cherry blossom season. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Volker Lannert

Every spring in Germany, seeing pink blossoms erupt on the trees is one of the most joyful experiences of the new season.

These iconic trees – which are also known as Japanese cherry or sakura – are as magical as they are fleeting. One week you’re walking under a canopy of rose-coloured blossom, and the next thing you know it’s gone. 

Even so, residents and tourists alike get excited when they see this sudden burst of colour after the long winter. It means that warm weather, light summer evenings, beer gardens and al fresco dining are finally on their way.

While the cherry blossom has a particularly strong place in Japanese culture, you may be excited to know that Germany also has a fair few beauty spots to check out where these trees take centre stage. 

Here’s a rundown of some of the best places to go for a cherry-blossom inspired hike or enjoy a picnic under the sakura on a sunny day. 

READ ALSO: Seven signs that spring has arrived in Germany

Bonn

Cherry blossom avenue Bonn

Visitors take photos along Bonn’s famous Cherry Blossom Avenue. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Kevin Kurek

To truly feel transported to Japan, look no further than the western German city of Bonn, where the arrival of cherry blossom is a really big deal. 

Every year, the picturesque Altstadt is flooded with pink flowers – not to mention tourists and Instagram influencers looking for that perfect snap. For the most breathtaking experience, head to Breite Straße and the nearby Heerstraße. The latter is a long, wide street that’s so famous for its cherry blossom that it has been nicknamed Cherry Blossom Avenue by locals. 

While walking under a ceiling of pink is an experience in itself, the city of Bonn also organises several events that are centred around cherry blossom at this time of year. There are car-free weekends where visitors can stroll along Heerstraße without traffic, photography competitions and Haiku recitals – to name just a few.

Alternatively, you can take in the sights of the city – from the Sterntor to Professor-Neu-Allee in Beuel – on a stunning 15-kilometre cherry blossom tour.

READ ALSO: Nine expressions that perfectly sum up spring in Germany

Düsseldorf

Cherry blossoms in Düsseldorf

Cherry blossoms in the Düsseldorf district of Hubbelrath. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | David Young

North Rhine-Westphalia’s capital is a wonderful place to visit when the cherry blossom comes – not least because the city is home to the largest Japanese community in Germany.

In the run-up to the annual Japantag festival on June 1st 2024, you can get enjoy a small preview by heading to the EKO House of Japanese Culture and strolling the gardens. With traditional wooden houses and gardens vibrant with cherry blossom you can almost forget you’re in Germany – and there are countless cultural events to enjoy while you’re there.

But Düsseldorf’s cherry blossom offering doesn’t end there: whether you’re sipping a coffee on the historic Fürstenplatz or walking along Tannestraße in the city’s hip district of Derendorf, you’re bound to come across these iconic trees almost everywhere you look. 

Berlin

Cherry blossom trees in a stretch of the Berlin Mauerweg

Cherry blossom trees in a famous stretch of the Berlin Mauerweg near Bornholmer Straße. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Bernd von Jutrczenka

Cherry blossom has a unique place in the history of Germany’s capital, where the symbolism of hope and renewal takes on a far more powerful meaning.

Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, Japanese broadcaster Asahi TV ran a campaign for donations to buy cherry blossom trees for the recently reunified city. It did so well that they were able to plant thousands of trees throughout Berlin, and the vast majority of them now run along the fault lines of the former wall. 

If you want to see Berlin’s cherry blossom avenues in spring, the best way to do it is to head to the Mauerweg: a long winding trail that marks where the city was once divided. Stretches of the trail near Bornholmer Straße in the north and Lichterfelde Süd in the south are good places to start, or you can see a magnificent stretch of 45 trees along the Landwehr Canal that divides Neukölln and Treptow. A full map of cherry blossom hotspots can be found on the Visit Berlin website. 

The city also has two big festivals in celebration of cherry blossom season: a joyful spring festival at the Gärten der Welt (which also boasts its own Japanese garden) and the traditionally Japanese Kirschblütenfest (Cherry Blossom Festival). 

READ ALSO: Eight wonderful ways to celebrate spring in Germany

Berchtesgadener Land

Cherry blossom in the Kurpark at Berchtesgarden

Cherry blossom in the Kurpark at Berchtesgarden Kongresshaus. Source: Berchtesgadener Land Tourismus

Cherry blossom is something special wherever you encounter it, but arguably the most jaw-dropping place to see it is in the alpine region of Berchtesgaden in Bavaria.

Here, the blossom arrives that bit later – around the end of April – and the pink appears that bit brighter against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains and a bright blue sky. If you squint a bit, you can even pretend you’re somewhere near Mount Fuji.

To get that show-stopping picture that will make all your friends jealous, head to the Kurgarten at Kongresshaus Berchtesgaden and enjoy a long walk along a blossom-lined avenue. With spring fountains trickling, the idyllic Franziskaner Church nearby and a glimpse of the Austrian border on a clear day, this is definitely an experience to treasure. 

READ ALSO: The five best Bavarian lakes for a spring day trip

Dresden

Cherry blossom along Dresden's Elbufer at sunset.

Cherry blossom along Dresden’s Elbufer at sunset. Photo: picture alliance / dpa | Matthias Hiekel

It may not have a reputation for being Germany’s prettiest city, but parts of Dresden in spring are worthy of a renaissance painting – and certainly a few Instagram snaps.

To soak up the spring atmosphere, head along the banks of the Elbe in Dresden’s Neustadt when the cherry blossom is in full bloom. If you stop between Rosengarten and Marienbrücke, you’ll not only see magnificent views over Dresden – including the famous Frauenkirche – but you can also enjoy a scenic picnic under a canopy of pink.

As you finish your stroll at Marienbrücke, you’ll even pass the so-called Japanese Palace, an 18th century mansion with Japanese-inspired architectural features. 

Hamburg 

Cherry blossom in Hamburg's Alsterpark

Cherry blossom in Hamburg’s Alsterpark. Photo: picture alliance / dpa | Christian Charisius

Germany’s beautiful harbour city was also the beneficiary of numerous cherry trees from the Japanese, which remain a sign of friendship between Hamburg and its sister city of Osaka to the present day.

You can see hundreds of trees in bloom as you walk around the city – including hotspots at Kennedy Bridge and Alsterkrugchaussee – but the best place to be in cherry blossom season is undoubtedly Alsterpark. In this sprawling green space along the waterfront, you can find avenues awash with pink for at least a few weeks every year.

For a truly special experience, be sure to visit during the annual Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival – a special highlight of the spring calendar that has been held in the city since 1968. 

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REVEALED: Germany’s most popular cycling routes for summer

If you're looking to explore Germany and get fit at the same time, the five most popular bike routes in the country - compiled by members of the German Cycling Club - are bound to get you inspired.

REVEALED: Germany's most popular cycling routes for summer

With the summer holidays fast approaching, it’s the ideal time to start making plans for the long, sunny days and time off work or school. And for most German families, it just wouldn’t be summer without at least one cycling tour in the countryside. 

Beyond its enchanting natural landscapes, Germany boasts an incredible 100,000 kilometers of dedicated cycling trails – so it’s no wonder exploring the great outdoors on two wheels is something of a national pastime. 

Each year, the German Cycle Club (ADFC) conducts a poll of its members to pin down their five all-time favourite cycling routes – and this year there’s truly something for everybody.

With some stretching as long as 1,300km, these choices aren’t for the faint-hearted, but more casual cyclists will no doubt have fun picking a part of the route that takes in some breathtaking locations and sights, whether it’s the peaks of the Alps or the meandering banks of the Rhine.

Elbe Cycle Route (Elberadweg)

A view of the Elbe in the Saxon Switzerland

A view of the Elbe from the peaks of Saxon Switzerland. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Robert Michael

Length: 840km in Germany, 1,270km in total 
Difficulty: Easy to Medium

If you want a taste of how varied and unique different German regions can be, travelling the length of the Elberadweg from the Bad Schandau in Saxony to the North Sea coast is a great place to start.

Following the banks of the Elbe up from Dresden, you’ll take in cultural landmarks such as Dessau, the birthplace of Bauhaus, Lutherstadt Wittenberg and the imposing Magdeburg Cathedral. But arguably the highlight of this 840km route is the stretch of the Elbe that winds through the breathtaking rock formations of Saxon Switzerland as you cycle away from the Czech border.  

Further to the north, the Elberadweg takes you through the atmospheric port city of Hamburg and includes HafenCity and the famous Elbphilarmonie. Leaving the hustle and bustle and weaving along the estuary, you’ll end up the quiet coastal town of Cuxhaven in Lower Saxony where the Elbe flows into the North Sea.

The ADFC recommends doing the full trip in 13 stages, taking around two weeks. But if you’re really up for an adventure, you can spread over three weeks in 22 stages by starting in the Czech Republic and traversing the full 1,270km route from the Elbe’s source at Špindlerův Mlýn in the Bohemian Mountains. 

READ ALSO: 10 things to consider for a bike trip in Germany

Rhine Cycle Route (Rheinradweg)

Tourists take photographs of the scenic view atop Loreley, Germany

Tourists take photographs of the scenic view atop Loreley, a legendary cliff next to a curve in the Rhine. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Thomas Frey

Length: 1,320km in total, 800km in Germany
Level: Easy to Medium 

For a route that encompasses everything from Alpine panoramas to the industrial Rührgebiet, look no further than the Rheinradweg, otherwise known as Euro Velo 15. 

One of the most modern and well-maintained cycle routes in Europe, the full Euro Velo 15 stretches all the way from the source of the Rhine in the Swiss Alps to the Hook of Holland, but by far the longest stretch runs through Germany. 

If you start the route a little earlier in Switzerland, you’ll ride along the banks of idyllic Lake Constance before reaching Basel and weaving your way up through Baden-Württemberg. Along the way, you’ll take in the Black Forest and the elegant city of Karlsruhe, not far from the university towns of Freiburg and Heidelberg. 

Just a stone’s throw from the border with France, this part of Germany is known for its exceptional wine, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to relax with a chilled glass of Riesling after a long day of cycling. The route also takes in the Middle Rhine Valley, a romantic stretch of the river dotted with medieval castles and ancient forts, as well as the legendary Loreley Rock

At the northern end of the trail, you’ll pass through Bonn and Cologne in North Rhine-Westphalia before reaching Arnhem on the Dutch border. 

Doing the entirety of the Rhineradweg takes around 24 days, but if you’re staying entirely in Germany, it can be done in 2-3 weeks, depending on your fitness and how much time you factor in for enjoying a tipple or two.  

READ ALSO: Riding the Radweg: A guide to touring Germany by bike

Baltic Sea Coast Cycle Route (Ostseeküstenradweg

Views of the ocean on Rügen

The famous white cliffs of Rügen. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Jens Büttner

Length: 1,140km
Difficulty: Medium

If summer makes you yearn for sea, sand and rugged coastlines, the Baltic Sea Coast route will definitely tick all of your boxes. 

Starting in the northern seaside town of Flensburg near the Danish border, this charming route takes in pristine beaches, unspoilt islands and UNESCO World Heritage sites as it weaves through Schleswig-Holstein and into Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania. 

Highlights of the tour include the historic Hanseatic towns of Lübeck and Wismar, the upmarket seaside resort of Heiligendamm with its iconic white houses, and the cascading cliffs on the island of Rügen.

Along the way, you’ll also traverse the imaginatively named Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula, which boasts unbeatable bathing spots, and pass through Griefswald, the birthplace of romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich. The tour culminates on the beautiful island of Usedom, near the Polish border. 

Depending on your fitness and how much time you want to spend in the beach resorts and towns along the way, you should set aside around two weeks for the complete route. If you only have a week to spare, the route is easy to split the into two halves, travelling from Flensburg to Lübeck or Lübeck to Usedom. 

Weser Cycle Route (Weser-Radweg

A stretch of the Weser cycle route near Hamlin.

A stretch of the Weser cycle route near Hamlin. Photo: picture alliance / Deike Uhtenwoldt/dpa-tmn | Deike Uhtenwoldt

Length: 520km
Level: Easy 

When it comes to Germany’s most popular cycle routes, the Weser-Radweg often comes out on top: this year, it landed in the German Cycling Club’s top five for the fifth year running.

Taking in six diverse regions of the country, each with its own unique character, it’s easy to see why this route is so beloved.

You’ll start just outside Kassel in the town of Hann Münden and set off through the the Weser Upland Hills; a romantic nature park alive with fragrant wild flowers, rare lichens and peaceful moorlands. Passing through central Germany, you’ll take countless medieval villages and old castles in the rolling hills and can even stop off at the Pied Piper’s house in Hamlin. 

Culminating in Cuxhaven on the North Sea Coast, the route cuts through the Weser Marshes, taking in Bremerhaven with its famed Maritime Museum as well as the Hanseatic city of Bremen with its beautifully preserved Old Town and striking Gothic Town Hall.

At just 520km, the Weser-Radweg can be completed in just over a week, but those who prefer a more leisurely cycling holiday can stretch it out to 2-3 weeks. 

READ ALSO: Here are ten of Germany’s best (and longest) biking trails

Danube Cycle Route (Donauradweg)

Passau in Bavaria

A view of the Danube in the historic town of Passau, Bavaria. Photo: picture alliance / dpa | Armin Weigel

Length: 2,800 in total, 560km in Germany
Level: Easy to Medium 

If it’s awe-inspiring scenery you’re after as you explore the great outdoors, the Donauradweg may well be the ideal choice. Starting in the picturesque town of Donaueschingen in the Black Forest at the source of the Danube river, this 560km route will take you on a mesmerising ride through Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, all the way to the Austrian border.

Pedalling along the serene banks of the Danube, you’ll pass through Ulm, home to the world’s tallest church steeple, and Regensburg, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its well-preserved medieval Old Town. But the unrivalled highlight of this tour is undoubtedly the stretch that cuts through Bavarian Forest, where the river weaves along dramatic gorges and verdant valleys.

As you continue eastward, you’ll arrive at the vibrant city of Passau, situated on the Austrian border at the confluence of three rivers. Here, you can admire the baroque architecture and enjoy a hearty meal or even a leisurely boat trip as you congratulate yourself for your endeavours.

READ ALSO: 10 of the best hiking day trips from Munich

Despite Bavaria’s mountainous backdrop, the Donauradweg is relatively flat and shouldn’t pose a problem for seasoned cyclists. Depending on your fitness level and pace, you’ll want to set aside around 1-2 weeks to complete the stretch in Germany, though the full route through Austria and Hungary will take a fair bit longer. 

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