The fragrant, pink cherry blossoms that are so synonymous with spring are most closely associated with Japan, but the blooms are not limited to the island nation. In fact, there are dozens of sites around the world that are known for their cherry blossoms and associated festivals. You’ve probably heard of Washington, D.C.,’s spectacle—the festival often draws in more than 1.5 million people each year—and you might have even heard of Brooklyn’s celebrations at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. But here we’ve rounded up seven more destinations to celebrate one of spring’s most popular floral events.
Known as the Cherry City, Salem earned its moniker due to the acres of cherry orchards that once covered the area. Though the city is no longer a top producer of cherries, it honors its heritage with rows of cherry trees planted along the Capitol Mall and lining streets across the city. Salem celebrates Cherry Blossom Day each year, which also signifies its bond with its sister city, Kawagoe City in Japan.
With a long history as a trade city, Hamburg is quite multicultural, and it has strong ties to its sister city Osaka, Japan—quite a number of Japanese companies have offices here. In thanks for the Germans’ hospitality, Japan gifted Hamburg 5,000 cherry trees in 1968, and each year since, the city has hosted a grand festival with a fireworks display. Visit the Alsterpark to see rows of blossoming trees each spring.
In the early 20th century, thousands of Japanese immigrated to Brazil, which today has the largest population of Japanese people outside of Japan. With them they brought cherry blossoms, and one of the best cities to experience the bloom is Curitiba. While you can find cherry trees lining some streets and growing in parks, some of the best places to see the blossoms are the Jardim Botânico and the Praça do Japão (Japanese Garden). Just remember that the blossom schedule is different here: The flowers bloom in July, which is wintertime.
The port city of Jinhae in South Korea is known for its cherry tree–lined Yeojwacheon Stream, as well as the number of parks in the city that also sport the pink blooms. Each year the city holds the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, which is the largest spring festival in Korea. Thousands come to experience the blossoms during the affair, which also includes art installations, fireworks, and parades.
Located in the Extremadura region of Spain, the Jerte Valley is a major producer of cherries—as such, each spring, you’ll see white blooms covering the one and a half million trees in the area. There is, of course, a two-week cherry blossom festival (called the Fiesta Cerezo en Flor) to celebrate the coming of spring, and some 50,000 guests attend annually. Try the region’s cherry wines and liquors, as well as the jams.
While the southern United States doesn’t often grow cherry trees, Macon, Georgia, resident William A. Fickling found one on his property in 1949—he didn’t know what it was until he visited Washington, D.C., sometime later. Struck by its beauty, he promoted the planting of cherry trees all around Macon. In 1982 the city held its first International Cherry Blossom Festival, and it’s grown to be one of the city’s most popular events.
Despite the rainy nature of the Pacific Northwest, Vancouver offers its residents and visitors a warm welcome to spring with the blooming of some 40,000 cherry trees across the city. The Japanese cities of Kobe and Yokohama gifted Vancouver its first 500 trees in the 1930s, thanking the city for honoring the Japanese Canadians who fought in World War I. Today the city holds an annual festival that lasts an entire month—enjoy live performances of taiko drummers, sake tastings, and other cultural activities.
