12 of the best places to go in Europe in spring

Whether you’re on the coldest stretches of remote Scandinavian islands or the sunniest coast of Spain, the return of spring to Europe is always a welcome thing. The changing season brings warmer weather, blushing blossoms and the reopening of many hotels, tour operators and other businesses that may have shut down for the winter. 

Eager tourists could go on a food-filled city break or take an epic hike along a windswept coastline. Whatever it might be, we have plenty of travel inspiration right here, broken down by month to reflect the best weather conditions across the continent. Pinpoint the right trip for you with this guide of where to go in Europe during spring 2025.

March 

1. The Algarve, Portugal 

Best for relaxation 

Spring comes early to the Algarve, mainland Portugal’s most southerly, sunniest and driest region. The mercury nudges toward 20°C (68°F) and rainfall declines, while blossom falls from the almond trees and wildflowers bloom: now’s the time to shake off the winter torpor and stretch out limbs and psyche alike. Yoga retreats are clustered along the Algarve’s southern coast and up towards the border with the Alentejo, offering classes and longer courses; many augment yoga and meditation techniques with other aspects of mindfulness and, in many cases, surfing. As the high season hasn’t kicked in yet, March offers good value and plenty of accommodation choice. It’s also prime time for walking the dramatic trails north along the Atlantic Coast and exploring the historic old towns of Faro and Lagos.

2. Mallorca, Spain 

Best for spring blossoms 

The "snow of Mallorca" still blankets the hillsides of this Balearic island in March – not actual, frozen-water snow, but the pinky-white blossom of countless almond trees that give Mallorca its distinctive icing-sugar coating at the start of the year. And as the blossoms fall in early March, so the increasingly warm weather makes exploring a delight – before the arrival of masses of package tourists, but with plenty of sunshine to enjoy the beaches, roam traditional honey-hued towns and villages such as Deià, Fornalutx and Sóller, and hike the heights of the Serra de Tramuntana. It’s also a great time to go to Palma de Mallorca, one of Lonely Planet’s best cities to visit in 2025. The capital’s Old Town is a charming historic district, with wonderful palaces, museums, squares and the monumental cathedral. 

3. Peloponnese, Greece 

Best for exploring ruins 

The hand-shaped peninsula of the Peloponnese has some of Greece’s top beaches, best-preserved ancient and medieval sites, most appealing mountains and the original Arcadia. Somehow, though, it sees only a fraction of the tourists that besiege other corners of the country. March promises sparse crowds but clement temperatures for walking, and more choices for reasonable accommodation. Must-sees include Olympia, where the Olympic Games were held for over a thousand years; the citadel of Mycenae, swirled by Homeric legends; Epidaurus’ 14,000-seater amphitheater; and the Byzantine port of Monemvasia. The wild Mani peninsula offers fine hiking, particularly around Výros Gorge, as well as alluring villages, while the west coast has some of Greece’s best sand. Food is fresh and fabulous: Kalamata is famed for its plump olives, while aubergines, fish and honey feature in many local treats; look out, too, for Agiorgitiko red wines. 

Planning tip: Buses, trains and ferries run from near Athens to the Peloponnese. Check bus times: services may be reduced outside high season. 

4. Istanbul 

Best for a city break 

You might debate which is the greatest treasure of Istanbul: the incredible sixth-century Hagia Sophia? Sprawling, opulent Topkapı Palace? The domes, minarets and ornate azure tilework of the Blue Mosque? Wander among them all to decide for yourself, and in March, as things begin to warm up towards the end of the low season, you can enjoy discounts, smaller crowds and more forgiving weather. 

But save some time for the greatest legacy the Ottomans left the world: food! Why else would the Spice Bazaar be so huge and bustling? From simple kebabs to meze feasts and the luscious aubergine masterpiece, imam bayaldi, there are few cuisines as indulgent as Turkish. Over the past couple of decades, a roster of excellent food-themed walking tours and cookery schools has sprung up in Istanbul, providing the opportunity to combine a spring city break with a culinary reboot. 

Planning tip: Base yourself in the Sultanahmet district, on the west (European) side of the Bosphorus, for easy access to the Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar and most historic sites. 

April 

5. Lake Maggiore, Italy  

Best for elegance 

Northern Italy’s not short on gorgeous lakes. Como, Garda, Lugano, Iseo – each has unique charms, and all have lured travelers since before the days of the Grand Tour. As the elite built grand villas on their shores, competitive construction led to the creation of some truly spectacular landscapes – formal or classical, floral or verdant. But none comes close to the wedding-cake extravagance of lsola Bella on Lake Maggiore where, in the 17th century, Count Borromeo created a 10-tiered, 37m-high (121ft) garden for his wife Isabella. Come in April, just after it opens for the year but before the hordes intensify, to absorb its Baroque excess in relative peace. This is a great month to visit Maggiore in general, as the lake’s delightful towns awaken – Cannobio, Stresa and Verbania, where you can admire the lavish botanic gardens at Villa Taranto, open from April. 

Detour: Little Lake Orta, some 20km (12 miles) west of Maggiore, is also a charmer. Go to the lovely cobbled, pastel-hued village of Orta San Giulio and sail to Isola San Giulio to admire its 12th-century basilica. 

6. Azores, Portugal  

Best for wildlife watching 

The nine islands of the Azores are remote indeed, scattered 1500km (932 miles) west of their Portuguese motherland. Created by up-thrusting seabed volcanoes, this mid-Atlantic archipelago is a playground of gnarled rocks, black sands, lava tubes, crater lakes and soaring cones – yet it’s also endlessly green, and produces excellent wines. 

April brings spring blossoms – the azaleas are incredible – and mesmerizing marine wildlife: 24 of the world’s 80 whale species are seen off the Azores. One species you’re less likely to encounter is the tourist: April is wonderfully quiet. Join a boat tour to spot the oceanic behemoths, or watch from clifftop vigias – former whale-hunters’ lookout towers, repurposed for eco-tourists. You could also head to Pico Island to bag Portugal’s highest peak (2351m/7713ft), hike around lakes and enjoy birdwatching and flowers on Flores, or plan a cycling trip on Terceira, the "lilac isle." 

7. Lošinj, Croatia

Best for outdoor activities 

Feeling jaded after the long, dark winter? We prescribe a spring visit to Croatia’s "Island of Vitality," Lošinj. Since the late 19th century, physicians have recognized the healing properties of Lošinj – a potent brew of sunshine (more than 2500 hours annually), translucent water and clear air scented with pine and medicinal herbs. 

The beaches are packed in July and August – but in April you can have the historic ports, pine forests, fishing villages, seafood restaurants and gorgeous Adriatic-lapped Čikat Bay pretty much to yourself. Various hotels have spas focusing on wellness and health, but it’s easy to DIY: roam around more than 250km (155 miles) of hiking and cycling trails, inhaling pine-tinged air in the forest parks of Pod Javori and Čikat, and the aromas of the Garden of Fine Scents in Mali Lošinj. Keep an eye out for dolphins at sea, and pop across to neighboring Cres island to watch magnificent griffon vultures. See? You feel better already. 

Planning tip: Some businesses, including dolphin-watching boat tour companies, may not operate till May. 

8. Las Alpujarras, Spain

Best for scenic villages

A string of white-painted villages speckle the southern foothills of the Sierra Nevada – the region known as Las Alpujarras – that provided a haven for the Moors expelled from Granada in 1492. Still more Moroccan than Spanish in many ways, this region is typified by its traditional farming villages. April is the ideal time to visit, whether you want to relax in warm spring sunshine, hike tantalizing trails through blossoming orange groves, or perhaps learn local cuisine – various places offer lessons or courses where you can master everything from almond and garlic soup to rich stews. Semana Santa (Easter) celebrations, usually in April, bring huge parades, and there’s still the chance to snow-shoe in the high Sierra. A string of fine beaches – much quieter before the summer peak – are just a hop away to the south. 

May

9. Connemara, Ireland 

Best for a road trip 

Wild and wonderful Connemara has a bit of everything: glittering lakes (loughs), sea islands and inlets, heathery bogs, craggy mountains and imposing castles (some of which are fancy hotels), not to mention a thriving Irish culture. Here, you can mix activities, scenic drives, traditional pubs and historic sites as you see fit. 

May is clement enough – one of Ireland’s driest months, with highs of around 15°C (59°F) – to enable indoor and outdoor exploring. Following the Sky Road, which cuts through Connemara from Clifden, provides views of the dramatically incised coast; the R334, along the Lough Inagh Valley, gives views of the Maumturk mountains on one side, the Twelve Bens on the other. Do make frequent stops as you tour around: at Kylemore Abbey, with its Gothic church, Victorian garden and lakeside grounds; at steep-sided Killary Harbour; and at the galleries of Roundstone village.

10. Loire Valley, France 

Best for food 

No river is as resplendent as the Loire. Draped in weeping willows, lined by vineyards and flanked by a parade of châteaux, palaces and pretty towns, it’s in a class of its own. There’s plenty of history, from Joan of Arc links in Orléans to the royal tombs at Fontevraud’s abbey, and wonderful wine and food at Michelin-starred restaurants or simple family auberges – plus, in May, markets are full of strawberries and asparagus. 

Any overindulgence can be offset by delightful canoe paddles and strolls or cycles along the riverbank. This caliber of destination attracts crowds, but May is much quieter than high summer. You can admire the valley’s cavalcade of castles – enormous Chambord, river-spanning Chenonceau, exquisitely furnished Cheverny – before things get seriously busy, or plump for off-the-beaten-track châteaux such as Brissac, Brézé and Beauregard. 

11. Faroe Islands

Best for epic scenery 

A cluster of 18 small basalt skerries rearing up from the North Atlantic, the Faroe Islands is a place of human and natural drama, of sheer cliffs and plunging waterfalls, remote fishing villages, grass-roofed farmsteads and the remains of ancient Viking settlements. In May, as the weather becomes drier and more clement, the islands awaken from winter torpor: migratory seabirds arrive in their millions to breed – puffins, gannets, razorbills, fulmars, shags, kittiwakes, guillemots – and attractions reopen. 

Venture to the raucous seabird colonies at Mykines and Vestmanna, wander the fishing harbor and medieval core of tiny capital Tórshavn, and venture to remote settlements such as Saksun, where the fascinating farm-museum reveals how tough life has been for the Faroese over the centuries. Most of all, though, simply drink in the views of soaring sea stacks, high moors trilling with the calls of whimbrels and curlews, fjords and coastal hamlets and roaring cascades. It’ll probably rain. Then sun. Then mist over. Then sun some more. And it’ll be all the more magical for it. 

Planning tip: Fly to the Faroes’ only international airport, Vágar, then hire a car or – if you’re feeling intrepid – bike: most roads are fairly quiet and distances relatively short, though hills are steep, winds strong and tunnels scary.

12. Bosnia and Hercegovina

Best for a bit of everything 

If travelers make it to Bosnia and Hercegovina, they make it mainly to Mostar, which is great – the Ottoman city and its iconic bridge are splendid. But this still largely offbeat Balkan has far more going for it than just Mostar, especially in May, when the flowers are blooming and the average high is around 18°C (64°F). 

Start in the south, in the walled old town of Trebinje, or in hillside Počitelj, a small, picturesque but uncrowded medieval center; impressive Kravica Waterfall – Hercegovina’s answer to Niagara – is nearby. Do visit Mostar, then continue north, perhaps to the mountain village of Lukomir, where you’ll encounter traditional dress, food, houses and hospitality. After a couple of hedonistic nights in the capital city Sarajevo, make for the lakes, waterfall and historic center of Jajce. Further north still, the Una River roars – snowmelt makes the water super-exciting in May, great for rafting and canoeing trips around Bihać.