Petal to the Metal: 15 Spring Trips Worth Planning Now

Spring awakens everything. Light lingers longer, colors return in bold strokes, and the air feels charged with possibility. It’s the season that pulls us outside, invites us to wander, and reminds us how beautiful the world can be when it begins again.

Here are 15 of the most beautiful places to experience in the spring. 

Castelluccio, Umbria, Italy

Perched high in the Apennines, Castelluccio feels like it’s floating above the world each spring. The Piano Grande erupts into a painter’s palette of scarlet poppies, violet blooms, and ribbons of yellow rapeseed stretching to the horizon.

Crisp mountain air carries the scent of wildflowers, and quiet trails wind through rolling fields that glow beneath vast Umbrian skies.

Loire Valley, France

Spring settles gently over the Loire Valley, softening stone villages and coaxing vines back to life in tidy green rows. Along the riverbanks, wildflowers edge the water while elegant châteaux like Château de Chambord stand crisp against pale blue skies.

Long afternoons invite slow boat rides, market strolls, and the first glasses of the season’s bright, mineral-driven wines.

Bonn, Germany

Spring transforms Bonn into a wash of soft pink when cherry blossoms erupt along Heerstraße in the Nordstadt district. For a fleeting 2 to 3 weeks, branches arch overhead in a dense canopy, tinting the cobbled street in rosy light.

Just minutes from Beethoven House, the city feels lyrical, as if nature composed its own brief symphony.

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Spring arrives early in Victoria, washing the city in waves of pink as thousands of cherry trees bloom against crisp coastal skies. Azaleas flare in garden beds, and the famed Butchart Gardens bursts into layered color and fragrance.

By April, open air markets brim with fresh greens, warm pastries, and handmade treats, all framed by cool Pacific breezes.