Summer in Europe is overrated. There, we said it. The continent's most popular cities are at their most crowded, most expensive, and most uncomfortably hot between June and August. Meanwhile, spring — roughly March through May — delivers the same beauty with a fraction of the chaos.
Flights are cheaper. Hotels have availability. Museum lines are shorter. And the weather? Warm enough for outdoor dining but cool enough for all-day walking. If you have any flexibility in your travel calendar, spring is the move.
Here are twelve cities that are particularly exceptional during the spring months, along with what makes each one worth the trip.
1. Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon in spring is close to perfect. Daytime temperatures hover around 18-22 degrees Celsius — ideal for climbing the city's seven hills without overheating. The famous Alfama district, which becomes uncomfortably packed in summer, is genuinely pleasant to wander in April. Street musicians play in half-empty squares. You can actually get a table at a rooftop bar without a reservation.
The real draw is the light. Lisbon's famous golden light — the reason artists have been drawn here for centuries — is at its most dramatic in spring, when afternoon sun catches the white limestone facades and terracotta rooftops. The city's miradouros (viewpoints) are spectacular any time of year, but in spring you can linger without competing for space.
2. Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona in summer is 35 degrees and shoulder-to-shoulder on Las Ramblas. Barcelona in April is 20 degrees and civilized. You can visit the Sagrada Familia without booking tickets three weeks in advance. Park Guell feels like a park again, not a theme park queue. The beaches are empty enough to actually sit down.
Spring is also when the city's food markets hit peak season. La Boqueria overflows with strawberries, artichokes, and fresh almonds. The Catalan tradition of calcots (grilled spring onions) runs through March, and the outdoor calcotades are one of Spain's most joyful culinary experiences.
3. Amsterdam, Netherlands
There is exactly one reason Amsterdam belongs on a spring list, and it's a very good one: tulips. The Keukenhof gardens, about 30 minutes outside the city, open from mid-March to mid-May and contain seven million bulbs in bloom. It's genuinely one of the most visually overwhelming places on earth.
But beyond the tulips, Amsterdam in spring means cycling along the canals without dodging summer tourist crowds, sitting outside at brown cafes along the Jordaan, and visiting the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum with reasonable wait times. King's Day on April 27th transforms the entire city into an enormous orange-clad street party — chaotic, loud, and absolutely worth experiencing once.
4. Prague, Czech Republic
Prague is one of Europe's most beautiful cities, and spring is when it photographs best. The cherry blossoms at Petrin Hill create a pink canopy over the walking paths, with views of the Old Town's spires below. Charles Bridge at sunrise in April — when the light is soft and the crowds haven't arrived — is one of those travel moments that genuinely lives up to the photos.
It's also one of Europe's most affordable capitals. A proper Czech lunch with beer costs under 8 euros. Spring beer gardens open in March, and the Czech tradition of sitting outdoors with a half-liter of Pilsner and a plate of svickova (beef with cream sauce) is one of life's simple, perfect pleasures.
Wandora covers all 12 of these cities with detailed landmark guides, insider tips from locals, and AI-powered recommendations. Ask the Wandora AI "what's blooming in Amsterdam right now?" or "best outdoor lunch spot in Prague" and get answers tailored to the current season.
5. Vienna, Austria
Vienna's famous coffee house culture is a year-round affair, but spring adds a layer: the Schanigarten. That's the Viennese term for the outdoor terrace extensions that cafes set up starting in March. Suddenly, Cafe Central and Cafe Sperl spill onto the sidewalks, and the entire city takes on a relaxed, Mediterranean feel that seems to contradict its Habsburg formality.
The Prater amusement park reopens in spring, the Naschmarkt food market is at its liveliest, and the Vienna State Opera offers standing-room tickets for 4 euros — one of the world's great cultural bargains. Catch a performance, then walk home through the illuminated Ringstrasse at 11 PM. That's Vienna at its best.
6. Budapest, Hungary
Budapest's thermal baths are famous as a winter activity, but spring transforms them. The outdoor pools at Szechenyi and Gellert become genuinely pleasant — warm water, cool air, sunshine. It's the perfect combination. The ruin bars of the Jewish Quarter move their seating outdoors, and the Danube promenade becomes a continuous evening stroll from the Chain Bridge to the Parliament building.
Spring also brings the Budapest Spring Festival, one of Central Europe's largest cultural events, with concerts, theater, and exhibitions across the city throughout April.
7. Athens, Greece
Athens in July is 40 degrees and the Acropolis feels like a solar panel. Athens in April is 22 degrees and the Acropolis feels like what it is: one of the most important places in human civilization. You can actually stand at the Parthenon and think about Pericles instead of thinking about heat stroke.
Spring wildflowers cover the hills around the Ancient Agora. The neighborhoods of Plaka and Anafiotika are quiet enough to hear birdsong. And the Athenian food scene — which has undergone a remarkable renaissance in the past five years — is easier to access, with reservations available at restaurants that are fully booked through summer.
8. Dubrovnik, Croatia
Dubrovnik has a well-documented overtourism problem in summer, when cruise ships disgorge thousands of visitors into its compact Old Town. Spring solves this almost entirely. In April, you can walk the city walls without being stuck in a human traffic jam. You can find a seat at a cafe on the Stradun. You can swim at Banje Beach without laying your towel on someone else's towel.
The Adriatic is still cool for swimming in March and early April, but by May the water temperature is comfortable. Day trips to the Elafiti Islands and Lokrum Island are uncrowded and beautiful.
9. Florence, Italy
The Uffizi Gallery in August involves a two-hour queue in direct sunlight. The Uffizi in April involves a twenty-minute wait and air you can breathe. Florence's Renaissance treasures deserve contemplation, not survival tactics, and spring provides the conditions for actually absorbing what you're seeing.
The Tuscan countryside surrounding Florence is at its most beautiful in spring — rolling hills covered in wildflowers, cypress trees against blue skies, vineyards just beginning to green. A day trip to the Chianti region in April, with a long lunch at a vineyard, is about as good as travel gets.
10. Bruges, Belgium
Bruges is small enough that summer crowds can make it feel like a theme park. In spring, it feels like a city again — a remarkably well-preserved medieval city with canals, cobblestones, and some of the best chocolate and beer on earth. The boat tours along the canals are peaceful rather than packed. The Belfry tower climb rewards you with views over quiet rooftops rather than crowds below.
Belgian beer culture is a year-round affair, but spring brings seasonal brews and the opening of outdoor terraces along the Markt square. Pair a Brugse Zot with a cone of Belgian frites and you have one of Europe's most satisfying simple meals.
11. Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen emerges from winter like a bear from hibernation — slowly at first, then all at once. By April, Tivoli Gardens reopens, the harbourside at Nyhavn fills with outdoor diners, and the city's remarkable cycling culture shifts from grim determination to visible joy. Copenhageners celebrate spring with an enthusiasm that's infectious.
The food scene — Copenhagen is home to some of the world's best restaurants — is slightly easier to access in spring. Noma's seasonal menu shifts to showcase spring ingredients, and the city's more accessible restaurants (Gasoline Grill, Reffen street food market) move outdoors.
12. Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul in spring is perhaps the single best city-season combination in Europe. The tulip festival in April fills parks across the city with millions of blooms — tulips originated in Turkey, not the Netherlands, and Istanbul reclaims that heritage every spring with spectacular displays in Emirgan Park and Gulhane Park.
The weather is ideal for mosque-hopping in the Old City, wandering the Grand Bazaar without overheating, and taking a Bosphorus ferry with the windows open. The Asian side neighborhoods of Kadikoy and Moda are at their liveliest, with outdoor markets and waterfront dining. And the prices remain a fraction of Western European capitals — a full Turkish breakfast spread for two costs what a single coffee costs in Copenhagen.
Istanbul is one of Wandora's most detailed city guides, with over 80 curated landmarks including hidden gems that most tourists never discover. The AI guide can help you navigate the Grand Bazaar, find the best baklava in Karakoy, and plan a perfect Bosphorus day trip — all offline.
Planning Your Spring Europe Trip
A few practical notes. Book flights in January or February for the best spring fares — prices jump once school holidays begin in many countries. Consider shoulder dates: late March and early May offer the best value, while Easter week (varies by year) is the one spring period when prices spike.
Pack layers. Spring weather in Europe is variable — you might get 25 degrees in Barcelona and 10 degrees in Copenhagen in the same week. A light jacket, a rain layer, and comfortable walking shoes cover most scenarios.
Most importantly, resist the urge to cram too many cities into one trip. Two cities in ten days beats five cities in ten days, every time. Spring rewards slow travel — lingering at outdoor cafes, wandering without a plan, stumbling into a neighborhood festival you didn't know existed. That's the kind of travel that stays with you.