Stunning Photos Of Cherry Blossoms Just In Time For Spring

The unique exquisiteness of cherry blossoms in the spring – when beautiful colors burst and cover the once-gloomy streets waking up after hibernation during a long winter – is a sight to behold. Flowers have an immediate impact on happiness and a long-term positive effect on moods. A study showed that patients in hospital rooms with flowers needed less pain medication, were less tired, and had lower blood pressure. A third collection of research indicated that people's cognitive performance was better with plants inside.

The flower is a symbol of fragility, life, and beauty in Japan. Locals follow the blossom forecast religiously. They gather under the beautiful trees for picnics and to enjoy life in general. The Hirosaki Park is one of the most famous places to do that. More than a million visitors gather every season under the 2,600 trees of different varieties around the park's 400-year-old castle.

Many Japanese expats in Brazil live in Curitiba, and as you would imagine, cherry trees decorate the streets and parks. The Botanical Garden has an amazing collection, making the city the best place in Brazil to witness cherry blossoms. The best time to see them is in July.

The annual festival in Salem is worth a visit, but Portland can stand on its own as a beautiful destination to see cherry blossoms. Portland's cherry trees are popping this time of the year. One of the best places to see the stunning displays is the Tom McCall Waterfront Park.

March and April are the best times to see the German capital if you want to hit two birds with one stone – that is to see blooming cherry trees in certain sections of what used to be the Berlin Wall. Cherry blossoms can be found all over the city, one of the most famous European destinations to see the spring flower. The best spot, according to some locals, is the Garten der Welt (Gardens of the World).

Japan has given Vancouver more than 37,000 cherry blossom trees. No wonder the city gets so into the sakura celebration. Hundreds of blossoms at a time can be found in different parts of Vancouver and its 50 parks. The Cherry Blossom Festival takes place from March 30 to April 17. Two of the favorite spots for pictures are Stanley Park and the Queen Elizabeth public garden.

The cherry blossoms in the open plaza in the King's Tree Garden are stunning. More than 60 trees have been planted there since 1998. The peak season is a real feast for locals and tourists alike, who love to go there for a picnic and to enjoy the dazzling sights.

This is perhaps the nation's most famous display of the breathtaking flowers. It should be on the bucket list of anyone who admires gorgeous flowers. The capital has been celebrating the cherry blossoms since 1912, when more than 3,000 cherry trees were gifted by Tokyo's mayor as a sign of friendship. 

The best place to see cherry blossoms in Seoul is the Yeouido Island behind the National Assembly building. The city is dedicated to its Spring Flowers Festival, of which the cherry trees are the main attraction. Roads are closed for all cars, so the 4 million visitors a year can enjoy the flowers' beauty undisturbed.

The gardens of Baan Khun Chang Kian, a research center, are the place to be. Local officials have planted more than 100 cherry trees to attract tourists during the cool season, which falls between the end of December and the middle of February.

The best time to be there for hanami, or cherry blossom viewing, is early April. And the best places are: the Mitsuzawa Park, with the highest concentration of cherry trees being around Sakurayama ("cherry blossom mountain"); the Negishi Forest Park, which has a wide lawn for picnics and a forest of cherry trees; the Sankeien Garden; and the Mitsuike Park, which has three ponds and over 1,000 cherry trees around them, according to Japan Guide.

Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and cherry trees in the spring are just one of the reasons why. The most renowned place to enjoy the stunning blossoms is the Parc du Champ-de-Mars, in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. As the weather gets warmer, the lively pink colors burst.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is not the only place in the Empire State where magnificent cherry blossoms can be witnessed. The annual festival in Buffalo in the Japanese Garden in Delaware Park is worth the trip upstate. The event this year is scheduled between April 29 and May 6.

The Danish capital has its own cherry blossom festival. It started in 2005 when the honorary consul of Hiroshima gifted the city 200 flowering cherry trees to honor the bicentennial of the famous author Hans Christian Andersen. The event, which is just over a weekend, takes place in Langelinie Park. The trees become more and more beautiful as they age.

The more than two million cherry trees in the Jerte Valley form a beautiful blanket of snow-white flowers covering the hills. From far away, it looks like winter is not over. The region is totally transformed into an arena for celebrating the Fiesta del Cerezo en Flor with majestic views, exhibitions, and markets.

If you're going to Japan on a cherry blossom exploration, start with Tokyo. There may be a lot of skyscrapers, but you will find many stunning spots in between where you can relax while engulfed in beautiful flowers. Clusters of cherry trees have been planted all over the capital. One of the best spots, the Ueno Park which is one of the country's oldest public spaces, has more than 1,000 blooming cherry trees.

Enjoy some of the best panoramas nature has to offer while fishing – you can't to that just anywhere. The Charles River Esplanade, which is three miles long, is unquestionably the finest walking and jogging track in Beantown.