Where to see cherry blossoms in Italy (with map)

Where to see the cherry blossoms in Italy: when and where to go to see the blooming of cherry trees in Italy.

Did you know that in Italy has wonderful cherry blossoms?

The flowering of cherry trees in Italy may not be as famous nor as impressive as the one in Japan however, the mild climate of Italy is conducive to the flowering of cherry trees and, in some destinations, you can see wonderful ones.

Cherry trees in Italy blossom between the month of late March – mid April. These are the best places to see the cherry blossoms in Italy.

The best places to see cherry blossoms in Italy Map

Valpolicella, Veneto

Valpolicella is mostly known as a wine area however, the same weather conditions that make its wine so wonderful are also perfect for cherry trees.

Cherry trees have been grown in this part of Italy for many years both for their delicious cherries, still nowadays produces, and for their woods, perfect for wine barrels.

The blossoms usually only last about 20 days and flower between the end of March and the month of April, the exact dates changing every year depending on the weather conditions temperature.

Nearest cities/ destinations nearby: Verona, Lake Garda, Venice

Strada del Soave, Veneto

Another wine area with wonderful cherry blossoms is strada del soave, again in the Veneto region and precisely in the province of Verona.

Here, you can stroll or bike among cherry trees and then stop in one of the many local agriturismos for a glass of white soave wine, produced in this area.

Nearest city/locality: Verona

Vignola, Emilia Romagna

Another wonderful place to see cherry blossoms in Italy is Vignola, in the Emilia Romagna region.

Here, the flowering of cherry trees is so spectacular, it is celebrated with a tradtional fastival, la festa dei ciliegi in fiore, which in 2021 is scheduled for the 17-25th April.

During this festival, the streets of Vignola fill with street stalls, performers and kids attractions although if you are hoping to eat cherries, this is not the time for you: for them, you need to come back in June, when the flowers have turned to fruits!

Nearest city/localities: Modena, Bologna

Pecetto, Piedmont

In April the small town of Pecetto, near Turin, also sports wonderful cherry trees!

To mark the occasion, the local tourist office organizes cherry tree walks (La camminata del ciliegio) that, in 2020, moved online! You can have a peek here

Where to see cherry blossoms in Rome (3 locations)

A big and busy city like Rome may not seem the best place to see delicate cherry blossoms however, there are three places in Rome where you can see them and they are all wonderful.

The Garden of the Japanese Cultural institute: the Japanese Cultural Institute in Rome has a wonderful garden that opens to the public in special occasions only, the blossoming of cherry trees being one of them. Access is limited and by advance booking only: the gardens are due to reopen in spring 2021, you can keep an eye on dates and tickets on their official website here.

Laghetto dell’Eur: Laghetto dell’Eur (lit Eur small lake) is a nice garden in the Rome EUR area that has cherry trees imported directly from Tokyo.

The path leading to the pond is called ‘La camminata del Giappone‘ (‘Japan walk’) and it is the perfect way to enjoy the blossom and pretend you are in a faraway land!

Rome botanical gardens: another lovely place to see cherry blossoms in Rome are the city’s botanical gardens.

Located in Trastevere and often ignored by tourists, they are a wonderful green oasis with many species of plants and include a corner just for cherry trees!

Good to know: while these are the best places to se cherry blossoms in Rome, there are many more opportunities to see blossoms in the city. Rome has many plum trees and as well as cherry trees and you see them lining many streets of the capital. They are one of the many reasons why Rome is April looks extra beautiful!

Where to see cherry blossoms in Milan

Milan also offers the opportunity to see cherry blossoms in the area near Bicocca, where an artificial hill has been planted with thousands of cherry trees, for the pleasure of locals and visitors!

Addrress: Viale Sarca, Bicocca, MI

Where to see cherry blossoms in Novara

This entry is a little different from the others as Novara doesn’t have many cherry trees but rather a very famous one!

The Novara cherry tree is on Viale Marconi and is called Ciliegio di Fauser (Fauser’s cherry tree) and has a special story.

In the early 1900s, this area of Novara used to host the Fauser metal industries.

Fauser used to trade with Japan and one of is business contacts gifted him the cherry tree, which he planted in front of his plant.

When he grew older and sold the space, he added to the contract one clause: no matter what happened to the rest of the space, the cherry tree should not be taken down! And this is why it is still there, in all its splendor!

Something different: see the apple tree blossoms in Val Venosta

If you are not set on cherry blossoms and can be satisfied with apple blossoms instead (they are wonderful!), then you should head to Val Venosta.

A wonderful valley in the Alps, in the north-east of Italy, Val Venosta is famous for many orchards producing delicious apples: in summer, you see the apples maturing on the trees while in spring, you can enjoy the delightful flowers that preceed them!

Nearest city/locality: Bolzano, Merano, Dolomites

I hope you enjoyed this quick overview about where to see cherry blossoms in Italy. If you are close to any of these localities in April, I recommend you check them out! Safe travel planning.