As the cooler days of the winter start to turn into the milder days of spring, Europe remains a fantastic place to visit. Visiting Europe in April during this time when the weather is transitioning can have many benefits – you can still experience snowy landscapes in certain regions, but you may also be able to enjoy warmer weather as well.
Related Posts
- 10 of the Best Europe Places to Visit in January for Amazing Events and Festivals
- Europe in February | 10 of the Best Europe Places to Visit in February for Special Events
- The Ultimate Guide & Tips to the Best Ways and Best Places to See Tulips in the Netherlands
Read on to discover 10 of the best European places and events that you can experience in April:
Feria de Abril, Seville, Spain
Set in Seville, this festival begins about two weeks after Easter although the exact dates may vary. The first recorded instance of this festival was in 1846, and ever since then, it has grown in popularity. Generally, the final total for attendance throughout the week will surpass 5 million. Every day of the seven-day long event you can watch parades, sample incredible meals, drink Sherry or Manzanilla, dance in the streets, and participate in other activities such as the amusement park which includes roller coasters, and more.
Seville Travel Guide:
Find the best flights, best hotels to stay in Seville, and more things to do while in Seville in April in addition to the festival.
Greek Easter, Greece
Greek Orthodox Easter occurs on a different day than Eastern Christianity as the two religions follow different calendars – Greek Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar, and Eastern Christianity follows the Gregorian one. The celebrations include a spit roast lamb, and the inclusion of hard boiled eggs which are dyed red to symbolize the blood of Christ. The celebrations typically include church services and other ceremonies, and of course, some incredible Greek food.
Greece Travel Guide:
Find the best flights, best hotels to stay in Greece, and more things to do while in Greece in April in addition to the Greek Easter event.
Koningsdag, the Netherlands
Koningsdag is a Dutch national holiday that is most typically celebrated on April 27th (It is celebrated on the 26th if the 27th happens to fall on a Sunday). The day is the birthday of the current king of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander. Prior to King Willem-Alexander’s ascension to the throne the holiday was known as Koninginnedag, or Queens Day, as the monarch of the Netherlands was Queen Beatrix at the time.
The festival is celebrated with partying, great food, great drinks, and participants often wear orange. This is the one day of the year where people are allowed to set up a stall at a massive flea market that takes place that day without a permit or additional taxes that would otherwise be required.
The Netherlands Travel Guide:
Find the best flights, best hotels to stay in Amsterdam or other cities in the Netherlands, and more things to do while in Amsterdam, the Netherlands in April in addition to the Koningsdag event.
Semana Santa, Spain
Semana Santa is the Holy Week in Spain and is currently a big draw for tourism in the region. In addition to the traditional religious processions and other events, there are traditional foods associated with the event as well. One example is torrijas, which is a dessert dish made of bread soaked in honey, eggs and white wine, before being lightly fried. If you do visit the area for this event, note that many locals dress up in more formal attire during this time as a sign of respect, and if you want to fit in like a local, it’s not a bad idea to dress up as well.
Seville Travel Guide:
Find the best flights, best hotels to stay in Seville or in the Andalusia region, and more things to do while in Seville in April in addition to the festival.
Mostra delle Azalee, Rome, Italy
Mostra delle Azalee is an annual tradition that has been occurring in Rome for the past 80 years. During this time the Spanish Steps are decorated with hundreds of vibrant azalea flowers. The Spanish Steps are an iconic set of 135 steps in Rome that lead up to the Trinita Dei Monti Church. These historic steps were first built in the early 1700s, and is a well-known tourist attraction in the area even when it is not adorned in beautiful flowers. The tradition of covering the stairs with flowers occurs just before the anniversary of the foundation of Rome on April 21st.
Rome Travel Guide:
Find the best flights, best hotels to stay in Rome, and more things to do while in Rome in April in addition to the event.
Snowbombing Festival, Mayrhofen, Austria
The Snowbombing Festival occurs at a ski resort in Austria called Mayrhofen. The first festival occurred in the year 2000 as an electronic dance music festival. It was originally held at a French Resort as a nightclub experience, but has since grown and now welcomes around 7,000 attendees every year. It was originally formulated as a DJ and electronic dance music festival, but lately more Indie music has been added increasing the variety. The Snowbombing experience usually consists of skiing or snowboarding during the day, and then enjoying the music in the evening. Notable artists such as Grandmaster Flash, Mark Ronson, The Vaccines, and Skrillex have appeared in past lineups. Overall it’s a leisurely and musical experience in a snowy wonderland.
Mayrhofen, Austria Travel Guide:
Find the best flights, best hotels to stay in Mayrhofen, and more things to do while in Mayrhofen in April in addition to the event.
Scoppio del Carro, Florence, Italy
This traditional folk festival occurs on Easter Sunday in Florence, Italy every year. The current iteration of the festival has been taking place in the city since the 1400s. During this day a 30 ft tall antique cart that has been used for 500 years is moved to the Piazza del Duomo. This cart is escorted by 150 different people in 15th century traditional clothing. The cart is loaded with fireworks and connected to a wire that is stretched into the cathedral and up to a high altar. Later, the Cardinal of Florence lights the fuse which speeds through the church and ignites the fireworks on the cart outside. The fireworks show that follows lasts about 20 minutes, and is an incredible sight to see in person
Florence Travel Guide:
Find the best flights, best hotels to stay in Florence, and more things to do while in Florence in April in addition to the event.
Spring Music Festival, Budapest, Hungary
This arts festival occurs annually in Budapest and has a focus on traditional arts and cultural heritage. It’s been held since 1981 and consists of multiple events at various venues. There are a variety of artists that can participate in the festival such as musicians, choreographers, actors, and more. The festival generally lasts for two weeks and draws large crowds.
Budapest Travel Guide:
Find the best flights, best hotels to stay in Budapest, and more things to do while in Budapest in April in addition to the event.
Walpurgisnacht, Germany
Walpurgisnacht is the eve of the feast day of Saint Walpurga, who was an abbess in the 1700’s. It is typically celebrated on April 30th to commemorate the day Saint Walpurga was canonized. Celebrations for this event typically include bonfires and dancing. Although Saint Walpurga died in the year 777, her tomb still produces holy oil to this day which pilgrims to this area can receive.
There is another side to Walpurgisnacht as well – Saint Walpurga was working hard to rid the area of witches, and German folklore says that this particular night also is a night where witches gather. Some of the celebrations include people dressing up as witches, setting off fireworks, and dancing, which are said to be things that ward off witches and evil spirits.
Germany Travel Guide:
Find the best flights, best hotels to stay in any city in Germany, and more things to do while in Germany in April in addition to the event.
Cracovia Marathon, Krakow, Poland
If you are looking for a more active and strenuous thing to do on your trip to Europe in April, you can participate in the Cracovia Marathon which takes place annually in Krakow, Poland. The list of events includes the marathon as well as a 10k run, a mini-marathon, an inline skating marathon, and a marathon for athletes who are in wheelchairs.
Krakow Travel Guide:
Find the best flights, best hotels to stay in Krakow, and more things to do while in Krakow in April in addition to the event.
Related Posts
- 10 of the Best Europe Places to Visit in January for Amazing Events and Festivals
- Europe in February | 10 of the Best Europe Places to Visit in February for Special Events
- The Ultimate Guide & Tips to the Best Ways and Best Places to See Tulips in the Netherlands
- Europe in March | 10 of the Most Amazing European Places to Visit in March
- 5 of the Most Amazing Destinations to Visit for Spring in Europe
Travel Resources for Planning a Trip to Europe in April
To make planning your trip to Europe in April easier, we included some of our recommended travel resources below. You can search and find the best flights, transportation options, hotels to stay in, tours/activities, and things you can do in each destination during your trip.
Flights:
Agoda: Search thousands of destinations around the world & quickly compare prices to find amazing deals on the best flights.
CheapOAir: You can find airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and vacation packages all on one site!
Kiwi.com: What we like about Kiwi is the fact that they are able to create combinations of flight, train, and bus tickets and offer them in a single itinerary. Also, Kiwi has what they called “Nomad” which helps you find the best way of visiting multiple destinations, saving you time and money.
JetRadar: You can search and compare airfares from 726 airlines and dozens of travel agencies and systems.
Hotels:
Agoda: Agoda is one of the world’s largest online travel accommodation platforms with a network of over 2,000,000 vacation rentals and hotels worldwide.
Hotellook: They have more than 250,000 hotels in 205 countries, working with data from more than 10 online booking systems, such as Booking.com, Agoda.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, and others.
Transportations:
Airport Transfers: KiwiTaxi, Viator
Train: EuroRail, Trainline or RailEurope
Bus: Flixbus: Very affordable (as low as $6) and convenient way to transfer between cities in Europe.
Car Rentals: AutoEurope, EconomyBookings, or GetTransfer (transfers & car rentals with a personal driver)
Bike Rental: BikesBooking (Bikes & scooter rentals)
Transportation Comparison: Omio (search, compare, and book tickets for buses, trains, and flights all in one site)
Tours & Activities:
TakeWalks (WalkofItaly): This is our favorite site for walking tours & day trips.
Tiqets: Great site for entrance tickets. It offers directly bookable, instantly available, and completely mobile tickets for museums, shows, and attractions all over the world.
Musement: They have good activities and tours in Italy and Spain, also many great day trips you can choose from.
GetYourGuide: A large number of tours, excursions, and other travel activities
Viator: The largest one. It has everything from tours, attractions, shore excursions, and private guides in over 2,700 destinations worldwide. It also has many transportations and transfers options and some unique experiences we didn’t find anywhere else.
Need help planning a trip to Europe in April?
Want to plan a trip to these European destinations during the Spring season but don’t know where to begin? If you find this type of trip planning to be too complicated to plan on your own, we’re here to help!
At MultiCityTrips, multi-destination travel and complicated itineraries such as a trip to Europe in April or the Spring season are our specialties. Contact us today to learn more about how one of our experienced travel experts/destination specialists can personalize your multi-city vacations at the best price.
Don’t want to start from scratch and need some trip inspiration? Check out our marketplace for customizable pre-designed packages available right now for many amazing destinations.
To learn more about how our process of trip planning works in detail, please see our “How It Works” page or check out our video on “How to Plan a Multi-City Trip to Europe in 5 Easy Steps” here.
Have questions for us? Schedule a FREE Call with us here or contact one of the travel experts/destination specialists at [email protected], call/text us at (888)223-2316 today.
