Where to fly for a few days if you’d like to feel the young spring after a long and cold winter?

…to Greece

April-May is a good time to explore Athens without stifling heat, to see the blooming hills on Greek islands and find yourself in the middle of Easter festivities. The locals celebrate Orthodox Easter on a grand scale — with candle processions and fireworks, “burning of Judas” on the main squares of cities and special Easter food. Prices for rooms won’t reach the summer peak yet, and the air in April usually warms up to +25.

Not to miss in Athens: The Stavros Niarchos Cultural Centre, founded in 2016 (with a park on the library roof!); the sunset from Lycabettus Hill, the highest point of Athens; National Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Cycladic Art. Another thing worth seeing is Tim Etchells’ installation on the outside of the Οnassis Cultural Centre building, saying “All we have is words. All we have is worlds” in huge neon letters. Do not forget to wander around the Plaka and Anafiotika area and stand on the ruins of the Lyceum where Aristotle and Socrates taught.

It’s a good idea to bring an international SIM card to stay connected while in Greece. Local authorities are actively developing an open network of WiFi points in Athens, but in hotels, Internet access is often rather slow.

…to Italy

On the one hand, all roads lead to Rome. On the other, Naples is the perfect city for a short spring trip. Here you can see a collection of Italy’s most important archaeological museum, Europe’s last active volcano and the unique frescoes of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. Naples is a fusion of turbulent history, picturesque landscapes, delicious cuisine and… the scene for Elena Ferrante’s famous tetralogy, The Neapolitan Novels. The first book, My Brilliant Friend, has been adapted into an HBO television series and directed by renowned The Young Pope’s producer Paolo Sorrentino.

Not to miss in Naples: hike up to the top of Vesuvius (the trek up only takes about 20 minutes and offers some of the best views over Naples and the Amalfi coast) or catch a ferry to the island of Capri (the duration of trip can range between 40 to 80 minutes). You should also see Castel dell’Ovo, a seaside castle on the shore of the Bay of Naples.

…to Holland

What to do in Holland in April or May? Drive around the tulip fields by bike, follow the Flower Parade and visit the Keukenhof Park. This year, Keukenhof celebrates its 70th anniversary and 2019’s theme is Flower power (hippies, peace & music, all that early 1970s vibe). The best chance to find tulip fields in bloom is between the 20th of April to the second week of May. And at the end of April, the Dutch celebrate the King’s day — put on something orange and experience the “orange madness” with locals.

Not to miss in Holland: a procession of flower platforms and cars during the “Flower Parade” or Bloemencorso Bollenstreek (the route starts in Noordwijk and ends in the city of Haarlem); The Tulip Festival in Amsterdam with flower installations throughout the city.