Nature offers springtime optimism: Bonn's cherry blossoms bloom

These signals of Spring offer some comfort during a worrying time. Bonn's cherry blossoms have increasingly become a tourist magnet in recent years, but this year we are bringing them to you digitally to brighten up your day.

Owing to social media, these photogenic flowers (here in 2019) have attracted visitors from around the world in recent years. The Facebook account "Places to See Before You Die" made the local secret a spectacle in 2012. The travel guide Lonely Planet recommended Bonn as one of its "Top Cities" to visit in 2020 - the Bonn cherry blossom is a dream in pink.

As everyone does his or her part to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus, this season will probably be a quiet one. And anyway, at the moment, the lovely streets of Bonn's old inner city are only starting to bud.

Bonn's old city center is home to around 300 cherry blossom trees. Depending on variety and location, some of them are beginning to bloom. The city planted many of the ornamental trees in the late 1980s to beautify the district. It had initially intended to plant hawthorn but couldn’t find the stock and chose these now-famous cherry blossoms instead. Call it serendipity.

The Japanese call these trees "sakura," and "hanami" is the act of viewing them. Japanese travelers have also made their way to Bonn in recent years. In Japan the cherry blossom heralds change and is a reminder of impermanence. These trees are almost 40 years old and their cycle will soon come to an end.

Luckily, the city of Bonn made provisions and planted new cherry trees so that "hanami" in Bonn can continue for years to come. Most cherry blossom tourists in Bonn are particularly drawn to the "Kazan" variety, of which there are almost 60 in the old city. When they decide they're ready, they have a particularly splendid pink bloom.

The famous Bonn cherry blossom needs a few more rays of sun before it is there in all its glory. But don’t worry, we'll keep you up to date through this gallery so that you can find some comfort and perspective in their blooms while you rest or work from home.