5 of the best city breaks in Europe this spring /

NH Collection – the luxury brand of NH Hotel Group – has selected some of the most beautiful city breaks in Europe to let travelers enjoy a colorful start to spring. And in the process, they make a few (perhaps slightly biased) suggestions about where you might stay. Either way, we hope you enjoy these suggestions for some of Europe’s best city breaks.

Amsterdam Tulip Festival

The tulip fields around Amsterdam are bursting with color in April, but the city center is also bustling, with 85 locations displaying floral splendor all month long. Museums, public buildings and local gardens are some of the many places where tulips are displayed, and the incredible Keukenhof Gardens are a sea of ​​color with over 7 million bulbs and 800 varieties of tulips (entry from €19).

Where to stay

NH Collection Amsterdam Flower Market is a luxurious 4-star hotel in the heart of historic Amsterdam, a short walk from the city’s floating flower market and the nearby Museum Quarter. The rooms are decorated in stylish colors with hardwood floors. Services include bicycle rental and the extravagant Ter Marsch & Co restaurant, with floral and mosaic columns, serves award-winning burgers and floral-inspired cocktails.

Venice’s Feast of Saint Mark (April 25)

Impress a loved one with a visit to Venice on April 25 to enjoy the Feast of Saint Mark, when Venetians give a rosebud to the women they love. The day begins with a Holy Mass followed by dances, concerts and carnivals, and there is also the Regata di Traghetti, where gondoliers race as they carry passengers across the Grand Canal.

Where to stay

NH Collection Venezia Grand Hotel Palazzo dei Dogi is a five-star hotel steeped in history. It was a 17th-century palace, monastery and embassy, ​​and an early owner was a renowned botanist who created one of Venice’s most famous private gardens, which guests can still enjoy today. There are 64 rooms recently renovated in a classic Venetian style, a restaurant overlooking the garden and a private dock for boat trips along the canals.

Courtyard Festival of Cordoba (May 2-14)

Every May, the people of Córdoba, in Andalusia, open the beautiful courtyards (patios) of their homes to the public to showcase a beautiful display of communal life and dazzling floral design. Recognized by UNESCO as an essential cultural event, the Festival of the Patios celebrates the blooming of flowers and aromatic plants crafted by the locals and overwhelms visitors with fragrance and color. This way everyone has the chance to see the architectural treasures typical of Cordoba, the so-called Patios.

Where to stay

The striking NH Collection Amistad Córdoba was created from two 18th-century palaces with romantic courtyards, arches and ornate carved ceilings that are still present. The hotel has two open-air patios, a swimming pool and a traditional courtyard café and a restaurant serving Mediterranean and Andalusian specialties such as thick, creamy and cold Salmorejo.

Dresden Dixieland Festival (May 14-21)

Dresden’s festival for traditional jazz is the world’s largest and oldest, and this year’s event celebrates swing dance with performances by 40 bands at 45 performances at venues such as the city zoo, beer gardens, and on paddle steamers and saloon barges cruising along the Elbe.

Where to stay

NH Collection Dresden Altmarkt is located on the city’s historic market square, perfectly located for enjoying the city center attractions and many of the Dixieland locations. The elegant hotel is built from traditional Dresden sandstone and the rooms are chic, modern and restful, for chilled nights after an energetic day of jazz tunes and swing dancing.

Antwerp Taste Food Festival (May 18-21)

Belgium’s largest food festival takes place at the Waagnatie expo center and brings together renowned restaurants, star chefs and up-and-coming kitchen talent to produce dishes that celebrate Antwerp specialties, classic Belgian-French cuisine and global flavors from Italy to Asia.

Where to stay

NH Collection Antwerp Center is just a few minutes from the festival and also on the doorstep of the mouth-watering Chocolate Nation Museum. The hotel’s rooms are decorated in cool beige with wooden accents and the beds have high-quality mattresses designed exclusively for NH Collection. There is also a green courtyard designed like an urban jungle for a retreat from the city, and the cozy retro-style bar with exceptional cocktails and a tapas menu.