Inspirational spring city breaks in Europe

The spring is one of the best times to enjoy a city break as it often means mild, pleasant weather and a host of new events keeping the city buzzing with activity.

With often more going on than in the summer, European destinations such as Madrid, Barcelona, Stockholm and Lisbon are in full flow in the spring, making travelling between March and May lots of fun.

However, smaller cities can also benefit from the spring effect, with destinations such as Venice, Amsterdam and Bruges also less busy with tourists, giving holidaymakers more of a chance of getting the top attractions to themselves.

With plenty of events and a chance to soak up the spring sunshine in mind, here is travelbite's guide to Europe's best spring-time city breaks:

Madrid
From April to May, Madrid's climate rises from 16 to 24 degrees centigrade making it ideal for exploring the city on foot, and enjoying the bars and cafes without getting too hot if there is no room to sit outside.

The biggest spring event in the city is the Fiesta de San Isidro - which celebrates the city's patron over several days. Holidaymakers can look forward to traditional and contemporary arts, music and cultural events, concentrated around the Madrid's main squares, in particular Plaza Mayor. The event takes place from May 15th to 21st 2007.

Shows at the city's major museums over the same period include a Picasso portraits exhibition at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, running until May 20th 2007.

The Royal Botanical Gardens opposite the Prado museum are also well worth visiting - with many different displays to see from Chinese-style miniature gardens to much bigger and taller tree varieties.

For more information see travelbite's Madrid city guide

Barcelona
Barcelona is one of those rare big European cities with a beach, giving holidaymakers a chance to absorb all the major attractions you would expect from a stylish European destination, as well as enjoying some relaxing beach lounging.

The shops along Carrer d'Avinyo, a couple of streets north of the famed Las Ramblas, are the place to head for hippest boutiques, as well as a being a good area for bars and restaurants.

And if you want to experience Valentine's Day Barcelona-style, then time your visit to coincide with Sant Jordi on April 23rd, when flowers and romance take over the city.

Expect temperatures of around 17 to 24 degrees centigrade from April to May.

For more information see travelbite's Barcelona city guide

Stockholm
Stockholm's many islands, bridges, grand squares and gardens make it an excellent destination for a spring break, particularly as the extreme colds of the winter die out through April and May.

The Swedish capital also has a lot of events going on - an exhibition that will appeal to families on Chinese kites and dragons will be running until May 6th, following on from Chinese New Year at the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities.

There is also Street Dance Festival taking place from April 25th to 28th 2007, a show of the American artist Robert Rauschenberg fresh from its Paris and New York tour at the Moderna Museet running from February 17th to May 6th, and for fans of the Scandinavian devotion to being green there is an outdoor Recycling Festival from May 26th to 27th on Hornstulls Strand.

However, the highlight of the spring time is the city's welcoming of the season itself, known as Walpurgis Eve, which has been celebrated since 1894.

Focused around the Skansen Outdoor Museum with smaller events across much of the rest of the city, Stockholmers celebrate the season with traditional games, bonfires, singing and fireworks.

Most of Stockholm's museums are concentrated on the island of Djurgarden by the city's old town, which is also one of the greenest and prettiest parts of Stockholm.

Temperatures reach highs of 20 degrees centigrade in May, after climbing from eight degrees at the start of April.

For more information on visiting Stockholm see www.stockholmtown.com

Lisbon
One of Europe's warmest capitals, Lisbon offers a good dose of warm spring-time sunshine - reaching average highs of 26 degrees centigrade by the end of May, and staying around a very pleasant 19 degrees as early as March.

Catching the tram around the city is a great way to sight-see, letting it do the hard work for you by taking you up to Alfama - the oldest part of Lisbon, which has many cobbled streets and alleyways. From Castelo de Sao Jorge, which overlooks Alfama, you can take in the fantastic views over the city, as well as the castle itself.

One of the key sporting events in the city is the Lisbon Half Marathon on March 18th 2007, where runners cross the huge 25 de Abril bridge and get to take in some fantastic views of Lisbon and the surrounding region.

Top film and music events over the spring time include the hip Indie Lisboa film festival, perfect for film fans wanting to see discover some exciting new work from April 19th to 29th 2007, and the first part of the Super Bock Super Rock festival is planned for the end of May.

For more information on visiting Lisbon see www.visitlisboa.com.