10. Cherry Blossom Tunnel, Germany
Photo — Link
Each spring, a peaceful street, located in the
German city of Bonn, transforms into an enchanting cherry blossom tunnel.
Photographer Marcel Bednarz captured this stunning sight of cherry blossoms in
full bloom. He explained to me that there are actually two streets in Bonn where
cherry trees are planted, but the one you see in the above picture is called
Heerstraße. As you may know, the average cherry blossom lasts only between 7 and
10 days, depending on weather conditions.
09. Rua
Gonçalo de Carvalho, Brasil
Number nine goes to Brazil’s green tunnel from
Porto Alegre, Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho. According to a decree signed in 2006 by
former mayor Joseph Fogaça, this beautiful street is part of the country’s
historical, cultural, ecological and environmental heritage.
There are more than one hundred towering Tipuana
(Rosewood) trees along Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho. The great shade trees stretch
over three city blocks, which is a good thing for the city’s overall health. Did
you know that trees, properly planted around buildings, can reduce air
conditioning demands by up to 30%?
08.
Autumn Tree Tunnel, USA
Photo — Link
Photographed in glorious autumn colors by Kevin
McNeal, this tree tunnel is simply astonishing! The picture was taken on the way
up to Smuggler’s Notch, a Vermont state park.
The eye-catching foliage starts changing its
color in the northern region, in response to many environmental factors, and
spreads south as the fall season advances.
07.
Ginkgo Tree Tunnel, Japan
Gingko biloba is a highly venerated tree in
Japanese culture. Six ginkgo trees survived the Hiroshima bombing, continuing to
grow despite facing so many challenges, and are still alive today. Therefore,
the Japanese regard the gingko as “the bearer of hope”. It is also known as “the
survivor” or “the living fossil.”
Around 65,000 ginkgoes grace Tokyo’s streets,
gardens and parks today. According to some people who visited Tokyo, the tunnel
you see in the above picture is located in the outer garden of Meiji
Shrine.
06. Yew
Tree Tunnel, UK
The medieval Aberglasney House features one of
the most beautiful gardens in Wales, UK. They have been an inspiration to
writers since 1470. The Yew Tunnel is a popular tourist attraction in this area.
Believe it or not, it took nine years of pruning to restore this unique archway.
“Years of neglect had left it unsafe and with a perilous future, as the once
formally clipped structure had grown even higher than the top of the Mansion
itself. It is so nice to see it looking invigorated and healthy again, I had
every confidence that with careful restoration it would help its future
longevity, but I have to confess that it did look drastic at the time,” declared
Graham Rankin, one of Aberglasney’s directors.
The Yew Tunnel is thought to have been planted
by the Dyer family of Aberglasney, during the 18th century.
....
05. The
Dark Hedges, Northern Ireland
Photo — Link
Tucked away in the county of Antrim, these
beautiful beech trees are thought to be around 300 years old. According to local
records, James Stuart planted the 150 beech trees in the 18th century, to
impress guests as they approached his splendid property, Gracehill House.
Legend tells that the spirit of a maid, who
lived in a neighboring mansion and died in mysterious circumstances hundreds of
years ago, haunts the country road. “Grey Lady” silently floats along the road
and quickly disappears as she reaches the last beech tree.
04.
Bamboo Path, Japan
The Sagano Bamboo Forest is located in
Arashiyama, a nationally-designated historic site. The pathway you see in the
above picture is 500m long, and runs through one of Japan’s most beautiful
bamboo forests. No wonder the Agency for Cultural Affairs declared Arashiyama a
“Place of Scenic Beauty”. This forest is close to many famous temple and
shrines, including the Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple.
The sound the wind makes, as it blows through
the tall bamboo trees, has been voted by the Japanese authorities as one of 100
must-preserve sounds of Japan.
03.
Tunnel of Love, Ukraine
The Ukrainian Tunnel of Love is actually a
two-mile sector of private railway that serves a woodworking plant near Klevan,
a small city located in western Ukraine. I read somewhere that couples pass
through this romantic tunnel to make a wish. The myth goes that, if their love
is strong and pure, the wish will come true.
May all of your wishes come true, but watch out
for the train! It runs three times a day through the leafy tunnel.
02.
Jacarandas Walk, South Africa
Over 10 million trees keep South Africa’s
largest city green. According to several unofficial sources, Johannesburg is
home to the world’s largest man-made forest.
There are at least 49 species of Jacaranda, most
of them native to South America (particularly in Uruguay, Brazil, Peru &
Argentina), and the Caribbean basin. The tropical trees were imported to South
Africa over one hundred years ago.
October is the month when the flowers of
thousands of Jacaranda trees are in full blossom. This spectacular tree tunnel
is located either in Johannesburg or Pretoria, the Jacaranda City where 70,000+
Jacarandas add vivid splashes of purple-blue to the urban landscape.
01.
Wisteria Tunnel, Japan
As soon as the cherry blossom season ends, the
gorgeous Wisteria flowers, that hang in grape-like clusters, take their turn on
the Japanese floral calendar. The Fuji Matsuri, or Wisteria Festival, is
celebrated each spring in Tokyo, Shizuoka, and Okazaki.
The Ashikaga Flower Park is one of the best
places to admire different varieties of wisteria, including double-petaled
wisteria, giant wisteria and yellow, white, light pink or purple variants of
wisteria.
