Kaiserslautern American
Page 10
November 17, 2023
Malaga photo by margouillat photo / Shutterstock.com
EUROPE’S SUNNIEST WINTER DESTINATIONS
by Nate Cairney contributing writer
Living in Germany can be an amazing, life-changing experience. But let’s be honest. The winters are dark. Real dark. Fortunately, Germany’s central location offers a way for light-seekers to find the sun…which often isn’t as far away as you might think!
I
Scopello, Sicily, Italy. Photo by leoks/Shutterstock.com
n Germany, it feels sometimes like you can go from November to February without ever seeing the sun. This isn’t just exaggeration. On average, you can expect to see about 45 hours of sun each December in Kaiserslautern. That’s… not a lot of sun. That’s a work week. Here’s the good news, though. It doesn’t take a whole lot of time, effort or money to find sunny locations in Europe. Most sunny winter destinations require a short flight (2-3 hours), and some are reachable in a day or so by car. If you’re dreading another dark German winter, then here are five places to start your travel planning.
SOUTHERN SPAIN
SICILY, ITALY
The southern coast of Spain is the place to be. In December, the cities of Alicante and Malaga offer more than 160 hours, on average, of sunshine. Barcelona is no slouch, either, offering 137 average hours of sun during December. For those of us who live in Germany, then, our chances of seeing the sun increase three to four times if we catch a flight to Spain. That’s huge. But it’s not just the sun, either. Alicante, Malaga and Barcelona have beaches, bars, restaurants, museums, parks, and so much else to do. With the warm weather and the Mediterranean Sea nearby, your spirits can’t help but lift. So start planning now!
Sicily sometimes gets forgotten. It’s understandable. There are so many fantastic destinations to visit a bit further north — Rome, Venice, Florence, Turin, and so on. But when winter comes, don’t forget Sicily! It’s one of the sunniest places in Europe when everything goes dark up north. Catania has 120 hours of sun during December, and Messina (just north of Catania), has 112. Sicily is also packed with history, having been inhabited at one time or another by Carthaginians, Phoenicians, Romans, and Greeks. It was in Syracuse, after all, where the great Archimedes did most of his good work. Nowadays, Sicily also has amazing food, strong wine, and wonderful places to stay. Go there, and you’ll wonder why you didn’t seek out Sicily sooner.
CÔTE D’AZUR, FRANCE Road trip, anyone? If you just can’t take the German winter anymore, climb in the car, head southwest, cross the border into France, and keep going until you hit the Mediterranean Sea. Make sure you set your GPS for Nice, which is nice, and is pronounced like “niece.” Wordplay aside, Nice is an awesome place to spend winter break. It gets, on average, 137 hours of sun during December. The English Promenade is one of the most famous seaside destinations in Europe. It often feels like a relief to walk it during the winter. With the waves lapping gently at the sand, and palm trees waving in the wind, you can almost forget that you’re not in a tropical paradise. Marseille, just down the coast, is also an excellent choice for sun-seekers.
