It has begun! Uzhgorod is swiftly catching up with Mukachevo (PHOTOS)

Gentle pink flowers have already appeared on the tender sakura on Maria Zankovetska Street in Uzhgorod; the sakuras on Sobranetska Street are also beginning to blossom. Due to the cold spring, the Japanese cherries, which are a highlight of the regional center of Transcarpathia, this year will fully blossom a little later than in previous years. Although until recently, the peak of flowering of this exotic tree was usually the beginning of May.

This year, the oldest trees were the first to blossom; meanwhile the sakuras planted last year will soon be pleasing us with the magnificent color too: those on Svoboda Avenue presented in spring by the Japanese Embassy in Ukraine, and the young sakura trees in the Galagov neighbourhood planted in the autumn.

In Uzhgorod, there are several thousand sakuras; last year and this spring, over 170 sakuras were planted in the city, and more yet will be planted. 

Traditionally, the festival "Sakura Fest" will take place in April-May. This year, it will begin on April 18 and will last until May 6. According to predictions, it will be the period of the flowering peak. During this time, Uzhgorod will be expecting many tourists, who will come from all corners of our country and even from abroad to admire the lush flowers of Japanese cherries. According to representatives of hotels and hostels, tourists have booked almost all rooms for the next 2 weeks.