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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!
In 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
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, Italy
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.
Portugal
Whatever you do, don’t overlook Portugal. Lisbon is just a three-hour nonstop flight from Frankfurt. There, you’ll find incredible shopping, restaurants, cultural opportunities, the Atlantic coast, English speakers everywhere, a great Christmas market, and 100 more hours of sunshine than you’ll find in the KMC.
Even better: rent a car in Lisbon and drive a few hours south to Faro. There, you will find a dreamlike beach existence, 160 hours of December sunshine, and more peace and quiet than seems reasonable for any normal person. It’s amazing.
Athens, Greece
Athens has been charming visitors for thousands of years – especially in the winter. In December, the weather is warm, sunny (127 hours each December, on average), and tranquil. Visiting during the off-season also means fewer packed cultural monuments, more open seats at restaurants, friendlier locals, and slightly less insane traffic.
You can also use Athens as a jumping-off point for island cruises. Because drifting your December away in the Aegean Sea is the soul recharge of a lifetime.
Editor’s note: All monthly averages sourced from https://weather-and-climate.com/
