Gather around the centuries-old stone circle as equinox dawns.
Bring a torch and arrive at this prehistoric settlement before
sunrise: once the sun’s up, the festivities begin. Expect to find
Druids, witches and plenty of flower crowns – not those polyester
excuses you might see come June when Glastonbury Festival rocks up,
but frothy, all-natural masterpieces – at the monument, as well as
in the nearby towns of Salisbury and Amesbury later in the day. A
ragtag bunch of people from all backgrounds typically gather: some
chant, which is perhaps a bit much if you don’t identify as a
full-on Pagan. We recommend bringing your dog (or borrowing one)
and taking a long lap of the plains before settling down for a
bountiful lunch at The Chapter House.

TO STAY:
The Chapter House

Building, dressing, parading and then drowning a titanic,
flaming effigy of an ancient Slavic Goddess? All in a day’s work
for those in Poland when spring equinox rolls around. In old Slavic
texts, the death of the Goddess Marzanna at the end of winter
signals the rebirth of Kostroma, another deity who represents
spring – hence the drowning of Marzanna. Though today this ritual
is more of a fun spectacle than anything else. Naturally, the
rustic villages in Poland’s countryside take it a little more
seriously, but you can catch these folksy processions all over the
place: we’re pitching up at Wawel Castle in Krakow.

TO STAY:
Hotel Stary

This one’s the least folksy but the most vivacious spot on our
equinox radar. Expect gargantuan puppets, fireworks, spontaneous
street parties and killer Spanish street food when the four-day Las
Fallas festival erupts in Valencia. What was once a Catholic feast
day for St Joseph accompanied by bonfires to signify the end of
winter has become a no-holds-barred party and a platform for
Spanish artists to meditate on national identity through the medium
of colossal figurines.

TO STAY:
Barracart Apartments

We might ogle at each new Olympic stadium and lust over David
Chipperfield’s so-harsh-they’re-beautiful concrete edifices, but
you’ve got to hand it to the architects of prehistory. As the sun
rises on the morning of the spring equinox, light cascades into the
central corridor of the ancient, Mnajdra temple complex in Malta.
It’s a natural phenomenon that only happens twice a year – on the
spring and autumn equinoxes – and is just one of the many genius
architectural devices that continues to confound archaeologists who
still struggle to pin down the settlement’s origins.

TO STAY: Rosselli

Yet another architectural marvel. Every year at the spring
equinox crowds gather at the foot of this monumental Aztec pyramid
to observe the late afternoon sun rippling down its geometric
façade like a snake. Naturally, a party erupts shortly after which
attracts everyone from folksy dance troupes to rock bands to
free-frolicking New Age types. If you’re really committed, make
like a local and don your best all-white outfit: Aztecs believed a
sparkling white get-up would shun evil spirits and attract positive
energy from the sun.

TO STAY:
Coqui Coqui Valladolid Residence & Spa

Greater solar activity around the time of the equinox (either in
spring or autumn) means those who’ve hunkered down in a
glass-topped “igloo” for the night are more likely to catch the
Aurora Borealis than at other times of the year. No sightings
guaranteed, of course.

TO STAY:
Arctic Treehouse Hotel