| Aargh,
if it's not one thing it's another.. Monstrous crowds, heat and
now in many Europe countries [notably France, Italy, Hungary] shops
and other useful institutions cleverly close for the summer holidays.
The worst month of the year for hot-tired-ripped-off-nowhere-to-sit
rage. Rain hits
Belgium, St. Petersburg, Sweden.n.b. avoid prime tourist locations
in August if you value your tranquility.
Map
of Europe | European
Walking Tours | Europe
Tours | Travel Directory
Europe
Festivities: see European
Festivals or Arts
Festivals for more suggestions, information and some
precise dates.
Scotland:
Edinburgh
Festival, a huge range of arts, esp. drama, from the sublime
to the ridiculous - a monster art attack in a great, grey city.
Not to be missed. Most of Aug.
England:
London, Notting Hill Carnival,
late August, 2 days.
Italy:
The Palio of Siena
[medieval, bareback horse race] about 2nd July and 16th August.
Spain:
La Tomatina, messy tomato fights in which you can participate, Bunol,
Valencia, end of August.
Malaga, Feria de Malaga - the biggest party in town with fancy dress,
exotic food and dance, and fireworks. One week mid August.
France:
Festival d'Avignon [theatre] mid July-mid August.
Chaumont Garden Festival - thirty wonderful and sometimes wacky
show gardens around a perfect chateau [castle], every year 15 May-19
October.
Germany:
Wagner Festival, Bayreuth [very expensive and elitist] Late July-late
August.
Berlin International Dance -
a wide range of innovative, international dances. Mid August-early
Sept.
Ireland:
All Ireland Fleadh
Ceoil [Irish music & dance festival]moving venue, seven
days late Aug.
Rose of Tralee Festival [wacky beauty contest++], Tralee, 3 days,
3rd week of August.
Puck Fair in Killorglin, County Kerry. A large and loony street
fair with plenty of singing, dancing and horse shows, and all overseen
by King Puck - a goat. 2 days.
Poland: Music in Old Krakow Festival, Krakow.
Hungary:
Nagykallo, Folk Arts Festival.
Austria:
The Salzburg International
Festival [music], late July and August. 'Europe's most prestigous
summer musical event.' Very large, very expensive. Every year in
Mozart's pretty home town.
Greece:
Athens Festival,
drama and music in ancient theatres. June-Sept.
Denmark: Copenhagen Summer
Festival, chamber and classical music, July-mid Aug.
Tonder festival [folk music], end of August.
For
sightseeing/culture:
Austria [esp. Vienna, Land
Salzburg, St Wolfgang, Mutters, Portschach, Bad Aussee]
Belgium
[Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp,
Bruges, the Ardennes]
Croatia [esp. Dubrovnik, Hvar, Zagreb, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Trogir]
Czech
Rep. [esp. Prague, Bohemia
province, Karlovy Vary, Karlstejn castle]
Denmark [esp.Copenhagen,
Ribe, Arhus, Mons Klint, Egeskov Castle]
Norway
[esp. Oslo, Bergen, Risor]
Finland
[Helsinki]
Iceland
[Reykjavik]
Ireland
[Dublin, Kilkenny, Wexford]
Spain
[esp.Barcelona, Seville,
Granada, Cordoba, Madrid]
Portugal
[esp. Lisbon,
Sintra,
Evora,
and the Algarve - but only for beaches]
Italy
[esp. Venice, Florence,
Rome, Genoa]
Greece
[esp. Athens,
the Peloponnese peninsula, Meteora,
the
islands]
France
[esp. Paris, Ile-de-France, Loire
Valley, the Alps, Burgandy, Avignon, Arles, Riviera]
Hungary
[esp. Budapest, Szentendre,
Lake Balaton, Eger]
Switzerland
[esp. Zurich, Lausanne, Lucerne, Zermatt, Jungfrau Region]
Netherlands
[esp. Amsterdam, Keukenhof,
The
Hague, Delft,
Barrier Dam, Leiden].
Germany
[esp. Berlin, Potsdam, Munich,
Berchtesgaden, Bamberg, Heidelberg,
Lubeck]
UK
[esp. London, Windsor, Stonehenge,
Dorset,
Stratford,
Oxford,
York,
Lake
District, Edinburgh].
European
Country Pictures:
Austria | Croatia | Czech Republic | England | Finland | Germany | Greece | Iceland | Italy | Monaco | Netherlands
[Holland] | Norway | Portugal | Russia | Spain | Sweden | Switzerland | Turkey
European
City Pictures:
Amsterdam
| Athens
| Budapest
| Edinburgh
| Florence | Genoa
| Lisbon
| London
| Madrid
| Paris
| Prague
| Rome
| Venice
| Vienna
|
