Your help would be most appreciated in planning travel!
Best,
Matt
So I'm completely new to Europe, and I would to travel around and go to some local festivals (in any city, really) that are traditional in nature. Of course, this information is hard to come across just in a general nature. I'm looking for the "hidden gems" of Europe. What I'm not looking for are touristy things (Oktoberfest in Munich, Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, St. Patty's in Ireland, etc.).
http://www.conviva-plus.ch/?page=147
the most famous is in Nürnberg
http://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/
but much nearer is the one of Konstanz
http://www.travador.com/reise/konsta...ztlhoCy_rw_wcB
but quite near here in Zürich
http://singingchristmastree.ch/weinachtsmaert.html
http://www.wollishoferweihnachtsmarkt.ch/
You might check out the Silvesterchlausen in Urnäsch on old New Year's eve.
Among the best in England
kings day in amsterdam
(if you like drunk orange crowds)
Close to Zurich and a gem. http://www.vvrs.ch/anlaesse/raebechilbi.html
its a very Swiss thing and stunning. Inexpensive as well. Take the S2 or S8 train from Zurich HB to Richterswil. There will many people but mostly locals.
Another one is Silvesterkläuse in Appenzell. Really nice. Not overcrowded, mostly locals and other Swiss people. http://m.appenzellerland.ch/en/m-kul...vesterchlausen
Also Weihnachtsmarkt in Einsiedeln. Very pretty. Probably more tourists but worth the trip
enjoy and report back
tomorrowland in Belgium
Openairs here in CH: Gampel, Zürich, Gurten, St. Gallen
Moon& Stars in Locarno
Live at Sunset in Zurich
I hear this weekend Amsterdam Music Festival is on
December 25 - Christmas Day...
Rendez-vous Bundesplatz starts this evening: http://www.rendezvousbundesplatz.ch/
Fun way to get some glimpses of Swiss history
The Lewes Bonfire celebration is legendary but quite scary, not sure what to make of all the sectarian propaganda though, its a bit weird.
There are lots of great little music festivals around Zürich in the summer. I haven't been to one of the cows going to or returning from their Alpine pastures festivals yet, I guess they are a bit dull.
Fastnacht celebrations in Luzern and Basel are the big events of the year in central Switzerland:
http://www.fasnachts-comite.ch/en/carnival/general/
And they are a bit crazy too, lots and lots of very drunk Swiss men in goblin masks playing drums and eating sausages.
and at the end of the year in Zürich
http://www.silvesterzauber.ch/feuerwerk/
the same procedure as last year, the same procedure as EVERY year
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process...the_Holy_Blood
http://www.unesco.org/culture/intang...e/05eur_uk.htm
http://cheeseweb.eu/2014/03/ommegang...ssels-belgium/
speaking of tradition : processions and giants in Belgium...
Here is a little about the celebrations that will be going on tonight in Lewes
Quick pro-tip : Don't call it what you called it.
Call it St.PADDy's Day !
;-)
P.S.
It's overrated. Basically a day out drinking for the mass unwashed.
I mean em, no , it's great, go to Dublin, spend all your money on overrpriced hotels/food/drink etc....triddly aye dee eye etc etc..
Christmas tree burning in Holland, anybody?
Probably the closest you can still get to ad-hoc non-organized and non-sanctioned get together and fun activity.
today, 5th November in UK is Guy Fawkes night. In the olden days we used to have a Fire blazzing in the garden & set off fireworks. Now they are generally done in Displays in Parks, but usually either the weekend before or after. This year it is this weekend coming.
Though tonight people are setting off fireworks and the odd place does have their own fire in the garden, more usual where a few houses have a common area.
Snowman building day on the first day of real snow.
The Swiss, after having driven excruciating slowly home on slick snow-covered roads and settling their nerves with the mandatory shot of Kraüter, are now out building snowmen, trying out their fancy shiny snow blowers and even installing snow plows on their unregistered quads. It's the annual but inofficial and secretive celebration of first snow in all the snow-covered neighbourhoods of Switzerland.
My daughter stopped by on her way home back to Svizzera Interna today.
I said 'careful, there's probably snow around the Gottardo'.
'No, it was clear when I came down the other day'
Message several hours later 'snow at Airolo, winter wonderland after the tunnel, but turned to rain by Altdorf.'
Tom