Europe’s most intriguing winter festivals

When you’re looking for a fascinating place to go this winter, there are many intriguing options to choose from. If you want a change from your usual winter climate, you can decide on festivals in cold climates, or choose one in a warm climate, to escape the cold. There are plenty of choices to go around.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival

One of the most well-known carnivals in the world is the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival. The island, off the coast of Spain, is filled with elaborate costumes, dancing and music. Although taking place in February, the climate is warm in Tenerife at that time of year. The Carnival is considered to be the second-best in the world. Beaches around the island, along with plenty of restaurants with international foods, make it the ideal place to visit. The Carnival is recognised as Festivities of International Tourist Interest and is in the Guinness Book of World Records for having almost 200,000 people dancing in the same place.

The Altitude Comedy Festival, Mayrhofen, Austria

One of the best places to see the Alps and the beautiful winter snow is Austria. The resort at Mayrhofen hosts the Altitude Comedy Festival, which puts together great skiing and snowboarding and combines it with some amazing comedy. Well-known comedians appear every year, along with new venues. Afterwards, visitors can take in the Festival of Light and some excellent food, in town.

The Up Helly Aa in Lerwick, Scotland

Every year in Scotland, there is an amazing fire festival, considered the best in Europe. This spectacular, unusual event is a celebration of the Vikings and their heritage. Events include a march of over 1,000 local people dressed as Vikings, carrying torches in the evening, and singing traditional Viking songs. At the end of the day, they march to the sea and cast their torches on a galley made for burning, followed by partying in the town. The event is planned two years in advance and was started in the 1880s.

New Year’s at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, Scotland

If you want to see one of the largest New Year’s fireworks displays on earth, the place to go is Hogmanay, Scotland. More than 140,000 people come from all over the world to see this spectacular event. Several events on New Year’s Eve are sure to make this a trip to remember, including the Candlelight Concert, various bands, and a torchlight procession. You can also take part, if you dare, in the Stoats Looney Dook, when thousands of revellers take a dip in the freezing waters of the River Forth.

Winter festivals are held all over the world. Each one is unique, often based on the cultures and history of the country where it is held. You could take in a new one each year. One way to get to your chosen destination is by using the tour services of Tours 4 u. This company makes tour arrangements and has travel packages for many countries around the globe.

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