Itinerary Highlights Map / Profiles Time to go Accommodation What’s included / Price Booking
Weather
The Central European continental climate consists of long, hot summers and cold, snowy winters. The best time for cycling tours is between April and October. In the summer months it can get quite hot. Bear in mind that it will be cooler on the mountain tours at this time. May June and September are generally good months to take advantage of the cooler, but still warm weather.
Crowds
It must be noted that, according to the tourism calendar, the first two weeks in August are when most people go for their holidays. Generally July and August are the busiest months. We
mention this with regard to seeing cultural monuments and UNESCO protected areas with greater ease and with less people around.
CulturalEvents
You might wish to adjust the times of your tour to coincide with the following festivals and cultural events:
Budapest
Budapest Spring Festival (March- April) – Huge music festival that takes place in the outstanding city of Budapest.
http://www.btf.hu/btf2013/
Budapest Pálinka Festival (April)
Jazz Spring (May)
Danube Carnival (June) – The Danube Carnival (Duna Karnevál) is the framework event for the music and dance presentations, held by different settlements alongside the Danube.
Wagner in Budapest Opera Festival (June)
Budapest Summer Festival (June-August) – One of Europe’s greatest water events to be organized in Budapest, on the 1,5 km section of river Danube between Margaret Bridge and Chain Bridge on these two summer days. Different programs, sports events – rowing, kayak, canoe and motor boat competitions – await spectators during the whole day. Besides these events, hand-driven and motor boat processions are organized both in the morning and in the evening. Burning candles float down on the river and Midsummer Night’s fireworks are presented in the closing event.
Danube day (June) – the Danube Day is an annual international event celebrated in 14 countries that are connected through the Danube river system
Vajdahunyadvár Summer Festival (July-August) – a festival of classical music, swing, klezmer as well as traditional Hungarian gypsy music
International festival of choirs and orchestras in Budapest (June-July)
Island Festival – multicultural youth festival (Sziget Festival) (August) – Thousands of young people move out to a deserted shipyard island (Hajógyári sziget) in tents for a week to participate in a giant pop festival better known as Pepsi Island. Pepsi Island has since grown into the largest concert festival in Central Europe.
http://www.sziget.hu/festival_english
Festival of Folk Arts (August)- the festival (Mesterségek Ünnepe) brings the finest Hungarian craftsmen and their work to Buda Castle from across the country.
The Jewish Summer Festival (September) is a celebration of Hungarian and indeed Central European Jewish Culture. Events range from exhibitions to music concerts and theatre performances.
Foundation of the State and Constitution Day (August) As part of the celebrations a large-scale fireworks display is held in Budapest. All are welcome to join the crafts fair and concerts held along the Pest side of the Danube Embankment in the days before and after the festivities.
Red Bull Air Race World Series (July)- spectacular acrobatic flying competition
‘Junibor’ Wine Festival (August)
Budapest International Wine and Champagne Festival (September)-International Wine Festival presents famous Hungarian wine specialties and wine regions
Banska Stiavnica
Festival of Nice Music (July) – International festival of classic music.
Cap á l´Est (August) – European festival of poetry, theatre and music
http://www.capalest.com/
Festival of crafts and entertainment (May) – Exhibition of crafts, theatre, games and attractions for children.
Salamander Days (September) mining, historical parade called Salamander in period costumes – the ambience of ancient times
http://slovakia.travel/en/salamander-days-september
Banska Bystrica
International Dixieland Festival Banska Bystrica (May) – Festival with prominent Slovak and foreign Dixieland orchestras.
Culture Summer of Banska Bystrica (June) city days with a rich and varied cultural program
Banska Bystrica days (June) City days with a rich and varied cultural program
Mining Days of town (July) – presentation of the city´s mining traditions
Puppetry festival “Babkarska Bystrica” (September) – International festival of Slovak puppetry theatres with the puppetry theatre in Central Europe and select world ensembles.
Radvan market (September)-traditional Radvan market, which preserves the traditions and values of the past and features the mining city´s craft masters
http://slovakia.travel/en/radvansky-jarmok-fair-september
Festival Barbakan (September) – unique festival vombining film, music, modern and literary arts
Banska Bystrica Music Days (October) Slovak opera and music festival, opera performances, symphony concerts, chamber music concerts, solo performances, singing choirs and dance and theatre performances.
Krakow
April:
Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival (April) – Dozens of famous performers and ensembles play the music of this great composer as well as other famous composers of the time.
http://www.beethoven.org.pl/index.php?l=en
May:
Krakow International Film Festival (May-June)
http://www.krakowfilmfestival.pl/en/
June:
City of Krakow Festival incorporating many smaller festivals is a huge musical, theatrical, exhibition, historical event that takes place throughout Krakow and the surrounding area.
July:
Jewish Culture Festival (June-July)The Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow is one of the most important and largest events of its kind in the world. The First Festival took place in 1988 and its program focused on a scholarly conference on the encounter betweentwo cultures, Jewish and Polish. It was a modest occasion but it turned out to have enormous significance, considering the boldness of the subject matter, upon which the communist authorities of the day looked askance.
http://www.jewishfestival.pl/index_en.php
List of festivals:http://www.krakowfestival.com/