Itinerary Highlights Map / Profiles Time to go Accommodation What’s included / Price Booking
Time to go
Weather
The Central European continental climate consists of long, hot summers and cold, snowy winters. The best time for walking 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.
Cultural Events
You might wish to adjust the times of your tour to coincide with the following festivals and cultural events:
Vienna
Vienna Spring Festival (March-October)
http://www.musikverein.at
International Youth and Music Festivals (July)
The Vienna Festival (May-June) – Renowned for its superb international theatrical performances, also invites musical ensembles and opera companies from all over the world, in addition to staging many Austrian musical productions.
http://www.festwochen.at/
Genussfestival (May)
World Choral Festival (July)
Vienna Popfest (July)
http://popfest.at/
Jazz-Fest Wien (June- July)
Mikulov
Mikulov Wine Fare (May) – prestigious wine tasting event, rich cultural programme,Czech championship in filling the wine pipette from the barrel
The Town of Mikulov Festival (May) – scenes from the traditional life in Mikulov, opening of sights to the public with complementary events, performances of local ensembles and schools, wine tasting, gastronomic specialities
The International Guitar Festival (July) – Festival with master-classes of interpretation and concerts by world-class guitarists.
The Festival of the Nations from the Podyji (July) – presentation of the original cultural and culinary specialties of the nations living in the Podyji region
http://www.narodypodyji.cz/ (In Czech only)
Festival Of The Three Neighbors (August) – Meeting of folklore ensembles.
Mikulov Beer Festival (August) – tasting of different beer brands, attractive cultural programmes
http://www.mikulovskepivobrani.cz/ (only in Czech)
Eurotrialog Mikulov (August) – Central-European Music Festival with pop,
rock, alternative and ethnic music
http://www.eurotrialog.cz/cs/english
Kampanila (September) – International Choir Festival.
Pilgrimage to Holy Hill (September) – Traditional pilgrimage to the Black Loretan Madonna on Holy Hill in Mikulov.
Palava Wine Harvest Festival (September)-a grand event with a historical fair and wine market, historical and folk costume parades, wine tasting, a program of events for all ages and local culinary specialties.
http://www.palavske-vinobrani.cz/ (in Czech)
Days of Jewish Culture (September)
Brno
Easter Festival of Sacred Music (March-April) – international music festival. Six concerts at Easter time devoted solely to sacred music.
http://www.mhf-brno.cz/en/
Jazzfest Brno (April, May and September) http://www.jazzfestbrno.cz/en/
Brno – City in the Center of Europe (May-June) – Festival of fun under Spilberk and Veveri Castles in Brno. Includes: International fireworks competition IGNIS BRUNENSIS; MUSEUM NIGHT presentation of Brno Museums and galleries; CHURCH NIGHT
Concentus Moraviae (June) This international music festival offers the opportunity to travel around the various châteaux and churches of South Moravia and the Highlands listening to music. The programme is subtitled “Shakespeare, Beethoven and the Czech Quartet Tradition”, and includes about thirty concert
Summer at The Old City Hall (June-September) The Old City Hall comes alive with culture in the summer. Its rich and colourful programme consisting of concerts, theatre, a literary programme, (video) art and open-air cinema takes place outdoors in its courtyard
International Guitar Festival (August) Annual International Guitar Festival which is considered to be one of the most important festivals of its genre in Central Europe
The International Music Festival Spilberk (August) – Music Festival in the grounds of Spilberk castle in Brno.
Janaček Brno (October) – International Music and Theatre Festival – prestigious biennale dedicated to Leoš Janáček
Dvorak’s Olomouc (May) – International classic music festival. A tribute to one of the most famous Czech composers, Antonin Dvorak, of New World Symphony fame
Beerfest Olomouc (May)
Olomouc Summer of Culture (June-September) – Series of open air shows, concerts, exhibitions, literary evenings, theatre performances in the historical city center.
Autumn Festival of Sacred Music (September-October) – First class concerts and performances of sacred music in Olomouc churches.
http://www.podzimni-festival.cz/en/about-the-festival
International Organ Festival (September) – Organ performances.
http://www.mfo.cz
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/