A cultural hub

As well as being home to many UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Vieux Lyon, Croix-Rousse and Presqu’île it is also the birthplace of cinema and plays host to many arts festivals throughout the year. This includes the world famous Biennial Dance Festival and this year, is a particularly special year, as it is celebrating its 15th anniversary.

The Biennale Festival

As lively and bustling as you would expect, Lyon is home to 470,000 people and hosts a number of festivals, cultural events and sporting affairs throughout the year.

Photo by dancetechtv

Lyon’s Biennale Festival features over 50 choreographic works in 30 different venues throughout the city as draws in thousands of visitors to the city each time it visits. For three weeks in September, visitors can enjoy an opportunity to see their favourite up and coming acts in a series of one off performances and recent works.

Biennial acts as a training facility for public art, and is aimed at a broad and diverse audience, from those who are new to dance, to connoisseurs.

A celebration of dance

But clarity of intention aside, the biennial is one of the most ambitious and important dance festivals in the world, and its largeness of scale and intention is splendid to see at a time of ever-shrinking financing for the arts.

The festival has showcased some of European dance’s most famous pieces such as Les Ballets C de la B’s “Aphasiadisiac” and Angelin Preljocaj’s “Snow White”. Set to music by Mahler, costumes for the performance were designed for none-other than Jean-Paul Gautier himself.

“Les Petites Pièces de Berlin,” choreographed by Dominique Bagouet and first performed at the biennial in 1988, went on to become one of the best-loved dance performances of the year, consistently selling out in auditoriums all over the world.

Celebrity spotting

Dance lovers staying at hotels in Lyon can also look forward to a little bit of celeb spotting.

The festival has attracted many famous faces in its 15 years, with the likes of French choreographer Dominique Hervieu who is the creative director and leads the way for the parade which marks the opening and closing ceremonies of the festival.

Last but not least be sure to reserve your hotel in plenty of time, as Lyon gets very busy around this time of year. Tickets sell out quickly too, so book them as soon as you can.

What are your favourite forms of dance?

Catherine Halsey writes for a digital marketing agency on a range of subjects. This article links back to https://www.radissonblu.com/hotel-lyon

The post Lyon’s 15th Biennial Dance Festival | France appeared first on Europe Explored.

The Dunluce Castle / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Alex Ranaldi

When sunny days make its appearance in Northern Ireland, you can expect temperatures to rise to around 25 degrees Celsius, while the winter temperatures are normally mild and just above freezing, reported to be around 4 degrees Celsius.

While anytime is a good time to visit Ireland, the best time is still during the summer months, when the days are longer and more attractions are open. September and October are normally the best time to visit Ireland as the sun does not go down until 9pm. Prices are said to be less and it does not rain as much. October offers more arts festivals.

The Main Attractions In Northern Ireland

Any visitor to Ireland must come to see the best of what Ireland has to offer in the Northern parts. Let us take a closer look at some of the well known attractions that are worth while seeing.

The Dunluce Castle

If you fancy something medieval, then Dunluce Castle is the place to see. One of the most extensive ruins in Northern Ireland, located in County Antrim, and said to be a 100 feet above the ocean on panicle of basalt rock. Some of its remains date back as far as 1200 AD, although much of it was built afterwards.

The Giant’s Causeway

One of the best tourist attractions in Ireland is the Giant’s Causeway which is owned by the National Trust. This magnificent piece of work was formed some 60 million years ago due to volcanic eruptions. Visitors can expect to see about 40,000 columns of basalt rock at the site today.

Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland, UK / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by rebekah.grmela

Kildare and Wicklow

During the Irish Bank holidays, Kildare and Wicklow are good places to view. Tourists and visitors will discover the rich heritage of the East Coast of Ireland over here. There are so much to do and see like the Kippure Estate that includes guided scenic walks through the Wicklow mountains and fun nature activities.

Other attractions visitors will get to enjoy features the Japanese Gardens, full day tours in a 4 x 4 of Wicklow which also includes sightseeing and hill walking. Then there is the exciting Blessington Lakes that feature Picnic Cruises where you can hire boats at ?10 per adult, ?5 per child or special family packages at ?25 for 2 adults and 2 children.

The Cliffs of Moher as Irish Bank Holiday Destination

This marvelous place has been voted to be in the final 28 of the new 7 wonders of Nature. With almost one million visitors every year, the Cliffs of Moher is Ireland’s most visited natural attraction with over 30,000 bird species including razorbills, guillemots, puffins, kittiwakes, fulmars and other birds.

It is indeed a pleasure to revel in the beautiful scenery of Ireland during Irish bank holidays in 2012.

The post Beautiful Places To Visit In Ireland During Irish Bank Holidays 2012 appeared first on Europe Explored.