Europe, despite being one of the most heavily populated and developed continents in the world, still has plenty of wild areas where you can find some superb family adventure holidays. The great thing about Europe is that it offers terrain to explore and offer challenges at any time of year, from deepest winter to the baking sunshine of summer. Find the right location and the possibilities are as varied as Europe’s land and seascapes.

Czech Paradise National Park, Czech Republic / Photo by admin

Mountains, Rivers and Deep Forests

Central Europe, especially Germany, offers some of the deepest woodlands in Europe. In particular, the Black Forest, in the south west of Germany, has some wonderful facilities to offer to visitors. Bavaria’s meadows and mountain peaks are great for people who love hiking or cycling, while the water courses are ideal for those travellers who enjoy adrenaline fuelled water sports.

Southern Sun and Shorelines

Heading further south, you come to the Mediterranean countries with their spectacular coasts. The rocky Adriatic coasts of Croatia and Greece are great for people who enjoy sea-based water sports, while many of the islands in the Mediterranean are popular with people who like sailing. The beaches are also great in this part of Europe, if you need a something more restful for a while. A great way of exploring what the beaches can offer in this part of Europe is by canoe and many sailing tours offer this facility.

Beach in Pollina, Sicily, Italy / Photo by admin

Winter in the Wild

When the weather turns to snow, that does not mean things shut down in Europe. The snow comes as a boon for the skiing resorts of the Alps and the Pyrenees, while in Scandinavia, the weather is simply a part of life, influencing culture on almost every level. In countries such as Sweden and Finland, you can explore winter woodlands by skiddoo or learn to cross country ski, one of the world’s most beneficial types of exercise.

It is also possible to spot different kinds of wildlife in winter and the landscapes covered in snow form great backdrops for nature photographers. The mountain resorts of France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland really come alive in the winter months, with the adventure holidays for families available at this time are centred upon skiing and snowboarding type activities.

High Tatras National Park in Winter, Slovakia / Photo by admin

Whatever kind of adventure holidays you are seeking, from birdwatching tours to learning to water ski, Europe really can provide it all. With accessibility and transport links invariably very good by global standards, Europe answers many of the questions keen holiday makers often ask.

AUTHOR BIO: Graham Devonshire has been at home in the Alps for years. A mountain lover, whatever the weather, he write regularly about adventure holidays for families, along with other travel matters, for a range of blogs and websites. A keen skier, as well as white water rafter, his own family adventure holidays have attained an epic status in the annals of his own household, where his family attempt to keep his boundless enthusiasm for the outdoors bottled up, at least until he’s in range of the mountains.

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Kaunas city days, festival / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Lee Fenner

1. Sea Festival: Klaipėda

The city of Klaipėda is the only city in Lithuania which is right on the ocean. So it comes as no great surprise to find out that an annual sea festival is held here. The Klaipėda sea festival was started in 1934, and it currently attracts over half a million people who participate in three-days of non-stop action.

It’s usually held at the end of July or beginning of August and the streets are filled with markets, street concerts, children’s performances, and even a special carnival where attendees dress as mythological sea creatures. There are also several competitions related to fishing and sport, as well as an international sailing event. The pubs and bars are open much later during this period, and a free fireworks display is given on the last day of the festival.

2. Film Festival: Vilnius “Kino pavasaris” – Cinema Spring

This film festival was started in 2005 and is now an annual event, with attendance growing every year. The point of this festival is to showcase new non-commercial films, from other popular film festivals such as the Berlin, Toronto and Venice, as well as to give new directors from Eastern and Central Europe a chance to debut.

The film festival in 2011 saw over 60,000 attendees, compared to the original 4,000 only 6 years earlier. The event is held annually between March and April. Cinemas around the city of Vilnius showcase a wide variety of films, and the programme line-up includes talks from well-known directors, along with movie-making workshops, short film competitions as well as film debates.

3. Folk Festival: “Mėnuo Juodaragis” – Black Horned Moon

This contemporary Baltic culture festival hosts the largest number of foreign visitors, with over twenty-five countries represented in the last few years. The music played here is incredibly varied and styles include avant-garde, ethno, post-folk, gothic, neo-folk, and ambient, to name but a few. The festival runs for three days, all day and night, and focuses on the Baltic culture and the heritage of pagan traditions.

Music isn’t all that’s on offer, as there are many activities and training seminars on offer, focused on a variety of subject matter including folk dances, sports, arty films, DJ parties, traditional rites and tribal workshops.

4. Music Festival: Tamsa Music

This highly acclaimed music festival was first held in 2009, and has become a much-loved annual event. The festival is held each year on an isle in the Valley of Songs (Dainų slėnis), with the main focus being on live performances and Lithuanian music, although several foreign artists such as Little Dragon from Sweden also perform annually.

If you want to attend, you’d best book your tickets early, as visitor numbers are limited to preserve the natural beauty of Dainų slėnis.

5. Theatre Festival: “Sirenos” – Sirens International Theatre Festival

Held annually in October in the city of Vilnius, the international theatre festival is called “Sirenos” (Sirens) and is a week-and-a-bit long affair, with a different theme every year. Why the mythological name you wonder? Well in Greek mythology, Sirens were half-bird, half women (not mermaids) who sang and tempted sailors into joining them on the rocky coast, which more often than not led to the death of the crew.

The festival is promoted as a temptation, “an invitation, a magical spell impossible to overcome” and for most theatre-goers it delivers on that promise. Contemporary European performances, as well as comedy skits, dramatic and ironic plays, and even some whimsical imaginings are presented to an ever growing audience.

Author Bio: Roseanna McBain is the blogger for the accommodation website, TravelGround.com – which specialises in accommodation in the Drakensberg. In her spare time she enjoys writing poetry, gardening, and visiting local farmers markets.

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Berliner Dom Museum Island, Berlin, Germany / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Beny Shlevich

We can never get away from the fact that Berlin is in central Europe, therefore you are not going to be tanning it up on any beaches (even though it is landlocked, it does have a man-made beach!) or sipping cocktails in the sun all of the time, so it’s worthwhile noting the numerous excellent museums that the city has to offer. There is something for everyone, be it art, architecture, music or the history of the city itself.

There aren’t many cities in the world that can boast a place called Museum Island, but Berlin certainly can and it houses five of them. Situated in the middle of the Spree River, the island is home to the Altes and Neues (Old and New) museums, a national gallery and the Bode museum, which displays an excellent sculpture collection amongst other fine art. The jewel in the crown however, is the Pergamon Museum which shows off huge reconstructions – some life size – of different architecture of the last 3,000 years. It is truly a sight to behold.

Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin, Germany / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by dalbera

If you like your art more pop than classical, then a good place to visit is the Hamburger Bahnhof. Set in a disused railway station, this huge space is home to works of some of the greatest contemporary artists including Warhol, Lichtenstein amongst many others. Fans of Joseph Beuys will be especially happy, as an entire wing of the gallery is taken up with some of his rarer works.

If the moving image is more your thing, then the Kinemathek museum – just off the Potsdamer Platz – should be your first stop. Everything from scripts to props is available to see, from the beginnings of German cinema, through the Weimar era and the war propaganda up to the present day.

Even if you’re not a fan of the New York punk legends The Ramones, you will be amazed at the expanse of the collection on show at this museum dedicated to Joey, Dee Dee and the boys. Crudely basing the museum frontage on the famous CBGB’s club in New York, owner-curator Flo Hayler started his collection with a couple of pin badges and a ticket stub after seeing the band live in the city a generation ago, and now the museum is filled with all things Ramone.

Ben Gallivan is a well-travelled Welshman with an appreciation for the finer things in life, including museums, music, and currywurst. He writes for One80 Hostel in central Berlin.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Jiuguang Wang

And how did the period get its name? Just after Hallstatt village, which was at that time an important trading center. There was the salt mined in its vicinity, which was also exported to far away places. The history of the local salt mining extends at least from 2nd millennium BC up to the present and gave the region not only wealth and prosperity, but also created a specific cultural landscape, where nature blends with human activity in unusual harmony. It also led the Commission of UNESCO to add this area “Hallstatt-Dachstein Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape” on the list of World Heritage in 1997.

Very interesting on Hallstatt is that it has long been accessible only by boat across the lake, or along narrow mountain trails. The first road was built along the shore in 1890, but only thanks to the power of explosives. Despite of this apparent inaccessibility the people settled here anyway seven thousand years ago. The rich history recalls not only architecture of Hallstatt, but also the local museum, which collects extensive archaeological excavations. Many of them come from the necropolis on the plateau above the town, where were discovered the remains of 4,000 people. And those remains were the main reason to name the period as “Hallstatt period”.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Party Lin

It is understandable that many places in Hallstatt are related to salt. The local salt mines are reportedly the oldest in the world and you can see them in an unusual museum. Why unusual? Well, how many museums have you visited which had 64 metres long wooden roller coaster…? But the underground salt mines offer much more than this unusual attraction. You can learn about the life of people who mined salt here for thousands of years. The body of one of them was found here in 1734, perfectly preserved by salt. Notable is also an underground salt lake with an area of ​​1400 m2.

If you already have enough salt, you can target the other wonders of the underground world – Dachstein ice caves. And because we are in the Alps, it is not necessary to say that you can see lots of interesting also on the surface. Whether it’s a remarkable historical buildings, or simply “just” beautiful countryside with fresh air and a nice panorama of mountain giants.

There are lots of Austria hotels in the town as well as camp sites at the shores of the lake. Hallstatt is also a great starting point for your hiking tours around the mountains.

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Tree Top Walk is the longest trail of that kind in the world, with a total length of 1300 metres. You can enjoy unspoilt nature at a height of 8-25 meters above the ground. The experience of walking through mixed forest is extended with three stations with a rope adventure elements, the swaying bridge, trapeze and the beam, which thrill not only children but also adults.

Walkway ends with 44 meters high observation tower, from which you can enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding nature. In clear weather you will even be able to see the north ridge of the Alps.

Both the trail and also the tower are barrier-free. Admission is €8 for adults, €6 for children of 6+ years, family ticket costs €19. The trail is open year round except for Christmas Day, every day from 9:30 am, according to an annual period closes at 15:30, respectively, at 18:00 or 19:30. In bad weather, such as storm or hurricane, the trail is closed.

For further details visit the official site of The world´s longest tree top walk.

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Basic information
Maribor is an important transport hub, especially for those travelling from Central Europe to Croatia or from Eastern Europe to Italy. But this city deserve more, not just passing through. There are galleries, museums and also the university, which was founded in 1961. But the main attraction is the four hundred years old, still nascent, grape-vine in Lent – the oldest part of the city. Through the city flows the river Drava, where you can try a traditional raft ride.

History of Maribor
Maribor originated from the village below the Markburg castle. It was first mentioned in 1208, the name Maribor is used only since the late 19th century. There is also a large railway junction (the oldest railway crossing Slovenia) and the highway to Zagreb, Ljubljana and Graz. Until the World War I, there was a large minority of Germans living in Maribor. But they had to leave after the first, and then also after the Second World War, so now the city is purely Slovenian.

Old Vine (Stara trta)
The old grape-vine on the banks of Lent was discovered during the renovation of the port. It was found that this forgotten grape is perhaps the oldest in Europe (three hundred to four hundred years old). Ceremonial harvest of these precious berries of wine is at the end of October. However the wine of this origin can hardly be bought. You could get it only as a present and only if you are really very important visitor to the city of Maribor.

Maribor’s Squares
Core central area of ​​Maribor includes the Main Square (Glavni Trg) and Slomškov Square (Slomškov Trg). On the Main Square you can see the Plague Column made by the sculptor Joseph Straub, which commemorate the tragedy of 17th century, when a third of Maribor’s residents died of black death. On the same square you can admire the old Renaissance Town Hall (Rotovž), through you can walk to Town Hall Square (Rotovški Trg). On the Slomškov Square you can see the monumental church and great facade of the classicist theater.

Lent International Summer Festival
Bank of river Drava, formerly a major port or residence of rafters and small craftsmen, is now a promenade with many cafes and restaurants. It is suitable for pleasant walks. Lent is also a place of the annual international music, theater and entertainment festival. It is held for approximately two weeks at the end of June.

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It is worth to visit also Biale Skaly, which are 30m high white-colored rocks, or Skalne Grzyby, areas with high prevalence of these rock formations.

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It is designed for parachute trainings, learning the dynamics of free flight base jumpers and also for the general public. Those interested can try out what it’s like floating in the air and experience a sensation similar to free fall.

A circular flight chamber is made of safety glass. It has a diameter of 4.3 meters, so it can accommodate up to eight-member group. During normal operation of the chamber, there is only the “Flyer” and the instructor. The entire airspace is 14 meters tall, skilled individuals can fly up into a metal duct, which leads to the roof of the building. There is a metal grate with slats, guiding the flow of air to the fans. So you don’t have to be afraid of sucking into the propulsion system.

A flight in a wind tunnel is really an extraordinary experience. However there are missing some visual effects and adrenalin that you can enjoy during the jump from an airplane, of course, but on the other hand, the security risks associated with parachute jumping are eliminated here.

Basic package which contains two 90-second flights costs 1 500 CZK.

For further information you can visit official site of SkyDive Arena in Prague. www.skydivearena.com

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Grzegorz

According to an ancient legend, Błędów Desert was created by the devil, who tore the the bag of sand at the local church tower.

In fact, the sand is the remaining of melting glaciers. However it overgrown after some time. The present appearance of the countryside made people already in the thirteenth century, when they began to use land here, water and cut down forests. A narrow layer of the soil was destroyed and the sand appeared again. At the beginning of the 19th century, the desert had 80 km2. Now the sand is overgrowing again, and the desert is shrinking.

Since 2010, some projects have been initiated to save this unique area. Błędów Desert is often referred to as the Polish Sahara. This similarity is often used by the filmmakers. In the past, it was a training area for army. Today, you can find here the remains of fortifications however the part of the desert is still a military area.

Błędów Desert is best accessible from the village of Chechlo and Klucze, where you can follow the tourist trail. A popular way to see the beauty of this unique European piece of desert is from horseback.

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Today Hohensalzburg Castle is open to the visitors during the whole year. Particularly interesting is the medieval royal room and the castle museum. For a tour around the castle complex from 11th century you will need more time. There is also a palace Hohe Stock, Church of St. Georg or several different towers. In the local Gothic rooms you can join the unique concert with candlelight. Since 1892 there is a cable car (Festungsbahn) in operation, which can help you to get up to the castle easily and quickly.

During 20th century Hohensalzburg Castle became one of the most visited attractions in Austria.

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