Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Roser Goula

Northern Costa Brava

Starting in the north Figueres and Cadaques are the main towns of the area stretching up to France. Figueres is a beautiful Catalan town with an interesting architecture and plenty of warmth. The town is most famous for its Dali museum which is the world’s best collection of Dali’s and absolutely un-missable. Dali was born in Figueres and the museum is the most popular in the whole of Spain. Beyond the museum the ramblas are a great place to stroll and while away your afternoons while enjoying the fantastic cafes and street culture of this great town. Cadaques is also tied intimately to Dali and is a beautiful fishing village with a much more sedate and peaceful way of life for you to enjoy.

Outside of the towns the north of the Costa Brava has beautiful countryside with the area around Cap de Creus being fantastically beautiful. Inland the medieval capital of the region Girona is spectacular and a beautiful town with exceptional architecture.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Roser Goula

Central Costa Brava

The central areas of the Costa Brava are the most popular with beach tourists. The main areas between Palamos and Pals are the favourite haunt of locals from Barcelona and tourists. The central coastline is really just a tourist attractions with Costa Brava villas, hotels and luxury resorts lining most of the coastline and somewhat ruining the local atmosphere. That said there are still some places to escape the tourist crowd and some beautiful beaches. If you head a little further inland though you can enjoy the stunning scenery of this fantastic region and a much more local atmosphere.

Southern Costa Brava

The southern Costa Brava takes us further into the concrete jungle and the traditional hotel and beach villa holidays Spain has to offer. It’s much more lively this end of the Costa Brava strip with the area around Lloret de Mar being the most vibrant and boisterous. The sun, sea and sands are undoubtedly the biggest draws and there are some stunning beaches and beautiful resorts to enjoy. However, if you want local culture you will again have to head inland for the main part as the southern coast is one of the most popular tourist regions. Nevertheless this shouldn’t put you off as the area is still beautiful and it’s a lot less crowded and more beautiful than the neighbouring Costa del Sol.

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It was back in 1953 when the Východná Heritage Festival was first held. Originally, the festival was held in an open air field that overlooked the village; however, within the last decade a large theater was developed in the area in order to house the annual event. Every year, usually during the first weekend of the month of July, the Východná Heritage Festival is held in the newly constructed open-air theater.

Due to the fact that the Východná Heritage Festival is now considered part of the International Council of Organizations for Folklore Festivals and Folk Art, more than 1500 performers come to the festival every single year in order to entertain almost 100,000 people who regularly attend the annual event.

For the most part, much of the Východná Heritage Festival is held within the open-air theater, however there are a number of smaller events that can be found throughout the village; before, during as well as after the annual event. You will also find a number of kiosks located throughout the city during the event in order to ensure that there are plenty of refreshments and things to eat for the numerous visitors who come to this sleepy little village areas. The festival itself is also recorded and presented around Slovakia thanks to the efforts of state Slovak Television.

There is also a substantial amount of effort being put into ensure there is sufficient lodgings in and around the village of Východná in order to accommodate large influx of visitors. There are countless warding houses, hotels as well as other accommodation facilities that can be found in and around the village.

The Východná Heritage Festival is definitely a unique and interesting Festival to visit regardless of whether you are simply visiting Slovakia for the season, or even if you live there year-round. You are bound to stay entertained throughout your entire trip to the sleepy little village of Východná. So if you are visiting Slovakia during the early part of July, make sure to take a day and head on over to the Východná Heritage Festival.

Photos by festivalvychodna.sk

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