The Royal Mile during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival by Raymond McCrae

Edinburgh Fringe

The most well-known of Edinburgh’s festivals is the Edinburgh Fringe, which is the world’s largest arts festival. The city becomes a stage as street performers entertain the passing crowds and more than 2,500 comedy, cabaret, dance, music and theatre shows get underway.

There are venues spread across the Scottish capital, including the Institut Français d’Ecosse, St Stephen’s Church and the Underbelly. If you can, it is worth taking in a show at the New Town Theatre, just to catch a glimpse of the beautiful interior of this Freemason’s Hall. The Fringe is such a huge event, you won’t know where to start with your planning, but the website www.edfringe.com is filled with daily guides and even a handy app that you can download to get started.

The Art Festival

In stark contrast to its deep historic roots, Edinburgh becomes a modern cultural hub every August with the opening of The Edinburgh Art Festival. Galleries and museums are transformed into spaces from which to ponder exciting modern and contemporary visual art exhibitions from some of the world’s leading artists.

Turf Wars, Edinburgh, Scotland by Prank Sky Media

One of the highlights for 2012 is set to be a sound installation by Turner Prize winner Susan Philipsz, which is based on the traditional firing of the Edinburgh one o’clock gun. There are also a series of public exhibitions set up around the city that are free to attend, as well as special events for children.

The International Festival

Edinburgh’s theatres swing their doors open wide and enjoy several weeks filled to capacity as they host the International Festival, a celebration of the theatre, opera, dance and classical music. Tying in somewhat with the summer Olympics in the south of England, a key event this year is the Speed of Light performance, which will involve a choreographed performance by athletes wearing light-emitting suits to create a spectacle on the slopes of the famous Arthur’s Seat.

Other events will include re-workings of Shakespeare and Alice in Wonderland and a dance extravaganza from the wonderful Mariinsky Ballet. Download the full festival brochure at www.eif.co.uk.

Best of the Rest

August in Edinburgh sees the arrival of the Book Festival and the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, in which tribute will be paid this year to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee against the spectacular backdrop of the castle. The Mela Festival begins on August 31^st and celebrates cultural diversity through the arts.

Edinburgh Miltary Tattoo, Scotland, UK by Martin Luechinger

Tickets

If you want to book tickets, a visit to the collective festival site will lead you in the right direction. You can buy tickets for most events online, and it’s worth checking in with the websites regularly as they run offers, 2-for-1 deals and more so you get the best value for money.

There are free events for travellers on a tight budget and websites such as www.freefringe.org.uk highlight the best of this program. Bear in mind, though, the huge amount of people who attend the festival for free events and make sure you get in early to avoid disappointment.

Eat

Edinburgh is crammed full of inviting eateries where you can grab a quick bite in between festival performances. The best pizza in town is delivered at La Favorita, which has long been a local favourite.

Brunch at the Roseleaf always goes down a treat, as does the fry up at the Kiliminjaro Coffee Café on Nicolson Street, great for easing a hangover if you’ve partied too hard the night before.

You can never go far wrong with fish and chips, either on the go or as a sit down meal, and when in Edinburgh it has to be from L’alba D’Oro. For the genuine haggis experience, head to Macsween, where there is even a vegetarian option of the classic Scottish dish.

Stay

My Edinburgh Life is a centrally located B&B offering a taste of luxury in the heart of the city. The guest house is stylishly decorated, with kitchenettes in the larger rooms, ideal for those who perhaps want to save a bit on food costs during the festival weekend. A standard double starts at £54 per night, while the deluxe studios with kitchenette start from £76.

If you’re seeking cheap and cheerful accommodation that will allow you to spend all your pennies on performances and dining out, you can’t go wrong with Panda Villa, where a double room starts at just £22 per night. Each room has been individually decorated, and this house will have you charmed from the moment you set your eyes on the cheery red front door.

Find out more at https://www.edinburghfestivals.co.uk/

Originally from Ireland but now living and working in London, Anita Doherty loves to travel. She indulges her passion for travelling and writing as frequently as she can and is part of the team at Enjoybedandbreakfast.com, a travel website for accommodation with personality in the UK. The website offers a growing selection of quaint B&Bs, charming inns, small boutique hotels and guest houses. 

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Changing of the guard/the Four O’Clock Parade

A tourist favourite, the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace takes place every day throughout the summer at 11.30am. The ceremony involves the changing of five regiments of foot guards and takes about 45 minutes. It also features a band playing popular classical music.

If getting up early in the morning is too much of a struggle, consider the Four O’Clock Parade (also known as the Dismounting) that takes place at the Horse Guards building. All of the guards line up in formation and are inspected, before taking the horses back to the stables for the night.

Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace, London / edwin.11

Street performers in Covent Garden and a walk through China Town

Covent Garden is a vibrant area with numerous bars and boutique stores. It’s great to wander around, but if you fancy some entertainment, the square is famed for its street performers and buskers. Covent Garden is centrally located and just a stroll from nearby China Town, which is worth exploring to take in the smells and vibrant atmosphere.

Art galleries

London features some of the world’s greatest art galleries and fortunately many of them are completely free. London’s best known gallery, the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square houses one of the finest collections in the world. The gallery’s permanent collection contains western European paintings from 1250 to 1900. It’s a vast building and takes at least a day to explore.

The Tate Modern, probably the second most famous gallery in London, is housed in a defunct power plant.  The gallery exhibits an expansive collection of modern art, the quirks of which are mirrored in the unusual building.

Museums

Dubbed ‘one of the world’s best museums of human history and culture’, the British Museum hosts some of the world’s most famous objects, such as the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon sculptures – as well as Egyptian mummies and other fascinating artefacts. The museum is so large that it’s impossible to cover in one day, so it’s worthwhile picking up a map and planning what to see in advance.

South Bank

Home to the Tate Modern and the Southbank Centre, the South Bank has been regenerated into one of the most creative areas in London, hosting numerous festivals and events.  Most weekends the area is also home to very a popular street food market selling international cuisine.

There’s often live music being played outside of the Southbank Centre, as well as many buskers and street performers keeping crowds entertained. If you’re into photography, the underground skate park is a must-visit for some action shots.

There are many great things to do for free in London and the best way to find many of them is to explore the places you don’t know on foot. Summer is the best time to visit, with London serviced apartments available all season. If you don’t fancy any of the above, consider relaxing in one of the many parks London has to offer.

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Tossa del Mar, Costa Brava / Jay Cross

Going Back in Time

The Costa Brava is an ancient region and nowhere is this more evident than in Tossa del Mar, where the Vila Vella is an amazing sight. The name means old town. It’s a well preserved walled city, part of which was constructed in the 12th century. Later additions included the fortifications, completed some time in the 14th century. There are other sights to see nearby (such as the Sant Vincenc Gothic Cathedral and a striking lighthouse) so it’s worth planning a day trip to this area.

Going even further back in time, you can also explore the area’s medieval history. Ulla is worth a look and you can also visit the medieval ramparts of the Torroella de Montgrí in La Bisbal. Summer offers a surreal experience as you listen to the sounds of a modern music festival in this ancient setting. And the time travel experience doesn’t end there. The early Iberians left traces of their passage on the Sant Andreu mound – find out more about these 7th century settlers in the archaeological museum in Ullastret.

La Bisbal d’Empordà (Costa Brava) / Jean Robert Thibault

Exploring Natural Beauty

While there’s plenty of natural beauty on show as you walk or drive along the Costa Brava region, there’s one more must-see for nature lovers – the Santa Clotilde Gardens. These exquisite gardens are done in an Italian Renaissance style with fountains and ornate sculptures set among the beautiful flora. The gardens’ location on a hillside give access to gorgeous views and if you look carefully, you might be able to spot Fenals beach, which makes a nice place to relax after your visit.

There’s lots more to see on the Costa Brava, but these attractions make a good starting point for a memorable and enjoyable visit.

Marian Jaime writes for Suntransfers. She recommends the company’s’ low cost airport transfers from Barcelona to get your holiday off to a wonderful start.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Tomas Maltby

Brighton Pier

World-famous for a reason the pier is a Brighton institution and no trip would be complete without at least a quick walk along it.

The remains of the old West Pier can be seen from the promenade of the surviving pier by Grand Junction. The skeleton of metal is still incredibly beautiful, despite years of storm damage and remains a great reminder of its former glory.

The modern pier offers everything you’d expect from arcades to restaurants, including the best fish and chips within hundreds of miles.

The Lanes

If you’re a vintage shopper than The Lanes could well be your paradise. A collection of narrow streets, crammed with various boutiques, it is a warren of fine designer clothes, retro phones, brand-name shaded and cuddly toys.

The hunt for a bargain is on, made all the more enjoyable by the lack of charity street-collectors and the presence of entertaining street performers.

The Brighton Toy and Model Museum

We have yet to discover a toy museum that didn’t instantly send us to a happier time, when our only concern was when we’d have to stop playing to eat and sleep.

Located in the magical arches of a railway station, this museum is right in the city centre and offers a collection of over 10,000 toys. You can even play with a few, while toy trains take long laps around the building.

Brighton Festival

The festival takes place for three weeks every May and the city becomes a hive of excitement throughout that time, so it’s well worth planning your trip to coincide.

The programme changes every year, but you can expect around 700 shows of theatre, musical and art.

The Brighton i-360

Although not open until next year, we thought it was worth mentioning this eye-catching design that will soon dominate the Brighton skyline. The sleek-looking observation tower will stand a full 183 metres high and be able to carry 100 visitors to its top, at one time.

It’s no surprise that it’s being designed by those clever people behind the London Eye, although you can expect a more beautiful view and cheaper prices.

Written by Matt for The Claremont Hotel, a luxurious boutique, family run hotel right in the heart of Brighton.

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Orava Castle, Slovakia by Wojsyl

The Castle itself was constructed at the site were an old wooden fort had once stood during the Mongol invasion. The old Fort unfortunately did not survive the invasion, and soon after was replaced with the Orava Castle, which stands today. And while the Castle has undergone a number of reconstructions throughout the centuries, the most extensive reconstruction occurred back in 1611.

Unfortunately, as the centuries went on the Castle eventually fell into disrepair until the early 1800s when it was burnt to the ground completely. However, thanks to the extensive efforts of the government as well as locals, another major reconstruction effort began shortly after the end of World War II.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects about the Orava Castle is that of the entrance to the Castle. There are three levels of the Castle, which includes lower, central as well as upper parts. As a result, anyone who enters the Castle will have to walk through a tunnel under which the Castle’s dungeon can clearly be seen beneath. The highest part is on a steep rocky limestone cliff 112 m above the Orava river. Middle part consists of medieval buildings – Corvinus Palace and the Palace of Ján from Dubová village. The lower castle is particularly Thurzo Palace and the castle church where some members of Thurzo family are buried, the older tower and terrace. On this terrace there was a summer theatre for several years.

Today the Castle itself serves as a Museum to not just the Castle, but also to the archaeology of the region, the history of the settlements along the Orava River as well as the nation. There are countless exhibits that can be found throughout the Castle including a regular theatre and street performers. One of the most interesting aspects about visiting the Orava Castle is that it is open in the night-time to allow visitors to have a truly enchanted experience.

The basic admission is €5 – €6 and often include also the fencing duel or several music concerts from the previous periods. If you are planning your trip to Slovakia, do not forget to visit Orava castle, you will be surprised how nice it is.

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