Looking at the events on offer it is truly overwhelming, and the following is an attempt to pinpoint a few of the highlights and add the websites where virtually every event can be located.

Austria
www.austria.info
www.austria.info/uk

Salzburg Festival 24 July - 31 August
www.salzburgfestival.at

This internationally acclaimed festival, staged in Mozart's birthplace, will this year offer a feast of the world's greatest composers, Janacek vying with Gershwin together with the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras. And more, much more.


Vienna
www.vienna.info

The Liechtenstein Museum - Visit Web Site
The Liechtenstein is the largest private art collection in the world spanning the Renaissance to Austrian Romanticism and is opening 29th March.

Whilst Vienna is alive to the Music and the Arts, throughout the year from 28th June to 11th July the Vienna Jazz Festival takes place offering another musical side to Vienna.

Czech Republic
www.czechtourism.com

March through May the Prague State Opera and the National Theatre stage Opera and Ballet with outstanding international productions.

Prague Writers’ Festival dedicated to Joseph Roth in the spirit of enlarging the EU takes place on 21 March
www.pwf.pragonet.cz

From early May into June the 59th Prague International Spring festival opens with, as always, the international music competition. www.festival.cz

From the opening of Bedrich Smetana's "My Country" the 59th Festival featuring the BBC Symphony, the Prague Symphony and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestras will demonstrate that Prague is alive with the arts and not just an architectural fantasy.

Hungary
www.hungarytourism.hu

Budapest, like so many of the cities of Central Europe, is a cultural heritage in its own right. The State Opera house a monument to Hungary's musical heritage.

The Spring Festival, Music, Opera and Ballet with events every day of the week during March and April

Budapest will stage the World International Dance Festival 20 - 29 April.

Remembering also that Budapest is the Spa City of the World.

In addition, www.hungarywelcomesbritain.com offers information about a myriad of events for the UK market this year.

Germany
www.germany-tourism.co.uk

Music festivals in Germany are renowned year round from the Alps to the Baltic.

Baden Baden Year Round Festival www.festpielhaus.de

Bayreuth Monument to a Genius
http://www.bayreuther-festspiele.de/

Berlin with three Opera houses www.deutsche-opera-berlin.de

Dresden Music Festival.
Classical concerts and Ballet reclaiming, for the city on the Elbe, its role as a city for cultural tourism and a wonderful musical heritage.

Lake Contance
International Bodensee Festival, in May. Music, Ballet, Arts and Film along the shores of lake Constance.

Cologne
Music Festival of the 20th Century where all the chic people go 7 April - 9 May

Poland
www.pot.gov.pl
www.visitpoland.org
www.destinationwarsaw.com

Warsaw
XIV Mozart Festival. Opera orchestral and chamber music recitals take place in June

Summer jazz days.
Contemporary Jazz outdoor concerts in the Castle square June, July and August

Warsaw Book Fair the second largest in the world 20 - 23 May

Gdansk
Bydgoszcz Opera Festival 24 April - 9 May

The Gdansk Musical Summer 18 June - 22 August a festival with classical concerts in all the ancient monuments of Gdansk.

Warsaw
Beethoven Easter Festival with soloists and Orchestras from around the world 4 - 12 April

Film Festival in Miedzedroye, on the Baltic coast, in July.

Slovakia
www.slovakiatourism.sk

Banska Bystrica
44th Musical Spring of Classical Music.

International Festival of choral singing www.banskabystrica.sk in April

Bratislava
6 June is the opening weekend of Culture of Summer Festival lasting throughout the summer.

The Bratislava Music Festival centred around the Opera House and the Philharmonic hall with international soloists from around the world during September

The Bratislava Jazz days during October

Download Bratislava Facts (MS Word | 70kb)

This is just a small sample and if any member feels that there are events that need promoting let us know.

Central Europe needs to trumpet its offerings in the field of Music and the arts. The message needs to be delivered to both the trade and the travel industry. Travel writers in particular need to better understand what is on offer and hopefully we may hear from some of you.