Plan ahead and don't miss out on some of the annual events taking place throughout Europe that you should be aware of, not only if you plan to attend, but if your itinerary takes you into these locales. It's important to be cognizant of the influx of tourists that will put a significant strain on the availability and pricing of accommodations.
| Cannes | Cannes Film Festival | May 9-20 | |
| London | Chelsea Flower Show | May 22-26 | |
| Paris | French Open | May 27-Jun 10 | |
| Montreux | Montreux Jazz Festival | Jun 30-Jul 15 | |
| London | Wimbledon | Jul 2-15 | |
| Siena | Il Palio: Costume Pageant & Bareback Riding |
Jul 2 & Aug 16 | |
| Pamplona | Running of the Bulls | Jul 6-14 | |
| St. Andrews | British Open | Jul 16-22 | |
| Salzburg | Salzburg Music Festival | Jul 21-30 | |
| Paris, Annecy & Carcassonne |
Tour de France | Jul 1-23 | |
| Edinburgh | Edinburgh International & Fringe Festival |
Aug 4-28 | |
| Edinburgh | Royal Military Tattoo Festival | Aug 4-26 | |
| Munich | Oktoberfest | Sep 22-Oct 7 |
Then there are events that take place periodically:
For art lovers, Tate Modern in the Eyal Ofer Galleries will have a special exhibit titled Picasso 1932 - Love, Fame, Tragedy. The show, which Tate describes as one of the most significant in its history, will focus on the work produced in a single year: 1932. It will feature more than 100 “outstanding” paintings, sculptures and drawings. London, March 8 to September 9, 2018.
Beauty and the Abyss is the theme for exhibitions in Vienna in 2018 with works by Klimt, Schiele, Wagner, Moser and other Viennese Modernism artists. In 2018, to commemorate the century of his death, several special temporary exhibitions will be held in Vienna on Klimt and his works. In addition, paintings and graphic artworks of Egon Schiele will be displayed in dialogue with handwritten pieces and poems, documents, photos and other objects from his life.
Dates range from February 23 to November 4.
2018 is the centenary of the Great War (World War I). During the year there are regular events held in France and Belgium to commemorate battle actions and anniversaries on the World War I battlefields of the Western Front. In addition to the regular events there will be events specifically arranged to mark the centenary of World War I.
Website: www.centenaire.org
Ypres, (in Flemish, Ieper) is in the West Flanders province of Belgium. This historic and famous 1914-1918 city was subjected to of some of the fiercest and most prolonged fighting in World War I, and has a host of battlefields and memorials. But this year, it's also the triennial meeting place of bubbly cat folklore. That's right; it's a festival celebrating cats. On the 2nd Sunday in May, every three years, there is a celebratory parade, packed with floats, costumes and whiskers that are dedicated to our feline friends.
Ypres owed its prosperity to the cloth industry. The wool, imported from England, was stored in the cloth towers. The cloth attracted mice, which feasted on it and nested. As a solution to this problem, the population of Ypres decided to release a few hungry cats. They dispatched the rodents, however after the wool was sold, the cats were unceremoniously thrown off the cloth tower. Thankfully now only stuffed cat toys are thrown from the tower. This is a popular event and hotel space will be tight, but one can easily do a day trip by train.
Be sure to plan ahead and book your stay early so you can enjoy all the sights, sounds, and tastes these destinations have to offer!