Ruhr is the European Capital of Culture in 2010.  However, back in the Middle Ages it had a greater number of castles than most other regions and was the scene of of many feuds, power struggles and battles.

The LWL Museum for Archaeology in Herne is currently hosting AufRuhr 1225 – an exhibition of Knights, Castles and Intrigue in the Middle Ages.  A collection of approximately 1,000 exhibits from national and international museums recollect the times of knights and castles, murders and feuds, turbulent power struggles and triumphs, robber barons and nobles.  Some of the events had far-reaching consequences and changed the course of history -  such as the murder of the Archbishop of Cologne, Engelbert I, in 1225.  Castles were burned down, members of the aristocracy were executed and the region was left desolate through innumerable conflicts.

Visitors to the museum can take a closer look at the criminal case of the Archbishop’s murder. Exhibits recount the lives and ultimate death of the Archbishop and his rival Frederick of Isenberg.

AufRuhr 1225 is the largest medieval exhibition ever to be shown in the region and the exhibition will hopefully generate more interest in the history of the area. In an exhibition space of more than 1,500 square metres are magnificent items of international stature which shed light on the many facets of the Middle Ages in the Ruhr.

In conjunction with AufRuhr, there’s also an outdoor programme in eleven castles and palaces in the region.  Not to forget, Ruhr is the European Capital of Culture in 2010 so there’ll be lots of events and festivals happening in the region.

Exhibition: Auf1225 (27.02.2010 – 28.11.2010)
LWL Museum for Archaeology
Westfälisches Landesmuseum
Europaplatz 1
44623 Herne
Tel: 02323 94628-24 and -0
www.aufruhr1225.de

Fancy some honey from Carinthia, cheese from Vorarlberg, smoked Arctic char from the Mariazellerland, escargots from Vienna’s vineyards? The Vienna Genussfestival has them all .. and much more.

The Festival will bring together leading food producers and foodies from all over Austria in Vienna’s Stadtpark. From May 7–9, 2010 Austria’s leading producers, food manufacturers and gourmets will present choice culinary creations for visitors to enjoy in one of the city’s most impressive parks. This year, visitors can also expect to sample signature dishes from countries of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Vienna Genussfestival - © Jobst

Vienna Genussfestival also features a packed program of lectures and tasting sessions for visitors. Little ones are not forgotten – there is even a special food school for children!

The focus of the Vienna Festival is not just about gourmet food, but to promote regional and sustainable food production and the creation of a platform for the best producers in the country.

If you’re visiting Vienna in early May, what a fantastic opportunity to find out more about Austrian food produce from the producers themselves. There’ll be food products for sale and you’ll also be able to sample all the best produce and cuisine that Austria has to offer in the beautiful setting of Vienna’s Stadtpark.

This gourmet festival – now entering its third year – attracted over 130 exhibitors and 100,000 visitors in 2009.

Admission is Free.

Event:
Wiener Genussfestival,
Stadtpark, 1st district

Date: May 7-9, 2010
Time: Friday 12:00-21:00, Saturday 10:00-21:00, Sunday 10:00-17:00
Web : www.kulinarisches-erbe.at

Find out more about Vienna here
Book a Vienna Classical Concert with Classictic here
See Vienna Stadtpark Photos at Travel Signposts

April 11th, 1912 was the date that the Titanic made a port of call at Cobh on her maiden voyage.  Seventy-nine passengers boarded the Titanic in Cobh and it was the final port of call for the Titanic as she set out across the Atlantic on that ill-fated voyage.

The tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic is commemorated each year by Cobh Tourism. The 2010 commemoration will take place on Sunday – April 11th at 2.30 pm.

Cobh town centre

The 2010 ceremony will mark the 98th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. It commences with a parade leaving from the Clock Tower Gallery on Lynch’s Quay to the Titanic Memorial in Pearse Square in Cobh Town Centre.

The ceremonies include musical honours, prayers and the laying of wreaths. Further ceremonies then take place in the Promenade where the names of the 79 passengers who boarded the Titanic in Cobh are read.   The Mayor of Cobh will then place a wreath in the sea, in memory of all those passengers and crew who perished in the North Atlantic.

Cobh is a town with many past sad memories and history, but the good news is the resurgence in the cruise liner business.  On April 14th, the Oriana will call into Cobh and Cobh harbour is busy all the year through to September with many liners calling in.

Address:
Pearse Square
Cobh, County Cork
Republic Of Ireland
Tel : +353 (0)87 259 3850
Web: www.visitcobh.com

Read more about Cobh and Queenstown here.
Have a look around Cobh harbour with Travel Signposts

Heidelberg ushers in Spring with one of the most exciting and innovative music festivals in Germany.

From March, 20 until April 24, 2010, the 14th Heidelberg Spring International Music Festival 2010 will take centre stage in this most romantic of German cities on the Neckar.

©Heidelberg Marketing GmbH

“Oh Europe” is the theme of  the festival comprising 88 events covering concerts, lectures (including a Lecture Series to commemorate the 200th birthday anniversary of Frédéric Chopin), jazz nights and a program of films and interviews. Renowned stars and new international talents from around the world will be performing and their music is sure to transport Festival attendees to the cultures of many European countries.

See here for the comprehensive Calender of Events and the A-Z of performing artists.

You can order your tickets online, by phone or by post.

For more information about the Festival, visit the Music Festival website on www.heidelberger-fruehling.de/.

Your Heidelberg Hotel choices.

Mother’s Day or Mothering Sunday in the U.K. is on March 14th. So if your mum lives in the U.K. or is travelling around the U.K. don’t forget her special day.

Some ideas to make this Mother’s Day memorable for the special person in your life:

• For the sweet mum – some of the Finest Mother Day’s Day Chocolates from Chocolate Trading Co. For a 10% promotional discount, type in the code Mother.  This discount is available till 31 March 2010.

• For the jet-setting mum – a holiday to a spring destination

• For the gadgety mum – a cupcake kit or one of the many gadgets from Firebox

• For the classical mum – a classical music concert, opera or ballet

• For the mum who appreciates something practical, like a wallet or a handbag

• For the mum who loves train travel – surprise her with a trip to Paris, Lille or Brussels

• For the mum who loves the theatre and shows – perhaps something at London’s West End

• For the mum who loves cooking – some cookbooks or DVDs?

• For the mum who reads a lot – something from Amazon

• For the mum who likes golf – something from Golfalot

Whatever gift you decide on, don’t forget to give your mum a call.

Visitors to the Emerald Isles during the week of March 12 – 17 will be seeing Green as all of Ireland will be celebrating their St. Patrick’s Day Festival.

• Dublin will be celebrating in style with its annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade from Parnell Square North, weaving through the city centre to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. All over the city there’ll be music, street theatre, family carnivals with up to 4000 performers joining the fun.
• Limerick will host SkyFest - a massive fireworks display over the River Shannon. But that’s not all – apart from SkyFest, Limerick will also be hosting SpringFest.
• Galway – things really hot up with performers taking part in the city’s fabulous walking parade.
• Armagh and Down pay tribute to St. Patrick with the largest celebration of the patron saint in Northern Ireland.  Those who prefer the countryside needn’t miss out, you can take part in a St Patrick’s Day walk around St Patrick’s County Down.
• Cork promises to be a city of excitement, with a fiesta of colours and flights of fancy, and
• Belfast becomes a captivating carnival city for the duration.

Most cities, towns and villages across the country will all hold their own St. Patrick’s Day activities and celebrations – big or small – so no matter where you are in the country, you’ll be treated to a delightful dose of Irish tradition and festive spirit…and lots of Guinness.

So if you’re heading to Ireland next week, you can look forward to a lot of Irish ‘craic, ceol agus ól’.   And if the St. Patrick’s Day madness don’t infect you, the rugby fever most certainly will.  Ireland plays Wales and Scotland in the Rugby 6 Nations on March 13th and 20th.

Dublin will be one crazy place next week so if you haven’t booked your accommodation, it might be a good idea to arrange something before you arrive.

March 4th is the birthday anniversary of Antonio Vivaldi, composer, priest and a famous violinist. Vivaldi was born in Venice on March 4, 1678 and 332 years later, his violin concerti are as popular as ever.

Travellers to Venice have the opportunity to join in the celebration of this famous composer’s music. There are many performances and interpretations of Vivaldi’s famous Four Seasons in some of Venice’s oldest churches and historic settings.

If you enjoy classical music, don’t wait till you arrive in Venice to book your concert. You can book Vivaldi concerts and other Venice concerts and operas online through Classictic.

Classictic are the online specialist in the sale of classical concerts and operas around the world.

Enjoy Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in Venice.

Germany’s Romantic Road turns 60 this year and preparations are in place to celebrate the birthday anniversary of one of its oldest scenic routes. From May to October 2010, there will be a wide range of events along the Romantic Road to mark its 60th birthday year.

The official launch of the Romantic Road’s 60th birthday celebrations will be held in Rothenburg ob der Tauber on May 8, 2010 and people attending are invited to show up in 1950’s gear. If you’re travelling in the area, why not join in the fun.

©Romantische Straße Touristik

Some of the celebration events include:

• From the end of March until the end of October: Railway enthusiasts will be in their elements – On the 4th Sunday each month, steam locomotives and historic trains will run along the “Romantic Rails” between Nördlingen and Feuchtwangen.

• July 4, 2010 – “Choral Festival of the Romantic Road” is another atmospheric event. Choirs from all 28 towns and villages along the route will present choral music in Feuchtwangen, home of the Singers’ Museum.

• Also on July 4th is the first turnout of German and Italian classic vehicles with participants travelling the southern stretches of the Romantic Road from Augsburg to Fussen.

• October 10, 2010 – The Grand Finale of the anniversary year will be staged in Bad Mergentheim, the famous spa on Germany’s most famous tourist route. The region’s fine wines will be on centre stage and visitors will also be able to enjoy regional specialities of the Romantic Road.

Details of the full programme are available at Romantic Road Tourist Association.

Contact:

Romantische Straße Touristik-Arbeitsgemeinschaft
Segringer Straße 19
91550 Dinkelsbühl
Tel: +49 (0)9851 551387
Email: info@romantischestrasse.de
Web: www.romantischestrasse.de

In celebration of Chopin’s 200th birthday anniversary on March 1, 2010, EMI have produced a box set of this great composer’s works. Titled “Chopin  200th Anniversary Edition – The Complete Works“, the box set comprises 16 audio CDs.

If you’re looking for a good collection of Chopin’s works and at a budget price these are currently available at the following Amazon shops:

Amazon UK is selling this at £28.98 with free delivery in the U.K.

Amazon Germany has it at €28.97.

This might be a good birthday present for a classical music lover?

The tapping of the first barrel marks the opening of the Strong Beer Season (Starkbierzeit) … and the year’s drinking season amongst Bavarians.

The official opening of Starkbierzeit (February 25 – March 27, 2010) takes place in the Paulaner Wirtshaus restaurant on the Nockherberg, with many prominent guests in attendance.

Tony enjoying his beer

The spring strong beers festival is a Munich tradition which begins as always during Lent after the end of Fasching and lasts for about four weeks.  Many of the big cellars in town such as the Löwenbräu Cellar, Unions-Brau, the Austininer Cellar, etc. all host Starkbierzeit events with plenty of food, beer, local entertainment and competitions.

Munich owes this “spring health cure” to the Paulaner monks, who have since time immemorial brewed an especially nutritious beer during Lent to keep themselves strong during the Lent fasting.

Starkbierfest is not on the same scale as Oktoberfest, but there’s plenty of strong beer and good cheer and is a primer for the big event later in the year.  Read more about Starkbierzeit here.

Other German wine and beer festivals during the year.