Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
•
Antiq Hotel (Ljubljana, Slovenia).
In the heart of Ljubljana's Old Town,
right near one of the paths that leads
to Castle, this small hotel is brand-
new and stuffed full of lovely antique
pieces in a wonderful, tasteful jum-
ble that will remind you of the city's
excellent Sunday morning market.
See p. 656.
•
Max Hotel (Piran, Slovenia).
In this
popular destination where Venice is
your most obvious point of reference,
accommodations are hard to come
by during the busy summer season.
Affable Max offers just a few simple
rooms, but they're bright and taste-
ful and your life-loving host will do
everything to make your stay a
pleasurable one (providing you don't
interrupt his afternoon siesta). See
p. 677.
4 The Best Festivals & Celebrations
•
Festival of the Kukeri (Bulgaria).
During a 30-day period over New
Year, known as
“Mrasni Dni”
(Dirty
Days), it is said that the gates to
heaven and hell are left open, and
demons walks the earth. To counter
this, villagers don terrifying masks
and girdles sagging with huge bells
and, armed with wooden weapons,
stalk the streets to sound them off.
You can see the best examples of the
frightening
kukeri
costumes, as well
as plenty of photographs, in Sofia's
Ethnographic Museum, or plan to
visit during an even-numbered year
on the last weekend in January when
the largest “Festival of the Kukeri” is
held in Pernik, and some 3,500 revel-
ers participate in this ancient ritual.
See p. 63.
•
Maramure
@
(Romania).
Countless
festivals occur throughout the year,
but a favorite is over the Christmas
period; the small town of Sighet, near
the Ukraine border, comes to life on
December 27 when the
Winter Cus-
toms Festival
stirs good old-fashioned
fun filled with folkloric symbolism.
Participants dress up in traditional
costumes and young men run around
with grotesque masks, cowbells dan-
gling from their waists. See p. 548.
•
New Year's Day (Russia).
This is the
major holiday of the Russian year. It's
a family event centered around a fir
tree, a huge feast, and gift-giving
traditions transferred by Soviet lead-
ers from Christmas to the more secu-
lar New Year's Day. See p. 571.
•
White Nights in St. Petersburg
(Russia).
Two weeks of festivities in
late June celebrate the longest day of
the year, when the northern sun never
dips below the horizon. The White
Nights are more than just a party;
they're a buoyant, carefree attitude of
summer-ness. Take a boat ride through
the canals as the sunset melts into a
languorous sunrise, and you'll never
want to go south again. See p. 571.
•
Jewish Cultural Festival (Kraków,
Poland).
Every year in July, Kaz-
imierz opens its doors to Jews and
Gentiles from around the world to
come and celebrate Jewish culture.
The festival has a purpose—it's to
promote understanding of Poland's
Jewish heritage and to remember
what the ghetto once was. Nine days
of food, music, and film. See p. 385.
•
Pohoda Music Festival (Tren
c
ín,
Slovakia).
Every year in mid-July the
normally industrious town of Tren
c
ín
lets its hair down for 3 days of inde-
pendent folk, rock, and pop. The fes-
tival has grown in recent years and
now lures some of the best bands
around. But don't just think traffic
jams, mud, and long lines for beer.
The atmosphere here is the real draw.
