Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The skiing season reaches its zenith with clogged pistes and queues at the ski lifts.
Down in the valleys and on the plains you can probably kiss goodbye to the snow as
the very first hints of spring appear.
FASCHING (CARNIVAL)
During the six-week pre-Lent period (January to February) preceding Ash Wednesday,
many towns celebrate with silly costumes, waving parades, incomprehensible satirical
shows and drunken revelry, especially in Munich (
Click here
)
. Rio it ain't.
May
Spring has well and truly
gesprungen!
The cable cars are heaving hikers instead of
skiers up the mountainsides and the beer garden season kicks off under flowering
chestnut trees.
MAIFEST
On the eve of 1 May, the May Festival celebrates the end of winter with villagers chop-
ping down a tree to make a
Maibaum
(maypole), painting, carving and decorating it, then
partying around it.
AFRICA FESTIVAL
Bongo drums, hot rhythms and fancy costumes turn the banks of the Main River in
Würzburg into Europe's largest international festival of black music. The event is held in
late May and draws around 100,000 visitors.
July
Fleeing the city heat is as easy as buying a train ticket to the cooler air of the Alps.
Return to an urban setting in the evenings as the festival season swings into action.
