The Polish capital of Warsaw will host the 14th Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival later this month.

The ever-popular two-week event gets underway on Sunday 21st March, running until Saturday 3rd April.

Fourteen days will be dedicated to Beethoven and the wealth of classical music in the two centuries since his heyday, as Warsaw welcomes performers and artists from around the world.

Acting Director of the Polish National Tourist Office Bogdan Becla said: “The Beethoven Easter Festival is a big event in Warsaw, and it gets bigger and better every year.

“There’ll be concerts, performances and exhibitions throughout the two weeks of the festival, and it’ll be a great time to visit our capital city if you’re interested in Beethoven or classical music. And of course we’re celebrating Chopin’s 200th birthday this year, which will only add to the festivities.”

Every year the festival is built around a central theme, and this year organisers are celebrating the phenomenon of the piano alongside the genius of Poland’s favourite son, Fryderyk Chopin, and his contemporary Robert Schumann.

The Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival has been a part of Warsaw’s cultural calendar since 2004 after staring life in Krakow in 1997.

Tickets for performances are available now and you can find out more at http://www.beethoven.org.pl/en

• For further information contact Ewa Binkin on 020 8991 7074 or ewa.binkin@poland.travel

Head to Munich to take part in the 200th Anniversary of the world’s largest and most famous beer festival, known as ‘Oktoberfest’, with prices from just £419 per person.

The festival first took place in 1810 on the occasion of the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese. And the next year, the royal court decided to repeat the festival to the great delight of Munich’s residents, and every year since it has grown to become the event that it is today.

This year, Oktoberfest runs from 18 September – 3 October, and specialist tour operator, Dertour, has a number of great value flight and accommodation packages to the event, with prices starting from £419 per person.

The price includes two nights bed and breakfast accommodation in the three star hotel Amba and return flights from Heathrow, plus access to English speaking Dertour representative based in Munich. The hotel is family-run and located in the centre of the city and within walking distance of its main sights. Price based on two adults sharing.

Dertour is also able to pre-book seats in the beer tents for groups of ten people or more. For £40, you get two ‘steins’ of beer and a voucher for a Bavarian meal as well as guaranteed entry into the tent.

For bookings call Dertour on 0207 290 1111 or visit www.dertour.co.uk for further information

Despite being many miles from the ocean waves, Krakow will host its 29th International Festival of Sea Shanties this month.

Between 25th and 28th February, Poland’s capital of culture will welcome music groups and performers from across the world to pay homage to the big blue and the world of old ships.

After relatively humble beginnings in 1981, the festival is now one of the biggest shanty celebrations not only in Poland but also in Europe. Every year people from all over the country – and from further afield – drop anchor in Krakow to sing about sea adventures and voyages.

Acting Director of the Polish National Tourist Office Bogdan Becla said: “Krakow’s shanty festival is always a popular and event and it is certainly a festival with a difference.

“In a way it shows how diverse Krakow is as a city, because it can host one of Europe’s most popular events dedicated to songs of the seas when it lies so far away from the coast.”

The four-day festival will welcome almost eleven thousand people who will take part in a number of shows, concerts and performances. In past years, the festival has proved to be a launching pad for some of the most popular shanty groups and artists including Stare Dzwony, Packet, Rycz?ce Dwudziestki, and Mechanicy Shanty.

Inspired by the story of Romeo and Juliet, Verona in love is a festival held around St Valentine’s Day, featuring a series of events dedicated to love and romance. The programme of Verona in Love ranges from theatrical interpretations of Romeo and Juliet to a series of photography exhibitions, concerts, shows and much more, all on the theme of love….. Our Valentine Special Includes:

- Accommodation with a guaranteed upgrade into the next room category
- You can check in from 1100 onwards and depart at 1500
- A bed of roses and soft candle-light
- Bottle of DOP Veneto Prosecco
- A delicious home-made cake
- Morning breakfast served in your room
- A City card which provides you with a range of discounts..
- A 3 course intimate candle-lit dinner at the restaurant (beverages not included)

October 2010 – dates tbc
Literature lovers will once again descend on Guildford for the annual Guildford Book Festival, held at venues throughout the town. The festival features a wide array of writers and celebrities from fiction authors, travel writers and chefs to musicians and sports personalities – all hosting readings and workshops throughout the ten-day event.

http://www.visitsurrey.com