The European Balloon Festival is the biggest concentration of international ballooning in Europe. The event has been organized since 1997, 2011 is the XIV edition of the festival.

This year, the festival takes place between the 6^th and the 10^th of July in Igualada, Cataluña (Spain) . During these four days (Thursday to Sunday) more than fifty hot air balloons, , will be flying  the sky. The teams come from around the geography and there will be over 25,000 visitors.

The European Balloon Festival is a concentration and a competition, a festival of hot air balloons, which meets the recreational aspect of the flight, the beauty of this sport and competition. Over the four days of the festival, visitors can enjoy the spectacle of seeing colors fly more than 50 balloons participate in scheduled activities or to take off in a balloon, while the teams are in out different tests and competition exhibition.

The European Balloon Festival offers, apart from enjoying the spectacle, the opportunity to participate actively in the various activities planned or carried out a christening balloon flight. You can try flying on a balloon as well as tasting the traditional Catalan food. Enjoy the flight!

Malta´s credentials as a clubber’s Paradise have received another boost as Creamfields, the world-famous dance music event, returns for the fourth year. The festival is tomorrow, the 28^th of June!

Creamfields is considered the crown jewel of Dance Festivals and it has been established as the official summer kick-off in Malta. For the fourth year in a row, clubbers from around the world will be moving to the rhythm of music in the country’s National Park. It is going to be a great outdoor festival experience.

The Biggest and Best dance festival line up ever to be staged in Malta, securing a host of exclusive and fresh performances from the best of the best that dance music has to offer. The line up includes Gareth Emery, Carl Craig and Kaskade among others. Tne best hotel offers in Hotelopia!

From 24th to 26th of June, the city of Hamburgh, Germany will be ruled by bikers. Two-wheelers from all over Europe celebrate a big party around the cult trademark Harley Davidson run by the European Harley Davidson community. 

Up to 50.000 bikers from all parts of Europe and thousands curious sightseers are expected to go to this unique city event. Professional stunt- and dragster-shows and the famous ride-in bike show in the inner city (Mönckebergstraße) will enthuse all the visitors. However, it is not only about bikes, there will also be a music stage in which pop, rock, jazz or country music will be played at all times.

If the smell of petrol and the purr of  engines is your idea of heaven this is for you: Europe’s biggest inner-city motorcycle festival. There will be stunt shows, live music and exhibitions. If you are looking for a place to stay don’t forget to check Hotelopia’s best offers!

The Spanish love to party and the Nit de Foc (23^rd June), on the eve of the Sant Joan, is one of the biggest fiestas. In most coastal cities in Spain this night is celebrated with bonfires, music and dancing. The bravest ones can jump over the fire. This normally takes places in the beach.

Apart from the fire, some places around the country have their very own traditions: for example in Ciutadella, Menorca, the typical elements of the celebration are the “caixers”, horse riders who dance with the horses around the streets of the town.  In Alicante these days the tradition is to burn ninots ( figures made of cardboard) and eat coca, the traditional desert.

This breathless combination of street parties, bonfires, fireworks and pop concerts will surely impress and sate even the most demanding of travelers.

Woodstock as the precursory of the free thinking and the intellectual revolt expressed through the spectacular guitar solos from Jimi Hendrix, the tremendous voice vibratos from Janis Joplin and the charisma from Joe Cocker on stage always reminds us that creativity has this singular strength to reunite people, all of them fascinated, bewitched, and transported to a third underlying dimension. Only Art has this power to reunite people from different horizons without any form of prejudice or value judgment…The great German philosopher Nietzsche used to say that life without music would be an error….today you get the chance to discover a handful of talents but you also have the opportunity to go out there and play with your instrument in front of an unknown public. You still got time! Don’t be ashamed!

Today is the first day of the summer. That means more probability of having sunny days and what is more important: holidays! In the northern hemisphere today is the longest day of the year and this day has been celebrated since the ancient times. It is the summer solstice.

The pagans celebrated this day with fire, to symbolize the power of the sun. The tradition was to dance and jump around the fire to purify souls. Nowadays, there are still celebrations of these days, normally Christianized as Saint John celebration on the night of the 23^rd of June. We will talk about that tomorrow.

Today we just want to wish you a very happy summer and we hope you enjoy it in the best hotels!

Fuerteventura, a natural paradise

To visit Fuerteventura is to live a unique experience. Within its 1,659 km2 there are no less than twenty-four volcanoes, and along its coastline you’ll discover some of the most paradisiacal beaches of the Atlantic Ocean. The island enjoys 3,000 hours of sunlight each year, and attracts all type of visitors in search of a warm climate and good tourist services.

The options to enjoy a “special” vacation are many and varied: UNESCO declared the whole island as a Biosphere Reserve in 2009, and if you are looking for nature in its pure state then this island is the place you’re looking for. Moreover, Fuerteventura is the perfect destination for doing aquatic sports, such as surfing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, and of course diving.

Fuerteventura offers tourist attractions to enjoy with your family, partner or with friends, so having fun is assured: you can take a camel ride, or you can explore amazing places in a 4-wheel drive, and by all means, take advantage to make a get-away at any time of the year.

Book your hotel in Fuerteventura.

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The new Riverside Museum is not going to be just another museum. It will not bore kids in school trips because it will have cool items such as a Lambretta LD150 scooter, donated by Franz Ferdinand’s lead singer, or a 1988 Chrysler Jeep from Robbie Coltrane.

The transport collection has been moved from the city’s transport museum, which was closed last year, to a modern building beside the river. The structure has been built by Zaha Hadid and it celebrates the leading role of Scotland in developing transport and technology.

From trams to trolleybuses and a complete archive of the scotish underground railway, which was third in the world when opened. To complete the collection the majestic ship Glenlee will be moored outside.

However, it is not all about transport. Three historic streets dating from as early as 1900 have been recreated for visitors to explore. The new riverside museum will be opened next week, on the 21st! For the best deals in Hotels in Glasgow visit Hotelopia!

Summer days have finally arrived and when it’s sunny, we all have the need to enjoy the good temperatures, the light and the nature. Here is our idea: whether in a park, in the garden, in the beach or in the forest, organizing a PICNIC is a great idea to enjoy the good weather with family, friends or your partner. You can either sor it out in the city or plan a weekend trip and do it where you go.

If you have time, you will be able to prepare baskets, sandwiches and drinks as for it to be a delicious homemade lunch. However, we realise that  we are all so busy and wrapped up in our daily lives, that sometimes our best made plans turn out to be nothing more than a stale baguette and yesterday’s cheese. Our recommendation: someone can do it for you!

We are not lying, in the last few years there has been an increase in companies in this sector all over the world. Different menus for different occasions: romantic, party… and different services, some companies bring the food to wherever you are; some only prepare the baskets with everything you need. A different way of celebrating a special occasion.

Some companies:

Amsterdam, Holland: www.butlerforhire.nl

Cape town, South Africa: http://www.picnics.co.za/home/

Denver, USA: http://denverspicniccompany.com/

Bath, UK: http://www.bathpicnic.co.uk/

Sydney, Australia: http://sydneypicnic.com.au/

The Festival d’Avignon was founded by Jean Velar in 1947. Since then, it has become one of the most celebrated and popular contemporary arts events in the world.

This year, thousands of theatre-lovers will again take gather in this city in the south of France to enjoy all types of artistic demonstrations. It is a 21 days party, starting next 6^th of July until the 26^th, in which there will be activities for all ages. The Festival will feature plays and workshops for children as well as shows, debates, concerts and exhibitions for adults.

Avignon is also the perfect scenario for this event. It was the capital of Christendom during the Middle Ages and it retains monuments such as its cathedral and the “pont d’Avignon”as well as the ancient city walls that remind the visitor how big the city was at the time. It has been catalogued as UNESCO World Heritage so whether you go to the Festival or just to visit the city, there are lots of things to do in Avignon in this time of the year!