Asturias is a Principality and an Autonomous Community in Spain. It is situated on the north coast, on the Cantabrian Sea. The capital city of Asturias is Oviedo. Oviedo is worth a visit; however if you are planning to visit this place in summer, don’t forget to check out what festivals are on, as there is always a party going on in Asturias in summer. We would like to point out some of them:

- El Carmín de la Pola (Pola de Siero):  It is celebrated on the month of July, just alter the celebration of Nuestra Señora del Carmen (16th July). People gather around in a big garden “prao”, as asturians call it, they talk, eat good food and drink homemade cider. After people go down to the streets to ask for water, and locals throught it from their houses.

- El Descenso del Sella ( The International Descent of the River Sella). This is the most known festivity in Asturias. In 2011 it is celebrate on the 6^th August and it consists of a race of canoes down the river, from Arriendas to Ribadesellas. After the competition there is a celebration with good drinks and party.

There are many others, religious and not religious parties so don’t forget that summer is one of the best moments to visit the beautiful city of Oviedo, Gijon and all the towns around it! Book your hotel in Hotelopia and do not miss a thing!

Do you to be transported back to the good old days?  In Rome, there is an annual celebration for those who want to relive the Italy of the seventies, eighties and nineties. It is called Roma Vintage. This year it will take place between the 11^th of June and the 15^th of August; so there’s still plenty of time if you are feeling tempted by the idea.

If you are the nostalgic kind, then this vintage festival will be right up your street. It is set in St. Sebastian Park (Parco di San Sebastiano) and the organized activities include dance, theatre, cinema sports, meetings and markets. You can choose to go shopping for vintage items in one of the markets, see stylish cars and watch cult film screening. Other options are live music concerts and dance.

The festival has an area for children and it is free! So, put on your Ray Bans, take your mini cooper and enjoy the pleasure of going back in time to the best decades of your life!

Check your hotels in Rome with Hotelopia.

Tired of working? Need to disconect? This is the plan: some friends, a good hotel nearby and the best music festival. The most important musical event of this summer in Portual has a fantastic line up and will be held in a great location.

The beach of Meco (Praia do Meco, Sesimbra) is the stage; a long sandy beach in the south of Lisboa, surrounded by dunes and cliffs. The line up includes The Strokes, Arcade Fire, The Kooks, Beirut y Artic Monkeys and an infinite list of rock stars.

Date: Next Thursday 14^th until Saturday 16^th. Are you convinced?

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!

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!

Edinburgh is summer has a different rithm, as the festival changes the way edimburghians spend their days.Tickets for the festival go on sale tomorrow on edfringe.com and some have been waiting for this moment the wole year. It is the world’s largests arts festival which gets bigger and better every year.

One more year, the fringe has broken its own record, with an increase in the number of shows of 4% and more than 21,000 performes.

2011 is the year of the Cabaret. It will join the offer of comedians, actors and street performers with ukeleles, acrobats and mind-reading psychics. It is also the first year in which it will be possible to buy tickets using smartphone apps.

The whole city becomes a big stage where everything is possible. Do not miss your ticket and remember to book the hotel as soon as possible… they will soon be full!

This is a very special week in Dublin, from today until next Sunday 29^th of May it is Dublin Writers Festival. Dublin was named a Unesco City of Literature last year, joining only three such cities worldwide: Edinburgh, Melbourne and Iowa.

The festival is an annual gathering of Irish and international poets and writers. They will be reading their last books and there will be conferences and debates about them. One of the highlights of this festival will be an evening with Michael Palin, the author and Monty Python star will be looking back over his varied career. Check the details here.

If you like literature this is a great opportunity to visit the Irish Capital and have a wonder around. Don’t forget to book your hotel in Hotelopia.

A festival is always an unforgettable experience. Add to that a stunning location (on the shores of Loch Ness, in Inverness, the heart of the Highlands) and top up with the biggest rock band in the UK at the moment, and you get Rockness. This festival is making a name as one of the musts of the summer, and its finding its place among the most important Festivals of the year (it wone Line-up of the Year at the UK Festival Awards last year).

This year’s headliners can be trusted to play their best hits, as Paolo Nutini will get everyone singing along on the last day. It may not be as sunny as Benicassim or as big as Glastonbury but this festival is worth a try, you will not regret it!

Rockness will take place from the 10th to the 12nd of June near Inverness, check hotels in Hotelopia.

A week of flamenco, feasting and horses makes Seville’s April Fair, “La feria de Abril” one of the most spectacular festivals in Spain. This year, it will be from Monday the 2^nd until Sunday the 9^th (the exact dates change depending on Easter).. It officially starts with the illumination of the gateway at midnight, on the Monday, it is the night of the pescaito when people have fried fish for dinner inside the casetas. That night is when all the members of each caseta get together.

The following days there will be lunches and dinner with tapas, relaxing chats about life, Sevillanas and Flamenco singing and dancing in traditional dresses and visits to friend’s casetas. Some will also horse ride around el Real or hire a carriage. Gastronomy is part of Sevilla’s life, and it is also a very important part of La Feria; Jamón Serrano, fried eggs and fried fish are the most typical food to eat. This or other tapas are always topped up with some Manzanilla mixed with 7up, a very refreshing drink called “rebujito”.

Most casetas are private, and joining one can be expensive, however there are a number of casetas open to the public, where you can drink, eat and dance as much as you are willing to. Some sevillanos can invite you for a drink and a tapa, even if they don’t know you, but remember it is not an invitation for the afternoon!

Colourful and cheerful, this festival is the reflection of the spirit of the city: come and visit!