"Ice Age" is the main theme of the ice and snow sculpture festival in Bruges
AUSTRIA
World Snowboard Cup, January 6-11, Kreischberg, Bad Gastein, Snow Polo, January 14-16, Kitzbühel, Viener Ice Dream, from January 22, Vienna. Austria celebrates New Year in the Alps, so the most interesting things will happen on and near the slopes. On January 6-7 in Kreischberg, and on January 8-11 in Bad Gastein, stages of the World Snowboarding Cup will take place. From January 14 to 16, snow polo competitions will be held in Kitzbühel. And from January 22, Vienna takes over from the ski resorts and invites everyone to the Viener Ice Dream ice rink on the Town Hall Square. The rink will be open until early March. //www.kreischberg.at
BELGIUM
9th Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, November 20 – January 10, Bruges. Opposite the station, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., there is an exhibition of ice and snow sculptures. The main theme of the festival this season is the cartoon "Ice Age" and its characters. The festival brought together ice sculpture masters from all over the world: from China, Canada, USA, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, and Belgium. //www.icesculpture.be
Antique Fair, January 22-31, Brussels. The largest antique fair in Belgium will include about 130 antique dealers from France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Portugal, Russia, Spain, USA, Switzerland and Belgium itself. Oceanic art, primitive and oriental art, silver, jewelry, furniture, medieval household items, ceramics, drawings, engravings, paintings, sculpture, fabrics, books, coins and photographs – this is an incomplete list of what can be found there. According to the organizers, experts from leading world museums monitor the authenticity of items. //www.brafa.be
GREAT BRITAIN
New Year's Parade, January 1, London. The parade will start on Piccadilly at 12:00 and, after a 2-mile route, will end at 3:00 p.m. on Parliament Street. More than 10,000 participants from 20 countries and 500,000 spectators are expected. The event is covered by BBC, CNN, Fox News, SKY, and CBS. Orchestras, dancers, clowns, acrobats, balloons, and other entertainment are expected. As part of the parade, a competition between London districts will take place, ending with a cash prize. The final of the international choral festival taking place in London will also be timed to coincide with the parade. //www.londonparade.co.uk
Celtic Connections, January 14-31, Glasgow. The festival organizers promise about 1,500 performers from 30 countries. Among them are Bobby McFerrin (known to the general public for the song "Don't Worry, Be Happy"), the legendary Irish group The Chieftains, who actively use folk motifs in their music, Grammy winner, French singer of African origin Angelique Kidjo, Scottish folk trio Lau, and many others. //www.celticconnections.com
GERMANY
Green Week, January 15-24, Berlin. It is the world's largest trade fair dedicated to fresh food and agricultural products in general. Here you can taste, smell, touch and buy everything your heart desires: fresh vegetables, beer, wines and other alcoholic beverages, fish, seafood delicacies, tea, herbs, spices, seeds, meat, sausages. Also, a wide range of kitchen appliances, garden furniture, equipment and tools for professionals will be presented. A separate section of the exhibition will be dedicated to the currently fashionable so-called "organic products". A day ticket to the exhibition costs €12. Discounts for families, groups, children, students and evening visitors. //www.gruenewoche.com
SPAIN
26th Music Festival, January 8 – February 7, Canary Islands. The festival was originally created to diversify the lives of tourists and move away from the stereotypes about the Canaries known throughout the world. The whole world was supposed to learn that in the Canaries people not only swim and drink cocktails, but also lead a very rich intellectual life. The organizers quite succeeded: top musical names from all over the world come here. This year, the Dresden State Chapel, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev, Denis Matsuev, Mitsuko Uchida, Carolina Widmann and others will come to the Canaries. //www.festivaldecanarias.com
ITALY
La Ciaspolada, January 5-6, Val di Non, Trentino. Epiphany (or the Feast of the Epiphany) is celebrated very vigorously throughout Italy, but it is especially fun for residents and guests of the Non Valley, near Trento. They put on snowshoes (in the local dialect – ciaspole) made by local craftsmen and organize something like a marathon. Everyone can participate. For €11 you can take part in the marathon, receiving plastic or authentic wooden snowshoes for rent. On January 5, a torch parade and fire show, and on January 6, after competitions and an awards ceremony, there will be a lottery with the main prize being a car. //www.ciaspolada.it
Regatta of Witches, January 6, Venice. Epiphany in Venice is celebrated with a regatta on the Grand Canal. Good witches, or Befanas, walk around the city and ride in gondolas. Their main activity on Epiphany night is distributing gifts to children, obedient or not, in memory of the gifts that the Magi brought to Christ. Befanas fly in through the chimney on their broomsticks and leave candies in children's stockings hanging on the fireplace. That is why the entire regatta (more than 50 gondolas) departs from the San Tomà pier to race to a giant stocking hanging from the Rialto Bridge. //www.venice.nu
FINLAND
Ice Castle, January 30 – April 5, Kemi. The residents of Kemi are very proud of their snow castle on the Baltic coast. Every winter, the castle invites guests to admire unusual light effects, sculpture, and architectural beauty. You can stay overnight, eat, and even get married in the castle: it has a hotel, restaurant, tea room, and even a snow church. Every weekend from January to April, the organizers promise concerts, magical performances, and famous guests. The castle can be visited daily from 10 am to 7 pm, and those who stay at the hotel will enjoy the nighttime views of the ice palace. Admission: adults €8, children 4-11 years €4. //www.snowcastle.net
FRANCE
Auto rally and exhibition of vintage cars, Paris, January 10. On January 10, the opening of the 10th rally will take place, featuring American, German, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Swedish, and Russian vintage cars. The parade will start at the square near Château de Vincennes, then pass through Place Daumesnil, Bastille, Rue de Rivoli, Place de la Concorde, Champs-Élysées, Montmartre, Place de l'Opéra, Place Vendôme, new Champs-Élysées, and Place de l'Étoile. The rally will end at Place Jacques Rueff near the Trocadéro fountains. //www.vincennesenanciennes.com
SWITZERLAND
Cinema and skiing, January 9-10, Adelboden. In Adelboden, on the steep Hünisbergli slope, a World Cup alpine skiing stage will take place on January 9-10. Also in Adelboden, you can have fun by visiting an open-air winter cinema. Its uniqueness is that the backdrop of the screen is a mountain. Before screenings, which start at 7:45 pm, you can order fondue and heated seats. //www.weltcup-adelboden.ch
Piglet races, January 1, Klosters. The strangest event of winter will take place in the resort town of Klosters, ten kilometers from famous Davos, on the first day of the new year: ten piglets with numbers on their sides will run a race. In this way, locals choose a lucky piglet that will symbolize a happy new year. Despite the participants being pigs, the betting and athlete preparation are very real. The event is accompanied by the opportunity to try local culinary delights and listen to pleasant music with the ensemble 'Supreme'. //www.klosters.ch
Fyodor VINTER-TARASEVICH.
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