3: Deciding Where and When to Go in .NET

Generate QR in .NET 3: Deciding Where and When to Go

The renowned Bachfest/Bach Festival (% 0341/913-7333; wwwbachleipzigde) in Leipzig features performances of Johann Sebastian Bach s work in the famous Thomaskirche, where he was choirmaster, and in other churches and concert halls Mid-June (exact dates change yearly) Fireworks enliven the sky in the romantic university city of Heidelberg during the Castle Illumination For more information, contact Heidelberg Marketing, Ziegelh user Landstrasse 3 (% 06221/142222; wwwheidelbergmarketingde) One Saturday in early June, mid-July, and early September Berlin and Cologne have the largest Gay Pride festivals, featuring parades, performances, and street fairs For events in Berlin, go to wwwberlin gay-webde; for events in Cologne, go to wwwkoelngay-webde Berlin, last weekend in June; Cologne, first weekend in June During the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival (% 0800/7463-2002; wwwshmfde), one of the best music festivals in Europe, classical concerts take place in venues in and around the lovely old city of L beck Mid-July to end of August or early September Enjoy vintages from the surrounding Schwarzwald (Black Forest) area during Freiburg im Breisgau s Public Wine Tasting Events take place in the M nsterplatz surrounding Freiburg s magnificent cathedral For information, contact Freiburg Tourist Information (% 0761/388-1880; wwwfreiburgde) Last weekend in June

One of Europe s major opera events, the Richard Wagner Festival (% 0921/78780; wwwfestspielede) in Bayreuth, takes place in the composer s famous Festspielhaus (opera house) Unfortunately, opera tickets must be booked years in advance Late July to late August

Once every decade, the small Bavarian town of Oberammergau becomes the site of a world-famous religious spectacle called the Passionspiele (Passion play) The Passion play will next be performed in 2010, with performances beginning in May and continuing through October The Passion play was first performed in 1634 when the town s citizens took a vow to give thanks for being spared from the plague Locals have performed the 51 2-hour, 16-act drama depicting Christ s journey to the Cross every decade since 1680 Performances take place in the Passionspiel Theater, Passionswiese 1 (% 08822/92310) See 16 for more information on Oberammergau

During Weinkost (Food and Wine Fair) in Freiburg im Breisgau, local residents and visitors enjoy the first vintages from grapes grown in the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) district and regional food specialties For information, contact Freiburg Tourist Information (% 0761/388-1880; wwwfreiburgde) Mid-August The Traditional R desheim Wine Festival, in R desheim am Rhein, takes place in the Rhine village most famous for red wines For information, contact the R desheim Tourist Bureau (% 06722/19433; www rudesheimcom) Mid-August N rnberger Herbsfest (Fall Festival), a big Frankish folk festival in Nuremberg (% 0911/468-600; wwwvolksfest-nuernbergde), features folk music, jazz concerts, and events for the whole family Last week in August through first week in September At the Stuttgart Wine Festival, wine lovers converge on Schillerplatz to taste a selection of more than 350 W rttemberg wines and sample regional food specialties Contact the tourist information office (% 0711/222-8259; wwwstuttgart-touristde) for more details Last week in August

Munich s Oktoberfest (wwwoktoberfestde), Germany s most famous festival, happens mostly in September, not October Millions show up, and visitors pack hotels Most activities occur at Theresienwiese, where local breweries sponsor gigantic tents that can each hold up to 6,000 beer drinkers Mid-September to the first Sunday in October Dating back to 1818, the 16-day Stuttgart Beer Festival, the second largest in Germany after Munich s Oktoberfest, begins with a grand procession of horse-drawn beer wagons and people in traditional costumes and features food, rides, and tents for beer drinkers For more information, contact the Stuttgart tourist information office (% 0711/222-8259; wwwstuttgart-touristde) Late September One of the high points on the cultural calendar of Germany, the Berliner Festwochen (Berlin Festival) brings an international roster of performing artists to Berlin for opera, symphony, and theatrical presentations Contact Berlin Tourist Information (% 0190/016-316; wwwberlin de) September through mid-October