By listening Vienna, comes to mind the Strauss Waltzes or famous Philharmonic, ringing in great baroque churches. But the Austrian capitalhas other great temples: the electronic music ones, found along the Danube Canal, under the Riesenrad, in the Gürtel or in the backyard.

Since the Vienna Sound emerged in the early nineties from the hand of duo Kruder and Dorfmeister Dj, who created an international sound that has evolved musically to reach great strength.

Here are some clues to follow the Viennese sound:

1.- Flex

The Flex has one of the best sound systems in Vienna and this is something that should now already know all across Europe. In the old premises of the U-Bahn, turned to a club with no volume problems, which, as a rule, encourages international Djs invited to the house as DJ Hell, Trentemøller or Carl Craig, and makes possible their best performances on the decks. Tuesdays and Saturdays are a fixed date for electronic lovers. And on the cozy terrace looking directly at the Danube Canal can kick off the relaxed nights.

Flex

Donaukanal – Augartenbrücke 1010 Wien

2.- Club Fluc

Cerca de la Noria Gigante, se ha establecido en la entrada del Prater un local subterráneo. El Fluc y el Fluc Wanne en el sótano están imbuidos por la electrónica y su repertorio abarca desde actuaciones Noise vanguardistas hasta desenfadadas fiestas disco de estilo Indie.

Club Fluc
Praterstern 5 1020 Wien

3.- Pratersauna

A little further, in the Prater, the Pratersauna is one of the hottest clubs in the city dedicated to electronic music. The Pratersauna is also the center of this genre’s festivals. Grelle Forelleen the Spittelauer Lände is also causing quite a buzz lately in the world, offering a high-class DJ’s lineup during the whole weekend.

Pratersauna
Waldsteingartenstraße 135 1020 Wien

4.- Rhiz

Although at first glance, Avenue Gürtel is not one of the most picturesque places in Vienna, under the suburban’s arches have been established new local music. Venues as rhiz has been a reference for years, with sessions and performances daily live. A completely transparent venue in which brings together fans of electronic music.

Rhiz
Lerchenfelder Gürtel, Stadtbahnbögen 37-38 1080 Wien

5.- Elektro Gönner

Despite being located in a somewhat hidden in the backyard of the Mariahilfer Straße shopping street, the Elektro Gönner has become a popular meeting point. A minimalist space, which had been an old electronics store, where art installations and video are projected. Frequented mainly by architects, artists and musicians, it is a place to put the finishing touch to the night thanks to its late closing time.

Elektro Gönner
Mariahilfer Straße 101/1 1060 Wien

Why not take a trip to Viena? Have a look at our flights here!

With a deeply tradition of music, Leipzig has been home to the renowned musicians and composers from all times, for the likes of Johan Sebastian Bach, Richard Wagner, Schumann or Mendelssohn. Music and culture is in every corner of the city, in the habitual concerts in Augustusplatz or in the different music festivals of every music style that the city offers.

Also known as Heldenstadt (City of Heroes), Leipzig was crucible for the revolution against the communist dictatorship in Eastern Germany, in a non-violent revolution that was called Friedliche Revolution and that ended up with the fall of the Wall in Berlin in 1989. 

Baroque, neoclassical and modernist architecture blends with the buildings of the Soviet-era in Leipzig and there are many shops, restaurants, cafés and clubs in the city center. 

A place that shows how the city is constantly culturally evolving is Spinnerei, (http://www.spinnerei.de/ , Spinnereistraße 7 ), an old cotton spinning mill in the district of Lindenau that is now a big factory for culture diffusion where talent and art from the artists of the so-called “New School Of Leipzig”. You can visit workshops, exhibition gallerys and Art shops, asist the cinema forums and eat at their restaurants. 

If you are interested in the History of Music in Leipzig you have plenty of museums and interesting places to visit 

Museum of Musical Instruments
You will enjoy of one of the most important collections in the world and discover a good perspective of the History of Music of the city

Bach's Museum
You will discover Bach, the main artist in baroque german musical style everywhere in the city. Especially in this museum which opened in 2010. An interactive exhibition that present the life and works of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Mendelssohn's museum-house
The last home for Felix Mendelssohn, a late Biedermeier-style house where he moved with his family in 1845, is since 1997 the composer's museum where you will see the original furniture and some of his objects.

Gewandhaus concert hall
Headquarters of the Gewandhaus orchestra. Founded in 1743 and directed for a long time by Kurt Masur, one of the promoters of the peaceful Leipzig's revolution. The main attraction is the visit to the impressive 6,638 pipe organ!

But there is not only music in Leipzig. Auerbachs Keller, a famous restaurant , is a must in the city. Here , Johann Wolfgang von Goethe spent long times as a student and now is full of students and young people from all over the world. It was founded in 1525 by a doctor in his own home cellar.

History has its own place as well in Mädle, an old drugstore which is now a restaurant and a night pub. In Bergstrasse 19, there is also a Saxon food restaurant Thüringer Hof where Lutero used to go.

Notice that there is a Flea Market in Leipzig on the last weekend of the month. They say it is the eldest and the biggest in Europe

Picture Gewandhaus by Andreas Praefcke/ Picture Leipzig by Tino Strauss / Picture Bach by nalocos.blogspot.com

Bilbao BBK has been with us for twelve years now – that’s quite a feat. A well consolidated festival which manages to compete with some all-powerful musical events in Barcelona and Madrid within a similar timeframe. The reason for its success is simple – its lineup of artists has been steadily growing in prestige and popular appeal. BBK, which is held this year from 6 to 8 July 2017, features some awesome names. The lineup of markedly varied musical styles is headed by Depeche Mode, Phoenix, Fleet Foxes, Die Antwoord, The Killers, Two Door Cinema Club, Justice, The Avalanches and Brian Wilson, among others. If you want to attend the concerts, there are still available some 3-Day Tickets and room in the campsite, should you prefer to steer clear of hotels and instead be more adventurous.

One of the hallmarks of this festival is the grounds it is set in. Monte Kobetas (also known as Kobetamendi), is one of the city’s iconic playgrounds. This elevated, forested area affords spectacular views of Bilbao, apart from acting as one of its lungs and a spot where Bilbaines do sport and go for picnics. However, the precinct is off limits to the general public for the duration of BBK, when it is repurposed solely to music. Access to Kobetamendi is a simple matter; in fact, a couple of free bus lines are laid on for the event by the organisers, facilitating access to the festival precinct for all attendees.

Over and above the musical offerings, BBK provides the perfect excuse for getting to know other places in Bilbao, too. Here are a few proposals for early risers eager to explore the city on foot.

The Best “Pintxos”

It’s a cliché, but it’s actually true – if you visit Bilbao, you simply have to eat pintxos more than once. It is an unwritten norm. And, Bilbao happens to have some of the best bars serving up this culinary speciality. To score a bull’s-eye with your pintxos, the best thing is to head for the city’s historic centre, an area crammed with restaurants of tried and tested quality. Four of them we can highly recommend are Gure Toki,Txiriboga,Motrikes and Askao Berri.

A Touch of Art

As luck would have it, BBK coincides with one of the pictorial exhibition highlights of the year, which is still on in the Guggenheim Bilbao, namely Paris, Fin de Siècle, an exhibition showcasing the work of the most prominent late-19th-century French and European painters. It would be unthinkable not to dive into the museum to see paintings by Toulouse-Lautrec, Signac and Redo, among others, before going up to the Kobetamendi precinct to soak up the festival. Oh, and while you’re about it, make sure you don’t miss the museum’s permanent collection, featuring works by the likes of Robert Motherwell, Yves Klein, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, James Rosenquist, Anselm Kiefer and Gerhard Richter.

Power Records – Bilbao’s Temple of Vinyl

When in Bilbao, dropping in on Power Records is almost as important as eating pintxos if you’re a music aficionado.This legendary store has over twenty-five years’ history behind it. Located on Calle Villarías, near the Old Town and the Nervión estuary, this establishment has a mind-blowing selection of vinyls, both second-hand and imported. This is a veritable sanctuary for music lovers hunting for rare records by their favourite groups. Apart from second-hand albums, Power Records is also dedicated to CDs, reissues and the latest releases. So, if that seven-single by Depeche Mode, or a vinyl of “Pet Sounds” by Brian Wilson has been eluding you, you’re probably going to find it here.

Book your Vueling to Bilbao and let yourself be swept away by the music waves of one of the standout festivals in Spain.

Text by Xavi Sánchez Pons

Not for nothing is the small town of Saint-Émilion a veritable magnet for wine lovers. The surrounding farmland is blessed as one of the leading red wine producing areas in Bordeaux, along with the Médoc, Graves and Pomerol. Celebrated worldwide, each year it attracts wine connoisseurs, tourists and passers-by who roam from one chateau to the next in search of the best local wine. But, that is not the only reason they come here. They are also drawn by the magic enveloping this town of steep, narrow streets, Romanesque churches and picturesque ruins which, alongside the vineyards, make up an irresistibly charming ensemble. No wonder, then, that Saint-Émilion and its environs are listed as World Heritage by UNESCO.

Saint-Émilion is named after the monk Émilion, who settled here in the 8th century and was credited with performing a number of miracles. The monks that were gradually drawn to the area were instrumental in getting the wine-marketing business off the ground, based on the vineyards which have been tended in Saint-Émilion since Roman times.

A must-visit destination for wine connoisseurs, the town features numerous landmarks well worth visiting. Its Monolithic Church is one of these. Carved out of a cliff from the 12th to the 15th century, its interior is surprisingly spacious and the complex is crowned with a lofty tower. Other highlights of Saint-Émilion include the Collegiate complex and the Cordeliers Cloister.

And, needless to say, there are always the chateaux, which can be visited as part of tours offered by the Saint-Émilion Tourist Office. But, why not strike out on a different kind of visit. Here’s how…

Les Grandes Heures de Saint-Émilion

When planning your visit to Saint-Émilion, we suggest you factor in one of the leading local festivals, Les Grandes Heures de Saint-Émilion. What makes this festival so special is that it is the only way to visit some of the region’s magnificent chateaux where this splendid, popular wine is made, in a unique, out-of-the-ordinary setting. The programme features classical music concerts accompanied by wine tasting sessions, endowing a visit to the wine cellar with a wholly different dimension. The festival opens in March and runs until December, when the last concert is held. This year, the first concert is scheduled to take place in the Château Fombrauge on 29 March.

The sites where you can enjoy this experience include the Château Soutard, Château de Pressac, Château Angélus, Château Cantenac, Château Fombrauge and Château Cheval Blanc, known for being one of the few producers whose wine is designated Premier grand cru classé A.But the programme is not limited to the wine cellars dotting the area; some of the concerts are also held at such emblematic sites as the Monolithic Church of Saint-Émilion. Be sure to book your ticket in advance.

Book your Vueling to Bordeaux, which lies just 40 kilometres from Saint-Émilion, and get to know one of France’s leading wine-producing areas.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Image by Tim Snell