Any time of year is good for visiting the capital of Holland, which shines with a beauty of its own, regardless of the prevailing weather during your visit. There are lots of things to do here, from touring the city – preferably by bicycle, locally the leading form of transport – to taking a boat ride along the canals, enjoying the cultural activities – featuring museums of the likes of the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, among others – delighting in the leisure offerings or soaking up the vibrant atmosphere.

You have to admit, though, that there are some events during the year which make the city shine even brighter. The most popular of these takes place from January to April and its protagonist is a veritable symbol of the Netherlands – the tulip. The city is flooded with multi-coloured tulips, particularly on 17 January, National Tulip Day, when Dam Square is lovelier than ever with its huge tulip market.

Another, lesser known event which is however gaining traction among visitors is the Amsterdam Light Festival. Although quite a recent addition – this will be its fifth year – it has gradually taken over the canals and bridges and some of the city’s buildings, greeting the winter cold with a beautiful landscape of lights. Thus, from 1 December to 22 January, you can relish this wonderful show that floods Amsterdam with “light art” installations crafted by both national and international artists.

The festival is staged in two parts, in two different arenas and at two different times. First, there is the Water Colours Boat Route, with lights arranged along the city’s canals and bridges, designed to be perused on a boat ride. Several companies provide facilities for this tour, although all rides start at Amsterdam Central Station. The tours operate from 1 December to 22 January between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.

Then there is the so-called Illuminade Walking Route, with an itinerary which takes visitors through the cultural Weesper and Plantage neighbourhoods. On this occasion the chosen theme is biomimicry, a new science based on a study of naturally occurring models, systems and processes with the aim of imitating them for the purpose of seeking practical solutions for human needs, as long as these are sustainable. The event is made up of 23 works, on display from 15 December to 8 January between 7 p.m. and 22 p.m.

Ready to take in a heady shot of “light art”? Book your Vueling to Amsterdam and enjoy this magnificent festival.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Udo Geisler

The prestigious Cardiff port welcomes some of the most interesting points and much of the most emblematic buildings as the National Opera of Wales, the Wales Millennium Centre, the Senate building, the Church of Norway or the Cardiff International White Water, where the water activities such as rafting or canoeing, can be

Doctor Who was filmed on the outskirts of Cardiff and Wales, so series fans may detect without problems many of the scenarios that were used for filming in Cardiff Bay. In addition, they may end their journey withDoctor Who Experience, an interesting interactive museum that can participate in a mini episode and discover the scenarios and characters from the famous series.

Lots of free events like the fair are held in Cardiff Bay international Food and Drinks of the Cardiff Harbour Festival, taking place during the summer.

A place well worth discovering! Check out our flights here.

Picture bye Olivier Aumage

Beaujolais, one of France’s major vinicultural regions, lies some 50 km north of Lyons and stretches northwards through the French department of Rhône and southwards along the Saône and Loire rivers. Midnight on the third Thursday in November is one of the crowning moments in the region when, to the cry of le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé! (the new Beaujolais has arrived), local vintners release one of their youngest and most international wines. This red wine, made from the gamay grape – the most widely used in the area – is characterised by its quick, merely weeks-long fermentation and by the fact that the whole production is released onto the market simultaneously. This is achieved through what is probably one of the best known marketing operations in the viticultural sector, with a worldwide reach – Japan, the United States and Germany are among its main importers.

All this marketing madness has its origins in something far simpler, the local tradition of celebrating the end of the harvest. To this end, a young wine was made and consumed solely in the region itself. However, the official birth date of this wine is 1951, when authorisation was granted to release it onto the market on 15 November. It then became popular throughout France and sparked fierce competition between vintners, who vied to be the first to take their bottled wine to Paris. Also significant is the figure of Georges Duboeuf, one of the leading producers in the region, credited with having christened the wine Beaujolais Nouveau and being the leading promoter of the label. In 1985, the release date was moved to the third Thursday in November, while the festival was scheduled for the weekend to boost sales.

A Veritable Wine Festival

But, not everything related to Beaujolais Nouveau is commercial. There is also time for entertainment, the perfect excuse to visit this beautiful grape-growing region during the festival. All types of wine-related festive activities – known as the Beaujolais Days – are held across the region. The most famous one is Les Sarmentelles, held in the town of Beaujeu, the region’s historical capital. It lasts five days and activities include a host of wine-tasting events, and the chance to savour local cuisine, as well as to enjoy their music and dance. Sports enthusiasts will relish the Beaujolais Marathon, a race which takes runners past several chateaux and where wines and cheeses are offered at the aid stations. The whole race is run in a festive spirit, with a large number of participants wearing fancy dress. Even the city of Lyon gets involved in the celebration by organising the so-called Beaujol’ympiades, where you can join in by tasting the twelve Beaujolais AOCs.

Beaujolais Beyond Their Nouveau

Apart from their great festival, Beaujolais has a lot to see, discover and enjoy. Many tourist guides tend to compare this region to Tuscany, and they aren’t far wrong. Visitors to Beaujolais will discover beautiful scenery carpeted with vineyards, with the odd chateaux peeping out, in addition to charming stone villages and excellent culinary offerings.

Ready to toast the first wine of the season? Get your Vueling here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Goproo3, yves Tennevin, Shunichi kouroki

DreamBeach Villaricos es un nuevo festival de música electrónica que se celebrará el 9 y 10 de agosto en la playa Villaricos de Almería, en el municipio de Cuevas del Almanzora, con un cabeza de cartel exclusivo: The Prodigy.

El festival nace con la idea de convertir de nuevo a Andalucía en el centro de la escena musical electrónica tras la desaparición del popular Creamfields Andalucía.

Dos días con más de 30 horas de música non-stop que se repartirán en tres escenarios simultáneos en el recinto y un cuarto escenario en la zona de acampada, todo en la playa de Villaricos, un enclave natural de lujo de la costa almeriense

Cartel del DreamBeach Villaricos 2013

Anthony Rother |Christian Wunsch | Ciberpunkers | Dub Elements | Fatima Hajji | Freed Me (Dj set) | Foreign Beggars | Gomad! & Monster | Gonçalo | Hernan Cattaneo | Horacio Cruz | James Zabiela | Javy Union | Josh Wink | Noisia | Pepo | Reeko | Technasia | The Prodigy | Umek |Vitalic “VTLZR” | Dimitri Vegas & Liki Mike | Gareth Emery | Paul Ritch | Mauro Picotto | Pendulum | Amo + Navas | Ben Sims | Camo & Krooked | Cora Novoa | C-System | DJ Murphy vs A. Professor | Eric Sneo | Henry Saiz | Monsta | Nervo | The Zombie Kids |Timo Maas | Toni Varga | Uner

Nosotros nos apuntamos, si quieres venirte consulta nuestros vuelos aquí.