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

Autumn is the favourite season of many people when it comes to travelling. If you’re lucky enough to be able to take a few days off, why not take a look at some of the destinations our travel expert has selected? They are especially beautiful this time of year.

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.

Strasbourg’s historic centre, known as the Grande-Île (great island), is an enchanting maze of lanes, picturesque squares and houses with wood carvings. Concentrated in a small area on this river island is an exceptional wealth of art heritage, an enriching blend of French and German essences.

A Cathedral With A 1,000 Years of History

An example of this is the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg, the pride of the city. While Strasbourg is located in France, the Cathedral is one of the finest exponents of the German Gothic and the clearest example of the artistic harmony between the two cultures. Situated on the Grande-Île, it is one of Europe’s most beautiful cathedrals. For 200 years it was the world’s tallest building, while currently it is the fourth tallest religious building on earth. Its interior houses an extraordinary, 18-metre-high astronomical clock, built in 1571. It is regarded as the world’s first computer as it is capable of calculating dates, and it marks all calendar holidays. The moment most awaited by tourists is when it peals out the midday chimes, and the figures of the Apostles parade in front of Christ.

The foundations of Strasbourg Cathedral were laid in 1015, and its construction was not completed until 400 years later. This year, 2015, the city’s most important religious building turns one thousand years. A programme of activities has been drawn up to commemorate this anniversary, notably the event “1015 - 2015 : La Cathédrale de toute éternité”, a spectacle of lights projected on the Cathedral’s main facade. This will take place every Thursday from 4 July to 20 September. The times for July are at 10.30 p.m., 11 p.m., 23,30 p.m. and 24 p.m. In August, at 22.15 p.m., 22.45 p.m., 23.15 p.m. and 23.45 p.m. and, in September, at 21.15 p.m., 21.45 p.m. and 22.15 p.m.

FARSe will Fill the Streets of Strasbourg with Scenic Arts

Another enticement for visiting the city in July is the Festival des Arts de la Rue (Street Arts Festival), providing free shows for all audiences in some of Strasbourg’s more central, emblematic areas distributed mainly along the axis between the Austerlitz and Kléber squares.

On Friday 17 and Sunday 19 July, these spots will feature circus, theatre, dance, music and burlesque shows to liven up your visit to the city centre even more. Leading theatre companies, selected under the supervision of and in collaboration with the dancer and choreographer, Ali Salmi, will provide the highlights of these performances.

Of all the shows scheduled for this year, the aerial dance and pyrotechnics of Deus Ex Machina take pride of place. They will be performing on 17 July at 10 p.m. in the Place Kléber, and at the Holi Festival – a festival of colours of Hindu origin – in conjunction with the company Artonik, at the close of the festival on 19 July. You can choose from among the various options shown on the full programme here.

The Place Kléber

One of the nerve centres of the shows is the place Kléber, the city’s main square and a major hub of commercial activity. This, the preferred meeting point of Strasbourgers, is also the centre of the Grande Île, fringed with magnificent Renaissance buildings and located near the Cathedral.

The Maison Kammerzell

North-east of the Cathedral square, on the Rue des Hallebardes, lies the Maison Kammerzell, another must-see, as it is one of the best preserved late-Gothic buildings in the area. It is considered by some to be the most beautiful building in Strasbourg, on account of its decoration of carved figures and stunning leaded windows. Like the Grand Île, it is listed as UNESCO World Heritage.

La Petite France

Also on the Grand Île is La Petite France, the most picturesque district in the historic centre. Its timber-framed houses date from the 16th and 17th century, when they were inhabited by fishermen and millers.

Don’t wait to hear about it from someone else – come and live it out for yourself. Check out our flights here.

Text by Scanner FM

Images by Chris Barker, Spiterman, María Renée Batlle Castillo, Filip Maljković , Richard Penn, Daniel Sancho