The scene at United Islands Prague. Photo by czechian.

By Jacy Meyer in Prague—

Planning a trip to Prague this year? One of central Europe’s most historic and picturesque capitals will mesmerize you with its charm and beauty. But it’s not all architectural oohs and ahhs—there are plenty of festivals and other events sure to enliven your experience. Check these out!

FebioFest
March 25-April 4, 2010
website

The Czech Republic’s largest non-competitive international film festival is one of the most popular events on local film lovers’ calendars. The festival specializes in full length films from just about every genre: documentaries, retrospectives, and premieres.

The majority of films are shown at a city center multiplex and tickets are a nice cheapo 79 CZK. An added bonus for Cheapos is the accompanying FebioFest Music Festival. The event is held in the cinema’s underground garage, and bands range from ska to rock-n-roll to pop and admission is free!

Prague Spring
May 12-June 4, 2010
website

Prague’s premier international music festival isn’t the most bargain event on the calendar, but it’s worth every koruna. This year’s program offers performances of work by Mozart, Martinu, and Hayden, to name a few.

From theater to opera to early music performances, Prague Spring is a stellar musical extravaganza. Plus, the event is held in some equally stunning venues. Viewing concert halls like the Rudolfinum and the Municipal House is a free added feast for your eyes.

Czech Beer Festival
May 14-May 30, 2010
website

A bit more low-brow than Prague Spring, the Czech Beer Festival is a fun feast of a different kind. Admission is free to this event full of Czech beer, Czech food, and Czech fun. Servers in traditional Czech dress and music playing all day long makes this a cheerful place to spend an afternoon.

Prague Fringe Festival
May-28-June 5
website

Prague’s own mini-version of the Edinburgh legend, the Fringe here brings a welcome dose of English theater and comedy to the city. Expect lots of favorites from past Edinburgh Fringes as well as fun newcomers.

Prague Museum Night
June 12, 2010
website

Like many other European cities, Prague hosts its own museum night. On the designated night, hundreds of museums around the city are open for free from 7 PM-1 AM. Free transport is available from venue to venue. Visit the bigger museums early; this is an extremely popular event and lines form quite quickly.

United Islands of Prague
June 24-26, 2010
website

This international outdoor music festival is one of the most popular events in Prague. Featuring a range of musical acts from around the world, the concerts are showcased on three Vltava River islands. The festival is free, and plenty of after-parties take place in area clubs.

To find out what else is going on when you’re in town, check two of the biggest ticket sellers: Both Ticketpro.cz and Ticketstream.cz have easy search-by-date functions.

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Florence around the holidays. Photo by Simona83.

By Marc Anani in Florence—

Wanna catch Florence with her pants down? Then come for a visit during the winter!

The combination of being one of the most beautiful cities in the world and being blessed with a clement climate puts Florence at the mercy of vacationer invasions from spring to fall. But the winter seems to be some kind of tourist kryptonite as the season returns the streets to the Florentines.

So, without any more prosaic stalling, here are the reasons why you should come to Florence in the winter:

1. Weather

Don’t think Tuscany is impermeable to the cold, because it isn’t. The winter can be quite damp and even showers the valley with the odd snowflake (it actually snowed last night). However, you will get some of that lemony Tuscan sun during the daytime which feels oh so good on your face. Nothing is better than a coffee outside in December. But do dress warmly as the temperatures can dip down to the mid thirties in the evenings and night.

2. Atmosphere

If the summer is when Florentines head for hills and beach, winter is when they creep back on to the streets. During the cold months you’ll hear more Italian than at any other time of the year, whether it’s browsing the outdoor markets or sitting in a cozy cafe. Finer ears will also get a good dose of Fiorentino, Florence’s own dialect.

3. Things to Do

In a city where cutting in line is a national sport, you’ll find yourself walking straight into museums and art exhibits without having to spend half your afternoons waiting to be sardined in front of paintings. Dare I say it, you could even “museum hop” while flipping through the pages of your guide book.

Should you be in need of original stocking stuffers, why not check out the Florence Christmas Market at Piazza Santa Croce. You’ll find food, wine, decorations and of course, tons of souvenirs to bring back as presents.

For an activity off the tourist menu, why not go ice skating at the Parterre of Piazza della Liberta? The outdoor rink is open from 9 AM to 8 PM and 9 PM until midnight (1 AM on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) and is easily accessible by bus.

For music lovers, there are plenty of concerts to choose from to kick-start that Christmas spirit. For example, Chiesa San Marco on via Maggio offers daily concerts throughout the holiday season at a very affordable cost.

To ring in the new year, or “Capodanno” as they say here, meet the locals at the Fortezza da Basso, where the party begins at 10 PM on December 31 and goes all through the night until 8 AM the next day. The celebration features different styles of music and entertainment to suit every type of reveler.

Or just wander the streets admiring the sights and sounds and smells of winter in this marvelous city.

Marc Anani is a writer living in Florence. And no, it doesn’t pay the bills so he does other stuff too.

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Wander around the Berlinale for free. Photo by Maharepa.

By Susan Buzzelli in Berlin—

Keep pouring the champagne (or, even better, the Sekt), because we’re in a celebratory mood. The festivities surrounding the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s fall were such a blast, that we’re already looking forward to the city’s next mega-event.

Though Germany’s capital no longer hosts the bacchanalian, techno-obsessed Love Parade, Berlin still reigns as Europe’s party central with its diverse and jam-packed events calendar. The best of the fests, listed below, are ideal for Cheapos because they’re free, inexpensive, or value-packed. So sharpen your elbows and get ready to join the crowds!

Internationale Grüne Woche (International Green Week)
January 15-24, 2010
Official website

We’re crazy about this food-centric fair, which is devoted to nutrition, agriculture and horticulture. The Green Week event fills the city’s massive, space-age exhibition hall with the moo of cows, the pungent scent of Swiss cheese, and the bouquet of German wine.

Regular admission is €12, but once you’re inside, you can stroll past food stands galore shelling out snacks from Germany and around the world. Free samples abound. Cheapos should show up after 2 PM, when tickets go for €7.

Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (Berlin International Film Festival)
February 11-21
Official website

Tickets to Berlin’s film festival, referred to as the “Berlinale”, aren’t cheap (they go for €8), but you don’t have to shell out anything to take part in this major cinematic event. Our favorite activity is milling around Potsdamer Platz, the epicenter of the festival, which draws thousands of film professionals and film lovers from around the world.

A must? Celeb-spotting (is that George Clooney?) at the red carpet leading into the Berlinale Palast (Am Marlene-Dietrich-Platz 1), the theater where the most anticipated films—from Hollywood and around the world—premiere. At the very least, be sure to grab a free program to read about the latest in international filmmaking.

Carnival of Cultures. Photo: CpILL

Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures)
May 21-24, 2010
Official website

As Germany’s most multicultural metropolis, Berlin celebrates its 450,000 international residents during the colorful, four-day “Carnival of Cultures” festival in Kreuzberg. A party atmosphere pervades the event’s highlight: an endless street parade of ethnic-themed floats.

But the multicultural festival, which includes a riot of bands, food stalls, and theme parties, is lots of fun, too. Celebrated since 1996, the festival is bigger and better every year.

Fête de la Musique
June 21, 2010
Official website

The “Fete de la Musique,” a one-day, music-making event, celebrates the summer solstice with a bang, a drum roll, and a techno beat. Live, open-air concerts—all of which are free–fill the city with music, from reggae to electronica. Expect to discover some new talent, because most of the musical acts are upstart bands and DJs doing their thing for the first time. In 2009, 700 bands and DJs performed on 83 stages; 150,000 showed up to watch. Now that’s what we call a party.

Silvester (New Year’s Eve)
December 31

When the clock strikes twelve, laser shows and fireworks displays shower the Brandenburg Gate with light. A major event since 1995, Berlin’s New Year’s Eve festivities have become the spectacle to see in Europe. Before the explosion of lights, dozens of bands entertain the throng of spectators gathered on the Strasse 17. Juni, a wide avenue that’s bookended by two of the city’s most iconic landmarks: the Brandenburg Gate and the angel-capped Siegesäule (Victory Column).

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Repainting. Photo by Christian Bamale, courtesy la Tour Eiffel.

By Theadora Brack in Paris—

Reflecting recently on the grace and beauty of the Eiffel Tower on her 120th birthday, I stopped to consider how she still looks so smart. After all, sight-seeing during the rainy winter months in Paris can wreak havoc on the complexion! So how has she managed to look so good after standing around for 120 years?

Photos by Theadora Brack.

But first, don’t leave Paris without checking out the Tour Eiffel’s special 120th birthday exposition, “L’Épopée Tour Eiffel” (“Epic of the Eiffel Tower”).  The exhibit features pictures and a history of the famous structure, along with a gallery of 300 reproductions of the Tower and a collection of artwork inspired by the “Lady of Iron.”

The festivities will run through December 31, 2009. Elevator access to the tower is open from 9:30 AM to 11:45 PM.

Some riveting facts

The Eiffel Tower is made with 2.5 million rivets holding together 20,000 square meters of intricate iron latticework projecting 1,046 feet high. She was the tallest structure on earth from 1889 until 1930. Wind, the dominant natural force affecting her, is strongest at the top, but most of it blows through her and not against her because of her airy wrought iron. (Well, almost. She has been known to jiggle on a gusty day–but only a few inches.)

The Tower’s beauty regimen involves 60 tons of paint, which must be applied at least every seven years to protect her from rust. Each paint job takes 15 to 18 months. Thinking ahead, Gustave Eiffel nailed it when he said, “The more meticulous the paint job, the longer the Tower shall endure.” The most recent paint job started in March 2009, just in time for her 120th birthday celebration.

Down through the years the colors have varied from dark red to a rather bright yellow, and from dark chocolate brown to her current “Brun Tour Eiffel”—a special grayish-brown hue. To emphasize her fabulous silhouette as seen from the ground, there are actually three different shades of the hue that change from dark to light, the higher up you go.

Beauté tips from the Eiffel Tower employees

Karkachi, a lift operator.

Like the great iron spire jutting directly above them, the employees who run the Tour Eiffel’s lifts have to protect themselves against the elements. “It’s windy up there!” lift-operator Karkachi told me. Daily she makes some fifty round trips to the first and second levels, and at least twenty more to the third level. “So moisturizing is key. Neutrogena is the most famous around here. We also wear hooded parkas!”

The Tour Eiffel uniform, strikingly stylish in olive green with bright orange piping, was created by couturier Jean Charles de Castelbajac. The coordinated ensemble includes a tight-fitted pantsuit, scarf, and a matching purse on a string.

Karkachi grinned. “I especially like the sacs. We all carry our beauty products in them and talk about them often. We also share.” she said. “The favorite lip-moisturizer here is LaBello, strawberry flavored. All my colleagues use it. I suppose that’s because of the color and shape.” She winked. “We all wish to look pretty, but not too sexy. After all, la Tour is a family place.”

Karkachi’s co-workers Amsa and Sophie also pack Nivéa Crème. (Tip: Cheapos, all products mentioned can be purchased for just a few euros at grocery stores or pharmacies in Paris.)

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Face the Oktoberfest crowds with confidence. Photo by Joachim S. Müller.

By Audrey Sykes in Munich—

Six million people rush to Munich for Oktoberfest each year to guzzle beer out of giant mugs. This cultural experience known for delicious brew can easily bring confusion or headaches (or both) for tourists attending the event for the first time.

I’ve spent the past two weeks in Munich watching the city prepare for, and then celebrate, Oktoberfest. Although the festival continues through October 4, 2009, I’ve already taken some notes for getting the most out of the festival next year. Simply follow these five tips:

1. Come in September

The most common misconception is that Oktoberfest runs in October. While that makes sense to the rest of the world, the festival is meant to “bring in” October, so it runs the last two weeks of September. To be exact, Oktoberfest begins the second-to-last Saturday of September and lasts for two weeks. This year, 2009, it runs through October 4.

2. Bring only what you want to spend

Between beers hovering around €10 and not-so-cheap grub, it is scarily easy to drop €50 in one day. Make a daily budget and stash the rest of your cash somewhere far, far away: you’ll thank yourself later. Of course, ATMs are always available for emergencies.

3. Pace yourself

A stein is one liter… period. That’s about three cans of beer, each with almost six percent alcohol, by volume. Remember this: it’s all about knowing your limits. Eat a giant soft pretzel (”Bretzel”), drink a half-liter water (”Wasser”). Whatever happens, just remember to pace yourself to survive a demanding day full of beer-drinking.

4. Bring your camera for cheap souvenirs

Legally acquire souvenirs. After all, stealing a stein can cost you thousands of euros, and stealing a kiss can cost you a fat slap on the face! Common Oktoberfest souvenirs are costly t-shirts and cheaply made trinkets. Photos are the best way for cheap memories—the festival brings endless photo-ops and camera theft isn’t a common occurrence.

5. Know how to score a tent seat

Never use the main entrance during busy times. Some people wait in line for hours, not knowing that the side and back entrances are crowd-free. Larger groups should split up on busy nights and rendezvous when things get a bit more spacious. When zoning in on seats, make sure the table you find is not reserved.

Bonus tip: Hit the loo early on

Lines for the toilet can be ridiculous, especially on weekends. Head to the W.C. as soon as you feel the need: chances are you’ll have to wait in line. Toilets are in tents, on the terraces, and in between tent zones.

About the author: Audrey Sykes hopped across the pond from the US three years ago for a Masters degree in global journalism. Since then, she’s lived all over Europe, reporting and editing for music sites, snowboard mags, and travel media.

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Prost! Photo by Joachim Mueller.

By Tom Meyers—

It’s kick-off time for Oktoberfest, that free-flowing celebration of German beer and sausage that happens every fall in Munich. The Munich tourism board calls the celebration the “biggest public festival in the world”—so we hope that you booked your rooms well in advance! (If not…)

Before you grab your favorite stein and head for Bavaria, test your Oktoberfest knowledge with our Oktoberfest Quiz:

1) When does Oktoberfest take place this year?
a. September 19 – October 4, 2009
b. October 1-17, 2009
c. October 1-31, 2009
d. October 16-November 3, 2009

2) How many official beer tents will you find at Oktoberfest?
a. 6
b. 9
c. 14
d. 32

3) How much does it cost to visit the beer tents?
a. They’re free.
b. €3 per tent
c. €5 per tent
d. €10 per tent

4) The locals refer to “Oktoberfest” as…
a. “Biertrinkenfest”
b. “Festenbier”
c. “Braufest”
d. “Wiesn”

A nice keg. Photo by StrudelMonkey.

5) Each year, how many visitors attend Oktoberfest?
a. 1 million
b. 3 million
c. 4 million
d. 6 million

6) How many liters of beer are downed each year?
a. 850,000
b. 1.5 million
c. 5 million
d. 25 million

7) Which of these is NOT a beer tent at Oktoberfest?
a. Spatenbräu-Festhalle
b. Currywurst-Festhalle
c. Hackerbräu-Festhalle
d. Löwenbräu-Festhalle

8 ) The beer tents are run by:
a. “Bosses”
b. “Landlords”
c. “Chiefs”
d. “Riflemen”

9) According to “Interesting Facts and Figures” by the tourism office, 4,000 items were reported lost by attendees in 2007. Which of these was NOT on the list?
a. 200 mobile phones
b. 260 pair of glasses
c. 2 crutches
d. 1 set false teeth

10) Beer tents don’t start serving beer until…
a. 7 AM
b. 10 AM
c. Noon
d. They never stop serving.

Answers:

1) A. Sept 19-October 4. Ironically, Oktoberfest takes place almost entirely in September.

2) C. 14 tents. Here’s a list.

3) A. They’re free. But you have to pay for the beer and sausage.

4) D. “Wiesn”. Read the charming story behind the name.

5) D. 6 million. And it gets bigger every year. Here are the stats.

6) C. 5 million. Remember—some attendees don’t drink (like, say, children).

7) B. Currywurst-Festhalle. But it should be.

8 ) B. “Landlords” run the beer tents.

9) D. False teeth. Or at least they weren’t reported lost.

10) B. You’ll have to wait until tents open at 10 AM (9 AM weekends).

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Imagine our glee when, clicking about the Munich tourism office’s website, we stumbled upon their list of Munich-based webcams! Among the list of live feeds from Munich were several devoted entirely to the Christmas market at Marienplatz.

Ready for a quick (virtual) visit? We grabbed the images below at about 5 PM Munich time today. Click them to visit the webcams and see what’s happening now!

I spy Christmas Markets in Munich!

Above, Muenchen.de offers a birds-eye view of Marienplatz, site of the city’s largest Christmas market. At 4:45 PM, Munich time, we spotted a fair number of people visiting booths and an unusually large number of white sedans parked in the market zone. Look at that Christmas tree!

The webcam at Global-Christmas.com nearly brings you down to street level, showcasing many of the buildings lining Marienplatz. This photo, grabbed minutes after the top photo (this one at 4:54 PM, local time), shows night is falling fast and the crowds are turning out.

It also looks like the festive holiday lighting might be too much for the poor webcam, as the image is slightly bleached. One nice thing about Global-Christmas, by the way, is that you can enlarge their webcam for a closer look!

Finally, Marienplatz-Muenchen.de, offers its view of the Christmas market at Marienplatz. This cam is in line with the Christmas tree, looking out from what we’d estimate is the fourth floor. We grabbed this image at 4:58 PM, local time, and you can see that things have gotten darker yet, and perhaps more crowded. (This cam also has a creepy surveillance-camera quality to it, which lends a certain intrigue to the market.)

Check out even more webcams from Munich and our round-up of Christmas markets in Europe. Also, if you’re heading over, be sure to read our list of recommended budget hotels in Munich. 

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Photo courtesy Berlin International Film Festival

BERLIN—The 2009 Berlin International Film Festival, the “Berlinale,” will take place February 5-15. The event celebrates its 59th year in 2009 and boasts an impressive lineup, with some 350 film screenings on deck (most of which are making their debut).

The festival is both an international industry event and a great chance for film enthusiasts to enjoy advance screenings. The Berlinale’s complete 2009 screening schedule has not been released yet, but will be posted soon on the festival’s website.

Some highlights of the 2009 Berlinale

Cold War—The autumn of 2009 will mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. To commemorate the event, the festival will feature “After the Winter comes the Spring,” a film series focused on the end of the Cold War.

Bigger than Life—A retrospective of films shot in the double-wide 70-mm format. The series, called “70 mm — Bigger than Life,” will feature 22 films shot in the format, including American classics West Side Story,  Ben Hur, and Cleopatra, as well as Russian epics.

The International—The film festival will open on February 5, 2009 with the world premiere of the British-German co-production The International, directed by Tom Tykwer (Perfume and Run, Lola Run).

A word about hotels…

Cheapos eager to attend the Berlinale are encouraged to make hotel reservations as soon as possible. We performed an availability search over our lunch break today and found more than 25 of our editor’s pick hotels in Berlin with rooms for under $100 a night (double occupancy–for February 9-11).

But still, availability will be increasingly limited, so if you’re heading to the festival, get a good room while you have some choice.

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Sometimes you just can’t make it to Paris as often as you like.  Fortunately for us in late November, Georges Duboeuf was born.

Georges Duboeuf, grand-pappy of Les Vins Georges Duboeuf, was the marketing maverick who christened the third Thursday of November as “Beaujolais Day” to celebrate that year’s release of Beaujolais nouveau red wine. This year’s celebration falls on November 20, 2008.

Made from Gamay grapes produced in the Beaujolais region, the Beaujolais nouveau is perhaps best known for the festive, over-the-top atmosphere surrounding its annual release rather than its reputation among serious oenophiles.

While we’d prefer to be celebrating in France this week, you can bet we’ll be raising a glass of Beaujolais and singing Georges’ praises on Thursday here in New York.  Maybe we’ll even start off with an office pétanque tournament to get in the mood or go see the biker chefs and sommeliers escorting the first batch into town.

And we encourage you to do the same!  There are plenty of Beaujolais Nouveau tastings and events throughout the U.S.  A comprehensive list of locations can be found at the About.com France Travel guide.

After all, sometimes you can’t be in Paris, but a little sip can almost take you there! Are you planning to celebrate this year’s Beaujolais nouveau? Tell us about it in the comments section.

Also see: Our list of recommended budget hotels in Paris.

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We’re big fans of the city-wide all-night party trend in Europe. Paris seems to have come to the party first in October 2002 with its “Nuit Blanche” of performances, gallery openings, monument tours, and late-night shenanigans.

Rome followed the next year, launching “Notte Bianca” with great success. Indeed, according to party planners, the party has become an event the Italian capital “can no longer do without!”

Rome has just announced that “Notte Bianca 2007″ will take place the night of Saturday, September 8th (with some events happening the day before). This year’s show will promote a message of cultural difference and understanding, and will feature hundreds of acts performed by artists all night long throughout the city.

Which kind of events? According to the event’s website:

For Saturday September 8th the programme includes performances, concerts, plays, dance shows, magic and circus arts, contemporary art installations, fireworks, even a concert of church bells, all characterised by tradition and experimentation, merging together for one night an ensemble of artistic capabilities, cultural scope, knowledge, techniques and ways of expressing art and entertainment, all very different one from the other, and that is both multifaceted and harmonious.

We’re there. More information and event schedules: official site.

Meanwhile, Paris has only said that this year’s event will take place in October. For more info, the mayor’s office is already hyping it on their website.

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