Top events this Easter holiday

[March 13th 2008]

Some of the best events taking place over the Easter holiday can easily be reached from UK airports.

Low cost airline bmibaby is offering flights from East Midlands, Birmingham International, Manchester and Cardiff International airports to the exciting events being held in European cities including Paris, Alicante, Palma in Majorca, Nice, Amsterdam and Malaga.

In Paris a traditional Easter egg hunt will take place at the Galeries Lafayette shopping centre for children aged five to 12 years. A quintessentially French fair, the Foire du Trone, will also be on in Paris over the Easter holiday and continuing until May 31st. As well as traditional fairground rides such as rollercoasters, the Foire du Trone also boasts attractions such as acrobats and jugglers.

Over in the Spanish city of Alicante, the Moors and Christians Festival, a mix of street carnival, religion and history, is taking place in April. The festival includes a re-enactment of the battle between the Moors and the Christians to honour the regional patron Saint George.

The start of Spring is celebrated at the Gourd Festival in Nice starting on March 29th. This lively festival includes exhibits, gourd inspired food and traditional Provencal music.

Water sports enthusiasts might want to head to Malaga in the Costa del Sol this Easter. With April temperatures in the region averaging 21 degrees Celsius, the Parque Acuático Mijas with its crazy slides, pools, picnic areas and restaurants is likely to be a big draw. In nearby Marbella the Funny Beach hosts games and water sports for all ages including banana boats, trampolines and go karts.

The Race of the Classics in Amsterdam from April 13-19th presents the spectacle of beautiful classic boats as over 20 teams of sailors compete for the trophy. Boats sail from Rotterdam and then travel via Ostend across the North Sea to either Ramsgate or Lowestoft in the UK, before heading back to Amsterdam for a finishing party.

For a traditional Easter try the Semana Santa in Palma de Mallorca, celebrating the Holy Week of Easter from April 5-12th. Tourists and locals get together to take part in the procession that winds through the streets of Palma and converges in the squares, giving the feeling of an open air temple.

Written by: Nick Purdom

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