We have something to celebrate!

27 July, 2017

It’s great that you’ve found our new blog. As a camper, you’ll find all sorts of useful information about everything to do with camping here. From facts about fun destinations, campsite tips, and inspiring travel stories.

We want to celebrate our new blog with you, and so we’re giving away 5 prizes! If you scroll to the bottom, you can find out how to participate.

Celebrate with us

It’s not just us celebrating: there are many different places in Europe where there are interesting cultural festivals planned this summer and autumn. We’ve listed five of them that you won’t want to miss. As well as some tips on where to find an ACSI Campsite near the festivals.

The Netherlands: Summer Carnival and Street Parade

Rotterdam – Saturday 29 July

2500 dancers, carnival groups, musicians, DJs and floats turn Rotterdam upside down during the street parade from 13.00 to 18.00 on Saturday 29 July. Immerse yourself in the swinging music, colourful costumes, and rousing dance with a Caribbean tint. To complete the picture, there are food tents with delicious tropical foods. With a great campsite near Rotterdam, you can just roll into bed after the party.

The Summer Carnival in Rotterdam is part of Rotterdam Unlimited, a (music) festival that runs from 25 July to 29 July. You’ll soon be able to see the full programme with timetable on the Rotterdam Unlimited website.

ACSI Campsite nearby: Recreatiepark de Koornmolen in Zevenhuizen

France: Lavender Parade

Digne-les-Bains – Friday 4 to Tuesday 8 August

Are you planning on going to Provence on your camping holiday? Then visit the Lavender Parade in Digne-les-Bains between 4 and 8 August. What started as a promotional tour for lavender production (the traditional commodity of this region) in 1929, has grown into a huge annual folk festival. There are marches, firework shows, a fair, and a parade. The best reason to go: the intoxicating scent of the purple plant!

Not planning to be there then? From 23 to 27 August, you’ll have another chance: that’s when there’s the Foire de la Lavande, a traditional market with lavender products, but also other delicious Provencal products.

ACSI Campsite nearby: Camping du Bourg ** in Digne-les-Bains

Austria: Almabtrieb

Tirol (and other places) – almost every day between the beginning of September and the beginning of October

At the end of the summer, 200,000 Austrian cows, sheep, goats and horses are brought from the mountain pastures back down to the valley. This movement of cattle, the Almabtriebs, is celebrated in a colourful, traditional way by farming families, the local population, and many visitors. The better the milk production has been, the bigger the party is, and the more lavishly the animal is decorated with flowers, bells and other decorations.

Are you planning on being in the Tirol this summer or Autumn? The region has more than 2000 mountain pastures. So, do check when the Almabtrieb is in the area you’re visiting: every village celebrates it on a different day.

ACSI Campsite nearby: Aktivcamping Am Schwimmbad in Imst

Spain: La Tomatina

Buñol – Wednesday 30 August

Make sure you bring old clothes, trainers, and swimming googles with you to Buñol. In this village near Valencia, there’s a massive tomato fight every year on the last Wednesday in August. To entertain the visitors, they make their way through a ton and a half of tomatoes in just an hour! There are some rules, like ‘Squeeze the tomato before you throw it at someone’, to ensure that the atmosphere remains friendly.

It’s now necessary to buy a ticket to get into the festival: these are available for 10 euros. There are various organisations which offer combined tickets – for example a return bus ride from Valencia to Buñol, and the festival ticket.

ACSI Campsite nearby: Campsite Devesa Gardens Resort in El Saler

Germany: Oktoberfest

Munich (and elsewhere) – Friday 22 September to Saturday 7 October

This famous folk festival in Bayern and the largest beer festival in the world is something you really have to see at least once in your life. The idea that it’s one big drunken party will be invalidated, because the Oktoberfest is in fact mostly about solidarity. Of course (lots) of alcohol is drunk, but chatting with friends old and new, and enjoying the food, drink and music are far more important. Of course, you have to wear lederhosen or the Alpine dress!

Make sure you reserve a table in one of the tents beforehand, otherwise you might be left out, as the festival is very popular.

ACSI campsite nearby: Camping Thalkirchen in Munich

Are you interested in any of these festivals? Or do you know other fun events that we shouldn’t miss this camping season? Then let us know!

Win!

Take part in our competition, and win a year’s free access to the ACSI Campsites Europe App! Here you’ll find more than 8600 ACSI-inspected campsites all over Europe. The app is useful both at home and on the road, and you can use it to easily find, compare, and save your favourite campsites. You’ll always have your campsite information with you, even where there’s no internet connection!

How to participate

Let us know at the bottom of this blog where you are going to celebrate this summer holiday and why! You can take part until 13 August. We’ll get in touch with the five winners a week later.

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