Travelling offers the unique opportunity to dive into different cultures, and one of the best ways to experience local traditions is by attending fairs and festivals. Across Asia and Central Europe, fairs are a vibrant celebration of history, culture, and community. From intricate craftsmanship and street food to lively parades and performances, each region offers a rich tapestry of experiences. Whether you’re travelling to Japan or crossing borders in Europe, there’s always something fascinating waiting for you.
Japan is a country with deep-rooted traditions, and its fairs reflect this beautifully. Whether in the bustling capital or smaller towns, each festival has a story to tell. One of the most convenient ways to explore these events is by taking the Tokyo to Kyoto train. This high-speed journey not only allows you to travel in comfort but also provides you with the chance to visit the numerous fairs held in both cities. In Tokyo, the Asakusa Tori-no-Ichi Fair stands out as a must-see event in November. It’s a lively market where locals and visitors alike flock to buy “kumade” rakes, symbolic of good fortune for the upcoming year. Kyoto, with its deeply spiritual atmosphere, hosts the Gion Matsuri in July. As one of the oldest and grandest festivals in Japan, the city becomes alive with music, traditional floats, and cultural performances.
Moving from Asia to Central Europe, another region rich in history and traditions, you’ll find a completely different yet equally captivating fair scene. Travelling by rail here is a fantastic way to experience multiple destinations in a single trip, with picturesque views along the way. For example, the train from Prague to Vienna offers an ideal route between two iconic European capitals, both of which host their own distinct fairs. Prague, renowned for its medieval charm, holds the Prague Christmas Market in Old Town Square. This market transforms the city into a winter wonderland, complete with a giant Christmas tree, handmade gifts, and the scent of mulled wine filling the air. In contrast, Vienna is famous for its Wiener Wiesn-Fest, Austria’s answer to Oktoberfest. Held annually in autumn, the festival showcases traditional Austrian culture through food, folk music, and dancing, all under the grand backdrop of the Prater Park.
While fairs across Asia and Europe showcase unique cultural expressions, they all share one common thread: a real feeling of togetherness. For instance, China’s Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. This event takes place in the cold region of the northeast and it is like being in a fairy tale winter. Featuring ice sculptures, ice palaces, ice lanterns, it is a wonder where artists from different parts of the world gather to build a frozen city. Head south to Thailand, and you’ll experience something entirely different but equally captivating: The festival that is celebrated at this time is called the Loy Krathong festival. Celebrated every November, it is a night of beauty when thousands of little boats with candles are launched on the rivers and lakes to float away the bad luck and welcome the good one.
Across the Central Europe, Hungary hosts a much more grounded, but equally captivating fair. The Mangalica Festival held in Budapest is a yearly event that focuses on Hungarian food especially the Mangalica pig. This fair takes place in the beautiful Castle District and is a culinary delight as it gives one an opportunity to sample traditional Hungarian foods prepared from this special breed. Serving everything from sausages and salamis, to hearty stews, it is a real sensory experience, complete with live cooking and folk music to put everyone in a festive mood.
If you are going west, then Seville’s Feria de Abril in Spain is a burst of colours and joy. This is a spring fair held two weeks after Easter, and it is the pure manifestation of Andalusian spirit. Flamenco dresses brighten the streets, horse parades, dances of sevillanas, bullfighting contribute to the creation of an atmosphere of active recreation. Surrounded by casetas – colourful marquees, the fair is filled with music, laughter and the smell of the mouth-watering Andalusian cuisine.
A little further north in Germany there is the Stuttgart Beer Festival which is not quite as hectic but just as fun. While Oktoberfest might take most of the attention, Stuttgart’s beer festival is much more personal and, in a way, provincial. Here you will get large beer tents, live bands and carnival rides all in the backdrop of Swabian culture. It is a chance to experience German traditions in a less touristy and more authentic way and there are lots of food and drink opportunities.
While traveling across Asia and Europe, the fairs and festivals you are going to come across are as colorful as the geography you are going to traverse. Whether you are captivated by ice sculptures in Harbin, boat with lanterns in Thailand or enjoying a glass of spiced wine in Prague, these fairs provide a fascinating insight into the soul of each place. And due to perfect railway accessibility, it has never been easier to jump from one city to another and attend several fairs at once.
The fairs in Asia and Central Europe starting from the crowded Tokyo to the historical Vienna are a great chance to plunge into the atmosphere of local people and their customs. Whether you are interested in the beauty of floats of Gion Matsuri in Kyoto or you are in love with the spirit of Christmas and the atmosphere of the market in Prague, these fairs are guaranteed to provide you with experiences that will last a lifetime. So pack your bags, hop on a train and set off for a journey of a lifetime to uncover some of the most intriguing fairs around the globe.
