Seasonal CENTROPE events

What is the sign of autumn for you?

Gaggles of geese en route to the south, colour variations of nature, annual film, music and art festivals or exhibitions? What about the Frida Kahlo exhibition, the Bratislava Music Festival or the International Music Festival Janáček? Experience these and much more in autumnal CENTROPE.

Here we go. Like a child in a colourful park picking up a shiny horse chestnut from the wet grass, we will try to choose some tips from the glossy seasonal CENTROPE menu.

Autumn is here

The large gaggles of geese in flight in the Neusiedlersee – Seewinkel National Park are a unique and most impressive natural spectacle because thousands of geese pass the sky in a wedge formation. The moment when the geese decide to leave for the south mainly depends on temperatures in the north. This natural spectacle can be seen in autumn at the saline lakes of the Neusiedlersee – Seewinkel National Park. Families can head off on their own to observe the birds in migration.

Cultural menu

Bratislava: Music Festival 2010. Now in its 46^th year, the Bratislava Music Festival is organised by the Slovak Philharmonic under the auspices of the Slovak Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Internationally recognised soprano Edita Gruberová is the honorary president of the festival which takes place until 6 Dec 2010. Check out the fabulous programme.

Brno: International Music Festival Janáček. The International Music Festival Janáček in Brno is a unique project in the field of classical music. It could be defined as a project trying to root the world-famous composer Janáček in the place where he spent most of his life and created an essential part of his oeuvre. The festival also represents a way to present Janáček with pride, since Brno still owes much to the artist. Moreover, it is a new occasion to entice people to visit the place steeped in Janáček’s genius loci, and thus to revive tourism to Brno.

Galanta: Days of Music. Classical music concerts are held periodically in autumn at the Galanta Days of Music. This music festival was established to honour the 40^th anniversary of the Joseph Haydn Elementary Arts School. Concerts take place in various spots around the town, such as churches, museums or mansions.

Győr: “Da Vinci in ETOPARK”. Western Hungary’s best football team Győr ETO has a brand-new stadium called ETOPARK – an interesting mixture of shopping and entertainment centre, hotel and, of course, soccer pitch. After fully booked runs in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Spain, Germany and Austria, a real wonder has arrived in Győr: the “Da Vinci in ETOPARK” exhibition will hopefully attract sports fans to the art and science of the famous genius – and, of course, it’s likely that more soccer fans can be won amongst those interested in Leonardo’s way of thinking.

Győr: “Hommage à Puskás”. “Hommage à Puskás” is the title of a travelling exhibition inaugurated in Budapest on the birthday of the Hungarian football legend of the 1950s. At this second stage of the show, 58 works of Hungarian artists are exhibited in Győr. In the catalogue, Péter Esterházy, one of the best contemporary Hungarian writers, states: “Puskás is the last absolute character, the individual as person, the last who possessed heart, spirit and mind in harmony.”

St. Pölten: “Festival Polifonica”. True to the motto "where people sing you can feel free to settle", from November 24^th to 28^th the voices of this new choral festival will be lubricated. From the cathedral choir to the a-cappella male-voice choir, to the participatory project with Bauchklang for St Pölten's lovers of song: for five days choral singing will set the tone in the Festspielhaus. Lovers of song and choral music will get their full money's worth with the international and cross-genre programme - New York gospel singers meet Verdi's Requiem.

Vienna: Michelangelo Buonarroti. A special highlight awaits you until 9 January 2011 at Vienna’s Albertina: the museum will show a selection of prime artworks offering an exciting glimpse into the life of Michelangelo Buonarroti.

Vienna: Frida Kahlo exhibition. You have time until 5 December 2010 to discover the work of a unique Mexican artist with a cult following. The first extensive Frida Kahlo exhibition in Vienna at Kunstforum Wien honours this pioneer of the feminist movement and one of the most identifiable figures of Mexican culture.