The City of Edinburgh
There are few cities in the UK that can even come close to matching the Scottish city of Edinburgh in terms of culture, scenery and atmosphere. Offering a mixture of modern and archaic architecture, not to mention a vibrant social and cultural scene, Edinburgh really is one of the most vibrant and popular cities in the whole of Europe.
Culture
Perhaps Edinburgh’s most famous attraction is the Edinburgh Fringe festival, which is the world’s largest annual arts festival. Established in 1947, the festival offers visitors more than three weeks’ worth of live musical acts, comedy acts, dance acts, art exhibitions and much more. In fact, in 2011, over 2,500 international shows in more than 60 different locations were featured at the festival. The festival takes place every summer and attracts visitors from every corner of the globe. During the winter, or to be precise, New Year’s Eve, Edinburgh is the home of Hogmanay celebrations. During the event, the entire city of Edinburgh comes out to celebrate and partake in the city-wide street festivals and parties. It really is one of the biggest New Year’s parties you will find anywhere in the world and there is nothing like singing Robert Burn’s Auld Lang Syne in the home country of the great poet himself.
Attractions
In addition to the young and vibrant cultural scene, Edinburgh is also famous for its beautiful architecture and surrounding scenery. Perhaps the most iconic building in the city is Edinburgh castle, which overlooks the city from its position on Castle Rock. The castle dates back as far as the 12th century and is a defining feature of the city’s skyline. The castle isn’t the only archaic building in the city; Edinburgh’s “Old Town” area of the city is full of pristinely kept medieval buildings. The whole area is a UNESCO world heritage site and is perfectly in keeping with the city’s cultural and love of tradition.
This Picture: Andreas Stix – Fotolia