Fancy losing yourself in the souks and sounds of Fez during a world music festival? How about a Nordic knees-up on Bergen’s waterfront? From rural Serbia to the Silk Road, our travel experts have a few thoughts on where to go in May.
Late spring is an ideal time to visit Uzbekistan. The frigid winter is given over to blooming tulips and trees laden with apricots, walnuts and pistachios. Bazaars air out their dust after the long freeze, and merchants once again adorn alleyway tables with colourful spices and silks.
Bukhara, in central Uzbekistan, is often considered to be Central Asia’s holiest city. During the 9th and 10th centuries, it flourished as a centre for philosophy, religion and poetry. Every May, Bukhara’s traditional heritage and arts are celebrated during the Silk and Spices Festival. The old town is bedecked with medieval ornaments and plays host to parades, traditional dances, musical performances, demonstrations of handicrafts like jewellery-making and ceramics, and a huge silk and spice bazaar.
Temperatures can inch towards 30°C in the spring sunshine, but there is reprieve to be found in the echoing tiles of Bukhara’s ancient monuments. Take time for a moment of spiritual reflection in Central Asia’s oldest remaining mosque – the 9th century Maghoki-Attar – as well as a wander through the Ark, a massive 5th century fortress. Once feet are tired, grab a table on the lovely roof terrace at Minzifa, where your meal comes with unbeatable views of Bukhara’s iconic blue tiled domes.
Visit the diminutive Norwegian city of Bergen in May, and you’ll be in for a month of celebrations.
On syttende Mai , a gathering of creative minds from around the world.
From 6-4 May 2016, a melange of musicians, artists and intellectuals will descend upon the 1200-year-old city of Fez and come together to produce a fusion of music, religion and art. The festival is fuelled by the belief that music can heal the world and break down all barriers.
Every evening, major concerts are held at the palace courtyard of the 14th century Bab al Makina, headlined by renowned international musicians. There are also free concerts held in the gardens of Dar Tazi and Boujloud Square, as well as parties and art exhibitions at the Batha Museum.
Serbia’s northern Vojvodina province is a slow traveller’s dream. Its laid-back lifestyle is best explored by car, or cycling the Danube Bike Trail through sunflower-streaked fields; alternatively, the convivial city of Novi Sad on the Danube. Test your horse-riding skills at the 240-year-old stud farm of Zobnatica and go fishing and birdwatching in the rare wetlands of Carska Bara nature reserve. Or simply spend blissful days vineyard- and monastery-hopping in the forested hills of Fruška Gora. The choices seem endless, just like those Pannonian Plain horizons.
The month of May in Chicago has everyone brimming with anticipation, full of excitement for all that summer offers. Ready to shake off winter’s weighty layers of flannel and fleece, people throng to the city’s outdoor spaces to soak up festivals of every sort, along with much needed vitamin D.
The Chicago Beer Classic takes place on 7 May at Soldier Field, featuring new and local brews, and the price of admission even includes a pretzel necklace, the perfect pairing for your beers. Summer Camp Festival is the first big music fest of the summer, combining childhood camping nostalgia with three days of music from 100 bands. If indoor pursuits are your thing, the Chicago Critics Film Festival showcases the best indie and under-the-radar movies of the year.
They say laughter is the best medicine, and Chicago will certainly cure what ails you with two comedy festivals this month. The Chicago Improv Festival kicks off its 18th year on 2 May, offering up a week of off-the-cuff hilarity in venues around the city. The month finishes with laughs at the quirkily-named Second Annual 26th Annual Comedy Festival , a mix of comedy acts, film screenings, and panel discussions.
RebeccaGWarren.
