Four Seasons has launched its Cultural Capitals programme, highlighting nine reasons to visit the nine destinations home to their unique European hotels – London, Dublin, Paris, Provence, Prague, Budapest, Lisbon, Florence and Hampshire – over the next nine weeks.

Best of all, Four Seasons has done visitors’ homework for them. Whether guests are interested in food, wine, music, art, fashion, sport, artisanship, the performing arts or simply love, Four Seasons has carefully researched and selected the most important cultural and sporting events as well as some lesser known happenings in each destination. Guests have the opportunity to develop a personal itinerary designed with the benefit of world class local knowledge and to pre-book tickets and special access – plus the perfect opportunity to take advantage of one of the many offers currently available.

The focus of week one of the Cultural Capitals programme is festivals. From a masquerade ball in Prague to a float-filled carnival in Tuscany, the best way to capture the spirit of a region is to take in its festivals. Opera and music lovers will be able to indulge in Wagner, Strauss or Beethoven from March 19 to April 5 during Budapest’s Spring Festival. Film lovers have an eclectic choice. Anyone interested in extreme mountain sports might want to get to London for the Banff Mountain Film Festival held on February 3 and 4. More mainstream film buffs should get themselves to Dublin between February 18 and 28 for the International Film Festival, for 11 days of the best of Irish film and the premiere of some outstanding new movies from across the world. Not tempted? How about a book fair in Prague, a circus festival in Paris or one of the oldest handicraft fairs in the world in Florence? These and many more events are highlighted.

For further information on all Cultural Capitals festival suggestions and for details of Four Seasons offers for European destinations, visit Four Seasons Magazine online.