Drill down into Europe and what you have is an eclectic collection of regions, cities and cultures. And within each of them are particular – and often quirky– traditions that survive to this day.
Thousands of tourists will flock to Florence every year, but how many will see a game of the city’s historic local sport? Many will visit Valencia, but how many know of the bizarre tomato-throwing celebrations that take place just over 20 miles away?
Let the continent’s marvellous architecture, incredible cuisines and rich history draw you in, but dig a little deeper for an unexpected travel experience – you might find a Christmas demon or race after cheese. Oktoberfest has nothing on them for creating lasting memories.
Give your next holiday a taste of something different by enjoying first-hand these unusual festivals and traditions, from the UK to Italy, Austria to Spain. Here’s how to do it and where to stay.
La Tomatina, Spain
One of Spain’s oddest festivals takes place in Bunol, near Valencia, every August. It is celebrated in honour of the town’s patron saints, and is thought to have started around 1945 – though nobody knows the exact origins,
The premise is fairly simple: it consists of an hour-long tomato-throwing frenzy, with the 15,000 or so attendees provided with around 120 tonnes of overripe tomatoes. The fight begins after an even more strange opening event, in which participants climb a greased-up pole to reach a ham; once the ham is retrieved, the first tomato is free to be thrown.
The town is quite literally painted red during the festivities, so sightseeing will be off-limits until the next day. Consider making Bunol a quick stop if touring some of the rest of the province, from Valencia itself to nearby Sagunto or Alicante. Tickets to the event, often labelled “the world’s biggest food fight”, cost as little as €15 and are available from the event’s official website.
Where to stay
Accommodation is extremely limited in this town of only 9,000 people, so it is a good idea to stay in nearby Valencia. Hotel Zenit is a good option for an affordable stay in the city’s Old Town, located right next to the Estacio del Nord (where the trains to Bunol depart from). Rooms are contemporary and comfortable, with an extensive breakfast buffet each morning.
Calcio Storico, Italy
Florence’s hybrid of football, rugby and martial arts is a truly unique sport that is said to have its roots in the Roman sport of harpastum, in which players used any means necessary to keep a small ball on their side of the field.
Today, four teams representing each neighbourhood of Florence participate in a series of semi-final and final games, though the outcome is far less important than the event itself: a celebration of Florence and what it is to be Florentine. This beautiful medieval city is in a fiercely celebratory mood during these weeks, especially on the day of the final, which doubles up as a celebration of Florence’s patron saint, St John the Baptist.
The objective of the game is to score goals by throwing the ball into the other team’s net. Each team has 27 players, with much of the action consisting of trying to incapacitate opposition players to make it easier for teammates to score; this often leads to full-blooded clashes and outright fighting between players, making for a hectic spectacle that isn’t for the faint-hearted.
The easiest way to obtain tickets is to queue at a box office on Via delle Vecchie Carceri, which usually opens at the end of May. Leftover tickets are sold online at TicketOne.com, but with only around 4,000 available for each game, it’s best to queue at the box office if possible. Fancy joining in? Participants must have been born in Florence or residents of the city for at least 10 years.
Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake, UK
This Gloucestershire tradition takes place annually on Cooper’s Hill, near the village of Brockworth, on the spring bank holiday. Officially an extreme sport, it consists of several participants who chase a three-kilogram wheel of Double Gloucester cheese down an almost-vertical hill. Though the winner used to be decided by the first person to catch the runaway dairy, nowadays the victor is simply the first person to cross the line – and they’re awarded the cheese as a prize.
This wacky UK event attracts visitors from all over the world, with previous race winners coming from the USA, Egypt and New Zealand. Races are split between men and women; in 2023, a Canadian woman won her event despite being knocked unconscious.
The next event takes place on 26 May in 2025 and is free to attend. It’s also free to enter the races; simply head to the top of the hill and register ahead of the first race at 12pm
Fasnacht Carnival, Switzerland
Basel’s carnival is the largest in Switzerland, lasting for exactly 72 hours and involving almost 20,000 costumed participants (in addition to thousands more attendees). Though equally as celebratory as other carnivals on the continent, this Unesco-listed cultural heritage festival has a distinctly more chaotic – and sometimes eerie – atmosphere than other alternatives, visible in the outfits, costumes and events staged throughout. It begins at precisely 4am on the Monday when all the lights are turned out and only hand-painted lanterns illuminate the city.
Expect lantern exhibitions, extensive parades, several concerts and plenty of satirical, tongue-in-cheek costumes and performances. Non-locals that attend are encouraged not to dress up, but feel free to partake in the bar crawls and watch along as locals celebrate the most important 72 hours in their calendar.
In 2025 Fasnacht will begin at 4am on 10 March, ending on 12 March. None of the processions or events are ticketed, but you’re advised to book accommodation as early as possible.
