The Christmas holidays are one of the most beautiful times of the year. It is a period when families and friends get together and exchange presents. It is a time of joy and there is a cheerful atmosphere. While some people like to spend Christmas in a snowy landscape, others prefer a holiday by the sea warmed by the rays of the winter sun, which these days shines as if it were the beginning of autumn. Despite the lack of snow in Opatija, Christmas here is always very special. Nevertheless, sometimes it does happen – as in the two previous years – that even the Girl with the Seagull, a statue on a rock by the coast and a symbol of the town, gets covered with snow at the end of December. We’ll see what happens this year in the days to come. A festive atmosphere is unthinkable without Christmas cakes and mulled wine, or a glass of champagne or prosecco, which goes perfectly with the sweet Christmas bread and cakes. You can enjoy all these delicacies on the terrace of the Café Imperial in Opatija.
After that, it’s the turn of young artists from Croatia and abroad, who will use various light effects and music to light up the town’s parks and hotels. This will be the first festival of light and sound and is entitled Winter Lights Opatija 2011. The programme starts on Saturday 17 December with a concert by Volker Bertelmann-Hauschka at 7 p.m. in the Hotel Kvarner Crystal Hall. Hauschka is an artist who performs beautiful post-classical chamber music inspired by minimalism. His music has been described as enchanting (a video is available at http://youtu.be/43Z4yljYY_c). The concert will be followed by a party with VJs and DJs. Various light effects will be combined with modern music to create a magical atmosphere in the Hotel Kvarner Crystal Hall (the party starts at 9 p.m.)
The Christmas weekend starts with a concert by the famous German-British choir Gregorian on Friday 23 December in the Hotel Kvarner Crystal Hall. The group is renowned for its visually attractive performances and Gregorian chant-inspired adaptations of modern pop and rock compositions. In addition to the eight standard male vocals, the group will be joined by Amelia Brightman, sister of the famous singer Sarah Brightman, who will perform various Christmas songs. Gregorian have contributed to the soundtracks of many famous movies such as Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars.
The Winter Lights Opatija Festival continues on Christmas Eve, when light and sound artists from Croatia, Russia and Germany will light up the façades of the hotels around Slatina Beach. Old postcards of Opatija and many other motifs will be projected onto the hotel façades, creating a magical atmosphere on this Christmas Eve.
On New Year’s Day 2012, there will be a New Year Concert that should become an annual event. Based on the New Year Concert in Vienna, the Zagreb Quartet will be performing in the Hotel Kvarner Crystal Hall at 10 a.m. with guests Ida Gamulin on piano, Tamara Coha Mandić on flute, and Domagoj Pavlović on clarinet. After the concert, guests are invited to toast the New Year together with the Mayor of Opatija.
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