Through March l: The Blue Four. Bern (Switzerland). Exhibit of paintings by Kandinsky, Klee, Feininger and Jawlensky.
12-May 21: Festival of 100 Days. Lisbon. A lavish program of concerts, opera, ballet, films and exhibitions heralds the arrival of Expo ‘98 (see May 22).
Through May 10: František Kupka Exhibit. Prague. Works of a pioneer of abstract art.
Through Aug.: Volcano Show. Reykjavík. Daily films and presentations in English. Through Dec. 31: Alvar Aalto and Helsinki. Exhibit on the 100th anniversary of the architect’s birth.
Through Dec. 31: Alvar Aalto-Points of Contact. Alajärvi, Seinäjoki, Rovaniemi, Turku and Jyväskylä (Finland). Traveling exhibition.
Carnival
The Carnival period leads up to Lent, which begins Ash Wednesday (Feb. 25) in Catholic and Protestant regions, and Shrove Monday (Mar. 2) in Orthodox countries, including Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria.Carnival of Binche. (Belgium). Festivities date to the 16th century. Apokeo. (Throughout Cyprus). Two weeks of fun, games and parades. Nice Mardi Gras Carnival. (France). “King of the Circus” is this year’s theme. In the Rhineland and Bavaria. (Germany). Call it Fasnet, Fasching or Carneval-it means revelry and Rose Monday (Feb. 23) parades. In 1998, as they do every seven years, the Munich Schafflers (coopers) dance through the streets in memory of the end of the Black Death in 1517. Carnival in Venice. (Italy). Since 1700--theater, music and famous masked balls. In Luxembourg. Parades, floats and masked balls. In Malta. Valletta and other towns. Masks, floats and dancing. In Portugal. Loulé, Nazaré, Ovar and Funchal are especially festive. In Spain. Particularly colorful festivities in Cádiz and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands). In Switzerland. Especially in Lucerne and Basel.
March
1: Vasaloppet Ski Race. Sälen to Mora (Sweden). 14,000 crosss-country skiers on a 56-mile course.4-June 14: From Monet to Picasso. Vienna. Some 100 works at the Kunstforum in a worldwide survey of art from the late 19th century to the 1960’s.
6-June 28: René Magritte Retrospective. Brussels. Major exhibit marks the 100th anniversary of the surrealist painter’s birth. 7-14: CineMusic. Gstaad (Switzerland). Festival of film music at a popular ski resort.
7-15: European Fine Art Fair. Maastricht (Holland). Antique and contemporary paintings, silver, jewels and carpets.
13-15: Holmenkollen Ski Festival. (Norway). Fun and entertainment and competitions for pros, amateurs and children.
13-29: Spring Festival. Budapest and other Hungarian cities. Concerts, dance and folklore greet the new season.
14-Apr. 13: Thuringia Bach Weeks. (Germany). Concerts in various towns associated with the composer.
15-19: Las Fallas of Valencia. (Spain). Giant papier-mâché caricatures are set ablaze for the feast of St. Joseph.
17: St. Patrick’s Day. (Throughout Ireland). Wearin’ the green to celebrate the country’s 5th-century patron saint.
17-31: March Music Days. Ruse (Bulgaria). Orchestral and vocal music in a lovely city on the Danube.
21-April 26: Costume in Malta. Valletta. An exhibit of traditional dress through the ages at the Grandmaster’s Palace.
26-May 24: Keukenhof Gardens. Lisse (Holland). Once a countess’ kitchen garden, millions of flowers will be in bloom in this 70-acre park.
