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Titanic festival

With the tentative 2011 rerelease of the blockbuster movie "Titanic" in 3-D, you may be interested in visiting the Harland and Wolff Shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the ill-fated ship was built. The company also constructed most of the other ships for the White Star Line.

Each year the city holds the "Titanic Made in Belfast" festival (this year April 3-11), during which a special program of events and exhibitions are held. However, tours are held year round. They include:

• Titanic’s Dock and Pump-House: a guided tour of Harland and Wolff’s seven-acre operation (www.titanicsdock.com);

• Titanic Boat Tours: a guided tour that sails from Donegal Quay to Belfast Lough, where the ship was launched, and includes Hamilton Dock, Alexandra Dock and Thompson Dock (www.laganboat company.com);

• Titanic Walking Tour: a guided tour of Queens Island, where the Titanic and other ships were designed, built and launched (www.titanicwalk.com);

• Titanic Tours Belfast: led by the great-granddaughter of a Titanic crewmember, a personalized tour for up to five people that includes the SS Nomadic, Thomas Andrews’ home, Titanic slipways, Titanic’s Dock and Pump House and the Titanic Memorial (www.titanictours-belfast.co.uk).

Romantic Road anniversary

Germany’s "Romantic Road," the 250-mile route between Würzburg and Füssen, celebrates its 60th anniversary May through October with special events and activities. Originally a trade route, the now-popular tourist road links the Main River and the Bavarian Alps. Its beautiful scenery is dotted with cultural towns and cities that retain a sense of the medieval.

The tourist board is offering several packages for those who want to explore the area. For example, one at the Weisses Ross hotel in Dinkelsbühl, the "fairy-tale town," includes two nights’ accommodation, breakfast, two dinners, tour with the City Watchman and a visit to the History Museum on War and Peace. It begins at 150 euros per person, double occupancy.

A five-day self-drive tour travels from Würzburg to Augsburg. The route winds through the scenic Tauber valley with stops in medieval Rothenburg ob der Tauber, walled Nördlingen, 2,025-year-old Augsburg and the town of Füssen, site of the Neuschwanstein Castle. The package begins at 329 euros per person, double occupancy, and includes four nights’ accommodation, breakfasts, guided tours of Rothenburg, Dinkelsbühl and Augsburg and admission to Neuschwanstein Castle.

Find more details on the area at www.romantischestrasse.de. There is an English version.

World music Web site

Looking for a special concert? If so, check out www.folk-lied-weltmusik.de. The site has a 2010 schedule of a variety of folk styles, among them klezmer, acoustic rock, folk pop, jazz and world music. The site also lists several workshops and festivals.

Search under the categories of music genre, clubs, musicians and events. The site is in German, but it can be translated using an online translation service.

Chalets online

The Web site www.huetten.com is offering a 30-percent discount on its winter prices for chalets. The company lists more than 300 places in the Alpine region and has online booking, photos and floor plans of the homes, plus last-minute specials. It includes an English version.

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