Are you new to Europe and eager to fit as much as you can into your time here? Or, having lived here for years, do you sometimes skip events you want to see, figuring there’s always next year?

Well, next year has arrived, and it’s time to make your travel dreams come true. This listing will give an overview of what is available throughout the seasons.

Remember, the biggest events often require several months of planning to arrange for tickets, airfare and hotel. Remember also that the list represents just a fraction of what Europe has to offer.

Winter

Don’t run from the dark and the cold. Embrace it. In January and February, consider venturing to the far frozen north. To lure you there, Kiruna, Sweden, hosts a SnowFestival Jan. 25-29. While you’re in Lapland, check out the Icehotel, or even brave a night there. From Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, there’s the Jokkmokk Sami Winter Fair in Sweden, an event focusing on the culture of a fascinating northern people. You might even catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights; the city of Troms∅, Norway, hosts a festival dedicated to this natural phenomenon Jan. 25-30.

Planning a trip to the United States around this time of year? Fly on Icelandair, which generally allows for a stopover of up to three days in Reykjavik, Iceland. If you’re there between now and Feb. 21, try some of the delicacies associated with the Thorrablot feast, among them putrified shark or lamb’s head. It’s a culinary experience you will certainly remember for the rest of your life — no matter how hard you try to forget it.

The end of January sees Carnival season get into swing. From Jan. 28 to Feb. 8, catch Carnevale in Venice; don your mask and costume and join the revelry. Other carnivals worth a visit include the ones in Sitges, Spain, taking place Feb. 3-9 this year, and in Binch, Belgium, Feb. 6-8.

In Germany, carnival is known by several names, including Fasching, and is celebrated with particular fervor in the cities of Mainz (Feb. 5-7), Cologne (Feb. 3-9) and Düsseldorf (Feb. 3-7) and in the small towns of the Black Forest. This is one event the whole family is sure to enjoy.

Are you a lover of winter sports? If so, Italy is the place to be this year. The European Figure Skating Championships will be in Turin, Jan. 25-30. The Alpine Ski World Championships start Jan. 29 and run through Feb. 13. Men’s events take place in Bormio, while the women will be skiing in Santa Caterina.

For those with Irish blood, and all those who wish they did, there’s only one place to be on March 17. From March 16-20, St. Patrick’s Day will be celebrated in Dublin, Ireland. The massive street party is considered one of the best parties in the world.

Feel like a fiesta? A major event worth catching is Las Fallas in Valencia, Spain, March 15-19. A highlight of this huge festival, which attracts millions of revelers, is the burning of effigies mocking popular figures. A bit later in the season, April 12-17, you can catch the Seville April Fair, with its flamenco parties and introduction to Andalusian culture. From May 10-16, the Fiesta de San Isidro in Madrid takes place. Learn the flamenco or just soak up the Latin rhythms. (www.spain.info).

Why not dot the end of winter’s long sentence by attending an end-of-season bash in the Alps? From April 4-10, head to Mayrhofen, Austria, for Snowbombing, a party geared toward snowboarders. Or try Ischgl, Austria, on April 30 for the Top of the Mountain concert at the Idalpe, which never fails to draw top-name acts. (www.austria.info).

Spring

Spring means flowers, tulips in particular. On April 23, the Flower Parade, or Bollenstreek, winds through various towns in the northern areas of the Netherlands. Or just visit Keukenhof, the country’s flower garden famous for its tulips, in Lisse. While the peak season varies with the weather, the last two weeks of April and the first week of May are usually the best times to view the tulips in their full glory.

If you prefer roses and enjoy travel well off the beaten path, the Festival of Roses takes place on June 4 in Kazanluk, Bulgaria (www.cometobulgaria.org). Kazanluk roses yield 70 percent of the world’s attar of roses (rose oil), an essential perfume ingredient, and the harvest is marked by folk dances, singing and the crowning of a Rose Queen.

On May 7, head to Germany to see the summer’s first Rhine in Flames, a pyrotechnical spectacle that lights up the sky between Linz and Bonn. The numerous castles and palaces along the river are illuminated at night in a breathtaking spectacle. View from the shore or arrange for a river cruise. Similar displays in this annual event are July 2, Aug. 13 and Sept. 10 and 17. Another noteworthy date is June 26, when automobile traffic is forbidden and bicyclers and hikers rule the streets.

May 11-22 is the Cannes Film Festival, the film industry’s premier event of the year against the stunning backdrop of the French Riviera. Seek out the stars, or with all those agents around, be discovered yourself.

Are you a lover of speed? If so, you may have dreamed of catching Formula One Grand Prix racing in Monaco, which takes place May 19-22. If you miss out on tickets, try getting to the Spanish Grand Prix just outside Barcelona May 6-8, the French Formula One Grand Prix July 1-3 in Magny-Cours, or the Grand Prix at Monza, Italy on Sept. 4 (www.fia.com).

If your 2005 plans include a resolution to get fit, why not incorporate training for a marathon in your fitness routine? Marathons take place throughout Europe in a variety of settings, from city streets to countryside to mountains. Catch one on March 13 in Rome; March 20 in Barcelona; April 10 in Paris or Rotterdam, Netherlands; April 17 in London, Lyons, France, and Turin, Italy; May 8 in Düsseldorf; May 22 in Copenhagen, Denmark; June 4 in Stockholm, Sweden, to name a few. Not quite up to a full marathon? Try the run over the bridge spanning Copenhagen and Malmo, Sweden, on June 18 (www.marathonguide.com).

For the few and the strong who feel up to it, this may be the year to enter an Ironman competition. On May 21, Club La Santa in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, hosts an Ironman Triathlon, where you can test your endurance through ordeals set in an otherworldly lava encrusted moonscape. Other Ironman competitions take place in Karnten, Austria (July 3), Zurich, Switzerland (July 17) and Frankfurt, Germany, (July 10) (vnews.ironmanlive.com).

From May 28 to June 10, the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Motorcycle Races are staged, an event that has been attracting bike enthusiasts since 1907 and now draws several thousand. Its mountain course remains for many the ultimate challenge. During race weeks, roads are closed and the Isle of Man, beautiful any time of year, rocks.

Hard-core Harley fans might prefer to head to Davos, Switzerland, July 1-3 for the Ninth Annual H.O.G. Mountain Rally.

The year will offer a unique chance to take part in events organized in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. On May 8, a national holiday in France, V-E Day will be marked by ceremonies commemorating the Allied victory at the Arc d’Triomphe and the Champs Elysees in Paris. Other military observations include D-Day celebrations, which are held annually on June 6 in Normandy, France. Those who fought and perished during the Allied operation on this date in 1944 are remembered on the beaches and in the military cemeteries around Caen and Bayeux. You can meet some of these fighters while visiting the sites of key World War II events.

Summer

The Highland Games take place across Scotland throughout the summer. Best known is the Braemar Gathering, at which those with royal blood often make an appearance. Smaller, local events remain genuine and constitute important community events. While Braemar’s event is scheduled for Sept. 4, smaller locales kick off their games in early as June. Don’t miss the unique opportunity to groove to the dulcet tunes of bagpipes and see large men in tartan kilts hurl heavy objects.

If you’ve dreamed of seeing Russia, no city is more beautiful than St. Petersburg, and no time is better to visit than June 11 through July 2, when it hosts its “White Nights” celebrations. At this time of year, the sun never sets, and the party on the banks of the Neva never stops.

On and around June 21, the Scandinavian and Baltic countries celebrate midsummer day — the longest day — with festivals and gatherings lasting throughout the night. In Norway and Denmark, St. Hans Day is marked by festive gatherings around the innumerable bonfires dotting the coastlines.

Those who like equine sports should mark June 4 as the date to attend the Vodafone Derby Festival on the Epsom Downs in England, which offers the most coveted prize in racing. The winner nets a purse of 1 million pounds (about $1.9 million). Don your finery, pack a picnic, and see and be seen.

Even those who aren’t lovers of tennis have heard of Wimbledon. This year, the tournament is June 20 to July 3. It is difficult, but possible, to buy tickets. Find out how by visiting the event’s official Web site.

Another “must” for tennis buffs in Europe is the Paris Open, May 23 to June 5. The Masters Series is also a major event in the tennis world, and its tournaments take place in Monte Carlo in April, Rome and Hamburg, Germany, in May, and Madrid in October. See the complete schedule at www.atptennis.com/en.

What lifetime is complete without having camped out at a rock festival? You have your chance from June 30 to July 3 at the Roskilde Music Festival in Denmark. Sleeping in the mud at this festival notorious for its rainy weather is a rite of passage for many Scandinavian and German youths. Pack plenty of dry socks. The performing acts will be announced soon.

Germany’s twin Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, near Nuremburg from June 3-5, also promise an all-star lineup. The two musical festivals are billed as the largest open-air events in Europe.

The Glastonbury Festival takes place in Somerset, England, June 24-26, but you’ll be hard-pressed to get tickets to this mama of all fests. You might have better luck with the Reading or Leeds Festivals in August.

If rock isn’t your kind of music, the Summer Jam may be more your style. Europe’s biggest reggae event is July 8-10 on a lake island just outside Cologne. Pack your red, gold and green tent, because you’ll be campin’.

Jazz lovers face a real dilemma. Europe abounds with good jazz fests throughout the summer, and more often than not the location can’t be beat. Good bets include the North Sea Festival July 8-10 in the Hague, Netherlands; the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland July 1-16; the Royal Bank Jazz Festival in Glasgow, Scotland, June 17-26; JazzBaltica in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, July 1-3; and the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy, July 2-17.

On July 2, the lovely hill town of Siena, Italy, hosts its annual Palio, so much more than a horse race. The Palio is a fiercely fought competition dating to medieval times that pits neighborhoods against one another. Victory equals power and great honor. The event repeats itself in August. Other towns throughout Italy host their own palios.

July 2-24 is the time for the annual Tour de France. Cheer on the racers at any of the stages throughout the race (this year Germany will host a start and a finish along the route) or welcome the winners along the Champs-Élysées on the final day.

Just because you’re not in the United States doesn’t mean July 4 has to be like any other day. Independence Day is celebrated annually in Rebild, Denmark, about 15 miles south of Aalborg. Music and entertainment are just some of the ways in which Danish-U.S. ties are honored. Aalborg lays on a slew of cultural events designed to be of interest to its American friends.

Sicily is the venue for a seemingly inexhaustible number of festivals and the like, but top among them is the Festino di Santa Rosalia. From July 10-15, Palermo becomes a fair, theater and parade ground. Torchlit processions are conducted to Monte Pellegrino, where legend has it the Saint appeared to a hunter.

July 6-14 there’s the Fiesta of San Fermin in Spain, more popularly known as the running of the bulls. The event takes place in Pamplona. Remember, watching may be more advisable than running ().

Although it was canceled last year due to lack of funds, Berlin’s Love Parade is reported to be back on, with a date of July 9 (pending confirmation). This funky event uses techno music to spread its message of tolerance, respect and understanding.

If culture and the arts is your bag, from Aug. 7-29 Edinburgh, Scotland, hosts The Fringe, billed as the world’s largest celebration of culture and artistic expression. This event has been taking place since 1947, so the organizers have had plenty of time to get things right. The city’s International Festival, featuring music, opera, theater and dance, and the Royal Tattoo, featuring pipe bands and military music, run almost simultaneously, so you really can’t go wrong by heading there this time of year.

If your motto is walk, don’t run, you might want to try The Dodentocht, or Death March, a yearly 100-kilometer hike starting from Bornem, Belgium. Participants have exactly one day to finish the grueling walk. To ease the way, bars are open all along the route. Up to half of the people who start never make it to the end. It’s much harder than it sounds.

If life in a simpler time appeals to you, shed your 21st-century cares and head to a medieval fair. Featuring jousting, falconry, period costumes and much more, these events are spread out across Europe. Berkeley Castle in Gloucester, England, hosts two weekends of medieval mayhem with jousting events July 23-24 and 30-31.

Visby, Sweden, recalls its past as a mighty Hanseatic city Aug. 7-14. Ceský Krumlov in the Czech Republic holds the Festival of the Five Petalled Rose June 17-19. Horsens, Denmark, hosts its European Medieval Festival Aug. 26-27. A good directory to all the fairs is at www.faires.com.

Autumn

As always, beer lovers in Germany have plenty of reason to rejoice. This year’s Munich Oktoberfest is Sept. 17 to Oct. 3. It claims to be the biggest public festival in the world, attended by around 6 million visitors. In a typical year, more than 5 million liters of beer from Munich breweries are consumed .

Non-beer lovers may feel happier at a wine festival. Mainz, Germany, holds a big one on the first weekend of September. Frankfurt is home to the annual Rheingau Wine Market at the same time of year. The first 10 days of September are devoted to wine tasting and general feasting at the annual wine festival in Limassol, Cyprus. Gourmands will feel pleased to have made the trip to Merano, Italy’s International Wine Festival and Culinaria from Nov. 12-15.

At the end of November, Germany, and to a lesser extent Austria, Belgium, France and Switzerland, kick off their annual Christmas markets, which generally run up to Dec. 23. The ones in Cologne, Nuremburg, Munich and Heidelberg are not to be missed.

Looking even further ahead to 2006, we will see the staging of the Winter Olympic Games in Turin, beginning Feb. 10, as well as the FIFA World Cup Football at stadiums throughout Germany beginning June 9. Before you know it, you’ll be planning how to spend New Year’s 2006. Hogmany, anyone?

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