DirectRooms.com - Europe's Most Prestigious Bell Festival Is Held In Perpignan

Online, June 2, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The musical chiming is for the International Bell Festival of Perpignan where schools from across Europe will be coming to play on the historic instrument of bells. Officially called a carillon, the collection of bells is France's only one that has remained intact since being constructed in 1880.

In other cities many have bells missing or pieces taken away especially from the world wars when the bells were often melted down to make bullets.

This makes Perpignan's carillon extra special and the festival this year is specifically focused on carillon schools with teachers and students performing in the concerts. Each player will have to make their way up all of the hundreds of stairs to reach the keyboard to play and audiences are then recommended to wait outside the Saint Jean le Vieux church to get the best listening position.

Schools taking part include those from Holland, Denmark, Poland and Belgium along with others from France to provide a diversity of playing styles. People looking to attend should book cheap Perpignan Airport hotels between 14th July and 18th August 2011.

Lek Boonlert, marketing head at DirectRooms.com commented: "As one of the leading bell festivals in Europe many people travel to hear the recitals. This can make it difficult to find rooms at some hotels as locations become fully booked with the increase in visitors."