Vienna, 1 January 2024 (dpa/MIA) - The year as European Capital of Culture begins on Monday for Bodø in Norway, Tartu in Estonia and Bad Ischl in Austria.

The three places have big plans for their shared year with the cultural title.

Bad Ischl, known as a romantic spa town where emperor Franz Joseph and empress Sisi spent their summers, together with 22 other municipalities in the wider Salzkammergut region, also wants to show the darker side of the magnificent Alpine landscape in over 300 projects.

Tartu has always been considered the heart and soul of the small Baltic state in north-eastern Europe and aims to become more visible outside Estonia with more than 1,000 events.

Bodø, the first European Capital of Culture north of the Arctic Circle, not only wants to present breathtaking Arctic nature, but also a sustainable cultural festival. The culture of the Sami, the Indigenous people of the region, is to be given a special focus.

The official opening of the European Capital of Culture year is due to take place in Bad Ischl on January 20, in Tartu on January 26 and in Bodø on February 3.

Photo: Tartu 2024