Colors of Gdansk - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Gdansk is always visited by many travelers who wish to visit beautiful architectural monuments and historical sights that will surely leave many unforgettable memories. The city is also an interesting destination thanks to numerous festivals, each of which is accompanied by a number of interesting entertainment activities. Several years ago Gdansk hosted the Festival of Chocolate for the first time. The holiday has immediately become very popular among both local residents and visitors. Nowadays the festival is held every year. The celebration is held in early December. During the festival visitors are invited to watch interesting movies, attend all kinds of exhibitions and workshops, and, of course, taste delicious sweets.

Chocolate factories of Gdansk are known far beyond the country. The local chocolate makers create a lot of unusual sweets from chocolate, including original sculptures. The exhibition of sculptures made of chocolate is one of the most important events of the festival. All visitors are welcome to purchase their favorite figure.

The festival is also the time for exciting master classes, during which confectioners share with guests the secrets of chocolate making. They will also teach visitors how to make candies out of it and how to make chocolate bars of various original forms. It should be noted that during the cooking of sweets, many professionals use recipes that were made several centuries ago. The festival ends with awarding best confectioners and sculptors. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Fans of theater art should not forget to visit Gdansk in July, when the city hosts the festival of street theaters. The main celebration takes place on the streets of the Old Town. For the purpose of the festival here are set stages, which are used for performances of theater groups. In accordance with an old tradition, the festival is accompanied by numerous funny fairs and folk festivals. As a rule, during the festival are held not less than thirty performances - 10 performances a day. During the festival tourists are welcome to visit numerous interesting exhibitions, get acquainted with works of contemporary artists and photographers. Fans of exciting competitions will also not be bored here. As a rule, during the days of the festival the harbor of Gdansk becomes the location of an unusual race. In order to participate in this race, participants prepare boats of most unusual forms. In summer the city hosts various outdoor concerts. Performances in the open air and colorful fairs are held virtually every week here, so your program of rest will always be very rich and interesting.

It is worth noting that the amber capital of Poland impresses with its charm and a feeling of being in a fairy tale from the first minutes. All thanks to the architecture of the city, as well as the hospitality of locals. It is not surprising, because it's simply impossible to be angry living in this fairy tale. Locals are tolerant and easily accept new ideas. All this is due to the rich history of the city (Gdansk was the "Free City of Danzig"). If there is any question, you can always ask them for help. They will gladly give advice or offer assistance in anything. They are polite and tactful, and this is manifested in everything.

It's quite easy to get in good with local residents - it’s worth learning a few words in Polish - at least the greeting - “Dzień dobry”. People on the streets should be addressed as "Pan" or "Pani". The most popular word that can be heard here at every step is “prepraszam” (in the manner of English “I’m sorry”). Locals can also be called somewhat relaxed and slow, which is especially seen in business. They always check important documents slowly and accurately. And that's why from time to time it's worth reminding them of some conditions so that the time given to them for any action doesn't take too long.

One of the most popular festivals often associated with Gdansk is Heineken Opener Festvial. As you can understand from its name, the event is sponsored by the Heineken brewing company. Here you can listen to music of completely different genres - college rock, punk rock, techno-house, indie, new metal, and alternative rock. The time is the end of June or the beginning of July. It takes place in Gdynia, at Lotnisko Gdynia-Kosakowo. Since organizers do their best to surprise visitors, the festival's headliners are always famous and popular performers. The festival has repeatedly won the European Festival Awards, which speaks about its great popularity among young people.

Fans of classical music visit Schopenhauer's hometown in the first month of summer when Gdansk Music Summer starts. Its venue is the building on Ołowianka 1 St. A visit to this festival is a great opportunity to enjoy beautiful music and find like-minded people. Another festival where you can admire the magnificent sound of classical instruments takes place in Archikatedra Oliwska. The audience has a whole month to listen to organ music - the festival begins in late June and ends in early August. Without exaggeration, it is one of the most popular festivals in Europe, and not least due to the fact that it has a long history.

At the beginning of March (sometimes in late February) another important event takes place - namely, Topienie Marzanny (The Drowning of Marzanna), which dates back to pagan times. A straw figure symbolizing Marzanna, that is, death itself, is placed on a pole and carried to the drowning place by young girls. At the drowning site, Marzanna is not only thrown into the water but also stoned to prevent death from "rising from the dead". But this is not the end - festivities begin, and all participants feel as if they have "conquered death." Fun contests are held, music sounds everywhere, traditional Polish food is served - the holiday is always full of fun.

The amber capital of Poland hosts one of the oldest fairs in Europe. It is called Jarmark św. Dominika and held in late July or early August. Besides the fact that here you can buy all kinds of artworks and amber Gdansk is famous for, during the festival visitors have a unique opportunity to participate in a number of events like watching fireworks and concerts. The fair is held in the Old Town. In Schopenhauer's hometown, you can also listen to jazz twice a year. The first festival, Jazz Nights, takes place in August, and the second one is Jazz Jantar that falls on the end of September or the beginning of October.

One more significant event takes place in late July, and its name is Nord/LB Baltic Sprint Cup. Its venue is the Port of Gdansk, the event always attracts many spectators who want to watch a spectacular show. In addition, at the festival, you can hear sea shanties, which means that visitors will have a great opportunity to sing "What shall we do with the drunken sailor". The event is not only famous for its entertainment - it is not inferior in colorfulness to any other regatta, and that's why it always gathers so many visitors.