The last place you’d expect to find a sea festival of any kind would be in Krakow. The former capital of Poland is 500km from the nearest sea.
And yet, every year, sea dogs from across Europe descend on the city for the Krakow Sea Song Festival – otherwise known as Shanties.
Now in its 31st year, the Shanties Festival got underway yesterday. It sees sailing enthusiasts, ship owners and musicians come together for a four-day celebration.
With a combination of performers, sailors and some 200 musicians, the festival is a great way to discover the history of sailing, hear old maritime stories, and learn about life at sea.
As well as the knees-up concerts, there are question and answer sessions with sailors, photo exhibitions and film screenings.
And for all you would-be sailors out there, who dream of a life on the high seas, there is the annual trade fair – selling everything you could possibly need for a life at sea.
So grab your best captain’s hat, grow a beard, and head to Krakow for four days of drinking, singing and generally enjoying the life of an old sea dog!
(Images: NBphotostream, Rrrodrigo)
