Hanseatic Days 2010

On 24 - 27 June 2010, the resort city of Pärnu is the meeting point for Hanseatic partners as the 30^th International Hanseatic Convention is held here. In 2010 the Hanseatic festivities in Pärnu include history and economy conventions (focusing on great man of science and culture involved with Pärnu and Hanseatic tourism issues), programme for young people from different Hanseatic cities, HanseSuitcase - the collaboration project of professional artists, the traditional Hansemarket - the representation area for Hanseatic cities in the center of Pärnu, medieval market, numerous concerts, performances, events in the open air, with addition of ceremonies and meetings. Pärnu is prepared to host about 2000 delegates from Hanseatic cities and be a safe destination point up to 100 000 tourists visiting the four-day festival.

The Hanseatic League (from 13^th to 17^th centuries) was an alliance between a hundred cities, which were predominantly Northern-German cities such as Lübeck, Hamburg and Cologne. Today, the city of Pärnu, is involved in the movement of Modern Hanseatic League - with over 175 towns from 15 countries.

The full days of open-air concerts offer you the best of Estonian folklore but also pop and jazz performers. In St. Elisabeth Church, the brand new baroque organ will be inaugurated and opened for the audience -The Great Bach Marathon, lasting to the midnight, will beheld on 25 June 2010.

In Estonia, we cannot leave our guests without the experience of Estonian choir music tradition - the big late night open-air gala with 20 choirs will be presented to our guests in Pärnu on the late night of Friday, 25 June.

The Saturday activities are focused on the dance arts - starting from spontaneous dance performances with audiences on the streets up to open-air staged dance performance at the area of open air theatre being restored and opened just for the festival. The big Dance Night enables anyone in the festival area to experience the open-air ball-dancing accompanied by musicians of Pärnu City Orchestra in the bright night of the Estonian summer. It is the period of whitest nights of this latitude. Sunday, 27 June, brings the manifestation of Hanseatic partner cities as the grand entrance and festive ceremonial festival closing will be organized at the city center. If the weather is favorable, the activities on the beach - windsurfing classes, sand sculptures etc, and by the Pärnu River - enjoying the historical vessels, attending yacht trips and fish market, will bring joy and give the real first hand experience on Estonian life and culture.

The city center itself looks like a big, open-air restaurant, pulsating as numerous tourists and festival guests appreciate the healthy food and goods from the Middle-Age market.