1st Kiel Week- Unique regatta week with folk festival
The major German sailing event is known all over the world and is a firm fixture in the local regatta calendar: Kiel Week takes place at the end of June, both at sea and on land. Athletes from countless nations meet in the north of Schleswig-Holstein's state capital. The area around the Olympic harbour in Schilksee is transformed into a lively epicentre where sailors of all classes prepare their boats and themselves for the races.
The "Kiwo" is also one of the most traditional regatta weeks. It has been organised since the end of the 19th century. The folk festival along Kiel's quay walls was added later and has continued to develop over the last few decades. Visitors can not only feast, stroll and marvel, but also experience a day trip on one of the many traditional ships or set off on a multi-day cruise.
The maritime highlight is the windjammer parade on the second Saturday of the festival week, in which dozens of tall ships and traditional sailing ships, historic steamships and hundreds of sailing yachts take part. Kiel Week traditionally ends with a fireworks display - another goosebump moment for Kiel Week fans.
2nd Hamburg Ancora Yacht Festival, Neustadt- Trade fair with a sea breeze
In mid-May, when the winter storerooms are empty and the Baltic Sea shows its friendly face, the Ancora Marina is in a state of emergency for three days. That's when the yacht festival opens, and it promises to be an early, veritable highlight of the season.
Under new management and undoubtedly favoured by the Corona-related lack of boat shows in previous years, the event has developed into a premiere festival. More and more boatyards and dealers are coming to Neustadt in Holstein to present their new products.
According to YACHT information, this will also be the case in 2023 and will keep the appeal of Germany's largest in-water boat show high. Admittedly, there is always a certain dependency on the weather outdoors. On the other hand, there is no better place to experience yachts than in their element. This and the favourable stand prices for exhibitors have made the Hamburg Ancora Yacht Festival extremely popular. With Y Yachts from Greifswald, Linjett from Sweden and Aira from Holland - to name just a few examples - brands that have never been represented here before came for the first time in 2022. The list ranges from the entry-level to the luxury segment. And the newcomers all want to be back in 2023 without exception.
No wonder, really: it is the only boat show that offers a sea breeze and a view of the Baltic Sea. Anyone who wants to sail their own boat into Neustadt Bay to experience the fair should therefore book a berth early. The Ancora Marina itself does not have any free berths, and the neighbouring harbours are also full because many of the Ancora's permanent berth holders have to relocate for short periods. The majority of visitors therefore come by car and park in specially designated areas just a few minutes' walk away.
In addition to the boats on display, the yacht festival offers much more. Almost all equipment brands and dealers will be present in tents around the harbour area. There are also informative specialist lectures and workshops in Hall H1 to the west of the jetties, through which the exhibition centre can be reached. To the east of the "Arborea" hotel, the festival offers taster sails and live demonstrations on the water on the event area next to the show stage. YACHT and Delius Klasing Verlag will of course also be there live to report on the events. You are welcome to drop by. It's worth it!
3. midsummer in the Stockholm archipelago- Day and night is the order of the day
On Utö off the coast of Stockholm, you can experience the many facets of the Midsummer Festival - even if it is more crowded than you might expect. The island is easy to reach by ferry from Stockholm, making it popular with day trippers and short holidaymakers. They flock to the island in droves and party hard. The classic midsummer dance around the tree does not take place at the harbour, but further inland on the island: Women and girls wear wreaths of flowers and everyone sings together. Families meet on picnic blankets and in small restaurants. At this time of year, the harbour is a place for real party fans: people party around the clock, especially young people. There are moorings to the east and west of the city, with a bridge in between.
4th Schlank & Rank, Lemkenhafen-Thin Skipper Convention
Fehmarn has become home to many classic archipelago cruisers, whose owners have been inviting all kindred spirits to meet here every two years since 2009. As the name suggests, anything slim and sleek can take part. In addition to classic wooden stern cruisers such as the 15s, 22s, 30s, 40s and larger examples, all equally slim and slender boats are welcome: the three-man keelboat Drachen, for example, the Soling, the H-Boat and its larger sister, fast, sleek plastic boats such as BB10, Aphrodite 101, Molich X Meter, Ylva, Luffe 37, Omega 42 and similar vessels.
Sailing takes place between the Orther Reede, the Fehmarnsund Bridge and Heiligenhafen according to different handicaps. Classic wooden boats are rated according to the classic race rating system, modern boats according to yardstick.
The event came about after the centenary of the archipelago cruisers was celebrated in Sweden in summer 2007. The Lemkenhafen owner of the 40 square metre skerry cruiser "Aurora", Georg Milz, had visited the festival with his boat and put the idea into practice to organise something similar at home. The first meeting was a complete success and the participants partied well into the night. It has remained that way to this day, and the people of Lemkenhafen now call the event their summer party.
5th Medieval Week, Visby- Journey into the past
Knights' tournaments, bands, medieval markets: at the beginning of August, the Hanseatic town of Visby on Gotland is turned upside down. With its medieval townscape, largely preserved city walls and defence towers, it is the ideal backdrop for one of the largest medieval spectacles in Europe. A good 40,000 visitors come to the Gothic capital, which itself only has 20,000 inhabitants. The event lasts seven days, during which yacht crews can moor right in the centre of the action.
6th Störtebeker Festival, Ralswiek- Buccaneer show in the open air
Even the most hardened theatre fanatics will love this: when it's playtime on Rügen, there's no way around the Great Jasmund Bodden. At its far end on the southern shore, dozens of actors and horses bring the Middle Ages to life at dusk.
Every year, a different adventure of the legendary pirate Klaus Störtebeker is presented to the audience on the natural stage near Ralswiek. Sometimes the hero travels to East Frisia, sometimes to Holland, then to Norway. But one thing is always certain: pirate Störtebeker, also known as the "Robin Hood of the seas", has to survive numerous adventures. An entire village in the centre of Rügen serves as the festival location.
The performances are elaborately staged spectacles. Pyrotechnics provide explosions and fireworks, the heroes clash in jousting matches and sword duels. But gentle ballads and love scenes are also offered to audiences travelling from all over Germany. After all, the open-air theatre in Ralswiek is one of the largest in Europe. Since the early 1990s, millions of spectators have enjoyed the magic of open-air seafaring cinema.
Experiencing one of these performances, staged with great attention to detail, is therefore worth a diversion on the summer cruise. But look out! Tickets sell out quickly. Advance sales start in autumn of the previous year. Tickets for the front rows currently cost 40 euros, while tickets for the back rows and the dress rehearsal cost around 15 euros. The play will be performed in 2023 from 24 June to 9 September, from Monday to Saturday from 8 pm.
7th Rum Regatta, Flensburg- Tradition with a twinkle in the eye
Officially, the regatta is an "International Meeting of Historic Sailing Vessels". In reality, the squadron race, which takes place on Ascension weekend, is a fun and relaxed event. The crews of the 100 to 120 ships have no serious regatta ambitions: in the end, it's not the winner who wins, but the runner-up who gets a bottle of rum.
8th Jazz Festival, Femø- Concerts with cult character
One of the most traditional jazz festivals on the Baltic coast takes place on the island north of Lolland towards the end of July and beginning of August. For over 50 years, big names on the scene from home and abroad have been playing at "Femø Jazz". The festival has grown steadily, so the venue was moved to a beach meadow. In addition to the concerts on the festival grounds, the programme includes a street parade and a masterclass where up-and-coming musicians can showcase their talent.
9th Tjörn Runt- Sailing spectacle in the archipelago
At its peak, around 1,000 yachts squeezed across the regatta course, which is reminiscent of an obstacle course. In the meantime, Tjörn Runt's starting field has shrunk to around 200 boats, but the regatta is still a spectacle, not only on the water, but above all to watch from land. It is sailed on the third Saturday in August, in a clockwise direction around the island. The course sometimes leads through very narrow passages such as Kyrkesund. These not only ensure extreme concentration in the field, but also serve as natural grandstands. In addition, the racing action in Kyrkesund is commented on by a presenter, creating a folk festival-like atmosphere. The Klädesholmen section of the course is also exciting, where the sea is more open and there are many rocks and shallows lurking.
10th Baltic Sea in Flames, Grömitz- Experience New Year's Eve fireworks in summer
Pyrotechnic shows will soon be offered in every major town on the Baltic Sea during the season. And they are always beautiful. But probably no fireworks display is as enchanting as the spectacle that Grömitz puts on at the end of August on its almost 400 metre long pier. "Baltic Sea in Flames" is the name of the event, which attracts thousands from far and wide to the beach and the small hill above the harbour, from where you can watch the 20-minute show accompanied by music.
If you are travelling by car rather than your own boat, you should set off early - the crowds are now so big. Even in the early evening, there are hardly any seats left in the beach bars and restaurants, even though the rockets only light up the sky over Grömitz shortly before 11 pm. Some pyro fans therefore bring their own drinks and snacks - and secure the best seats 300 to 500 metres north and south of the pier well in advance. If you stand closer, you can hardly take in the full dimensions of the fireworks. It is truly enormous. The water bombs alone, which are fired sideways over the Baltic Sea, are stunning.
