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| The Lajkonik Festival |
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When:
Jun 23, 2011
- Jun 30, 2011
Where: Krakow (In the old city), Poland
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Krakow ( Kraków) is located in south Poland on the Wisla River. It is looked upon as one of the third big cities in the country. Krakow which was built in the seventh century is a Middle Aged city that a big part of its buildings are still well preserved.
Krakow, which was invaded by the Tatars on the end of the 13th century, celebrates, yearly, the Lajkonik festival that praised the historic invasion and the victory of the city residents.
Lajkonik is a folklore legend figure who, according to local tradition represents in his appearance and cloths the in invaders. Lajkonik is a Tartaric bearded man that wears typical Mongolian cloths, on his head a pointed hat and he is riding on a hobby horse.
The festival is celebrated on the first Thursday after Corpus Christi. On the holiday, many of Krakow and near by residents disguise as Lajkonik with colorful cloths and hobby horses (some ride on real horses). Integral part of the celebration is a great street parade that last for three hours. It demonstrates the victory of Krakow's residents on the Tatars. At the end of the parade, in late evening, various culture events are held, in the front of the ancient city hall.
The Middle Age days are reconstructed in every corner of the city.
The colored cloths and the festival's atmosphere leave the visitor with an unforgettable experience.
Krakow - Online hotel reservations
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IMPORTANT:
Please note that the details of the event are subject to change.
We strongly recommended that you check with the organizers
before making any travel arrangements.
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Event related information:
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background and overview:
Poland is an ancient nation that was conceived near the middle of the 10th century. Its golden age occurred in the 16th century. During the following century, the strengthening of the gentry and internal disorders weakened the nation. In a series of agreements between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland amongst themselves. Poland regained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite state following the war, but its government was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time became a political force and by 1990 had swept parliamentary elections and the presidency. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe, but Poland still faces the lingering challenges of high unemployment, underdeveloped and dilapidated infrastructure, and a poor rural underclass. Solidarity suffered a major defeat in the 2001 parliamentary elections when it failed to elect a single deputy to the lower house of Parliament, and the new leaders of the Solidarity Trade Union subsequently pledged to reduce the Trade Union's political role. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. With its transformation to a democratic, market-oriented country largely completed, Poland is an increasingly active member of Euro-Atlantic organizations.
[Courtesy of The World Factbook]
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 Location: Central Europe, east of Germany |
Languages:
Polish 97.8%, other and unspecified 2.2% (2002 census) |
Climate:
Temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers. |
Capital:
Warsaw |
Time Zone:
UTC+1 (Summer UTC+2) |
Currency (code):
zloty (PLN) |
Call Code:
+48 |
Electric Power:
230V 50Hz |
Tourist office:
olish National Tourist Office 5 Marine View Plaza, Ste. 208, Hoboken, NJ-07030-5722, Tel. +1 201 420-9910 |
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