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Fireworks from ‘Bryggen’. Photo: Eivind Senneseth
A maritime adventure in the heart of Bergen Beneath idyllic mountains, on the Hanseatic harbour in Bergen, Norway, The Tall Ships Races invites you to take part in Europe’s biggest free event, where people can experience 70 of the world’s most beautiful sailing ships, local food and live music.
time slots where people can go on board to have a look, completely free of charge. There will also be a market with local food and handicrafts for people to buy.
By Synne Johnsson | Photos: Valery Vasilevskiy
The ships that will dock by the UNESCO-listed Hanseatic harbour in July, will be from all over the world – from five different continents. 2019 will be the fifth year The Tall Ships Races comes to Bergen, and project manager Morten Dahl Sebjørnsen is convinced that this will be the best one yet. “Bergen has arranged this four times already, so we know what works and what doesn’t. It is a great city and the locals are welcoming and lively. I am convinced that this will be the best Tall Ships Races Bergen has ever seen,” he says. 46 | Issue 124 | May 2019
The Tall Ships Races is a sailing regatta and has been arranged every year since 1956 at different locations around Europe. The purpose of the event is to promote sail training for young people across genders, religions and ethnicities. On board the ships that will be in dock, there will be 2,500 crew members between the ages of 15 and 26.
An event for the entire family The festival will take place in Bergen on 21 to 24 July, and those days will be full of life and different events for people of all ages. Every day, the ships will have
“The main area will be between the dock and the Hanseatic harbour, which is such an idyllic and historic location,” says Sebjørnsen. “When the ships come in on 21 July, there will be an opening ceremony on the main stage at the old wharf, ‘Bryggen’. This stage will be filled with live music and entertainment throughout the entire event. By the quayside, there will also be market stalls with close to 100 vendors.” The market and main area will be heavily influenced by tradition and the maritime history of Bergen. Different maritime organisations and companies, like