TALLINN - The capital of Estonia welcomes its citizens and guests to take part in this year's Tallinn Maritime Days festival, which takes place from July 17-19.
The festival is a joint project of the City of Tallinn, Port of Tallinn, Estonian Maritime Museum, Estonian Union of Historical Ships and the Tallinn 2011 Foundation.
Tallinn Maritime Days will take place in the Admiralty Basin and Seaplane Harbor, which are connected by the future sea promenade 's the so-called "Culture Kilometer."
The festival will provide a grand setting for several maritime-themed events, ranging from song and dance performances, late-night film screenings, food markets, an exhibition at the Estonian Maritime Museum, children's entertainment, as well as boat trips, and other water attractions.
The Tallinn Cycle Race will also be held in conjunction with the event. Participants are required to register beforehand.
This spectacular event, which is being held for the second consecutive year, is a unique opportunity for visitors to greet the dozens of sailing ships visiting Tallinn as part of this year's Tall Ships' Races.
The sailing competition is an annual event held in European waters with the Tall Ships visiting the Baltic Sea region only every fourth year.
The vessels will race from Gdynia in Poland to St. Petersburg before continuing to Klaipeda in Lithuania.
Tallinn Maritime Days, which is being held for the second consecutive year, is one of the most significant events to take place in Tallinn in the lead up to the city becoming the European Capital of Culture in 2011.
The opening night jazz concert, to be held in Terminal C of the Passenger Port, is expected to be among the festival's highlight.
According to the project manager of the Foundation Tallinn 2011, Eva Saar, the aim of the project is to make Tallinn open to the sea.
"It is quite a new project and we hope that it will last for many years and we really set hopes that we will be able to have this festival until 2011 and even beyond. We have had some small [events] before but this is the second big one we have had so far. One of the aims is also to prepare for 2011 when Tallinn will become the European Capital of Culture," she said.
Saar said this year's event would feature the most comprehensive program to date, enhanced by the visiting fleet of tall ships.
"Actually we are organizing this festival every summer but this summer it is going to be the greatest one…I think it would be a great show to watch," she said.
