St. Dominic’s Fair underway on Polish coast

The largest such event in Poland, the fair spans over an area of 41,000 square metres, with stands lining 21 streets in the city’s historic centre.

The three-week outdoor market features a wide variety of handcrafted goods, antiques, collectors' items and artworks, on display at some 1,000 stands.

Alongside Polish-made products, visitors also have the opportunity to buy wares offered by traders from countries such as Belarus, Britain, Spain and India.

The fair’s programme also includes a number of cultural events, among them concerts staged by artists such as Mesajah, Organek, Voo Voo and Zakopower.

Theater performances, art installations and urban games are also on the agenda of the city’s largest tourist magnet, which draws some six to seven million people each year.

A special smartphone app has been launched for this year’s fair, allowing visitors to find their way around the market, and keep track of the numerous accompanying events.

The tradition of St. Dominic’s Fair in Gdańsk dates back to 1260, when Pope Alexander IV allowed the local Dominicans to grant 100-day indulgences on their patron’s feast day.

Following a decades-long hiatus prompted by World War II, the event was back on the city’s cultural calendar by 1972.

This year's fair winds up on 21 August. (aba)

Source: PAP