Wreaths on the Vistula – Warsaw midsummer celebration

The Wreaths on the Vistula in Warsaw is the Midsummer Celebration on the last Saturday before St. John’s Night. It is a Warsaw tradition documented since the 19th century. It concludes with a live music concert.

W ith the Wianki summer festival, Warsaw celebrates the beginning of summer.

“Wianki” are wreaths made of flowers and herbs that young women used to wear to show they were still “available.” During the summer festival in Warsaw, an oversized flower-wreath structure is cast into the Vistula River, symbolically announcing the joyful news that summer has begun. The women then throw their smaller, hand-braided head wreaths in after it.

Since 1996, the festival in Warsaw has been celebrated at the foot of the historic New Town, by the Multimedia Fountain Park, located right on the Vistula. The tradition goes back to the pagan era of the Slavic tribes. That is why a “Slavic village” is set up, where from 1 pm onward you can take part in crafts and also learn how to make your own flower wreath. This is also where the large wreath is braided together as a community project.

As the Slavic village slowly starts to pack up its stalls, the music concert usually begins around 8 pm on a large stage.

Access to the Wianki summer festival is free of charge.

www.estrada.com.pl/wianki_nad_wisla

The organizer states that during the festival on the Vistula a dedicated, clearly marked area for people with disabilities will be provided—equipped with a wheelchair platform and an induction loop for people with hearing impairments.