Top May 2016 Events


The 5th month of the year on the continent is full of nature, music and artistic fun and lots more. So we have decided to give you the best of it all and summarised our favourites for you right here. Read on now and find out what they are.


 

 Italy: Race Of The Candles

Location: Gubbio, Italy
Date: 15 May 2016

Enjoy a race like no other!

If you are a lover of all things fun and a little out of the ordinary, then a trip to Gubbio in the province of Perugia is a must.

Every year on the 15th May the town comes together to celebrate a victory from hundreds of years ago. 

Several teams prepare themselves for this well in advance and on the actual day, all of the teams race each other through the town with a strong grip on a 3ft tall torch with just one thing on their mind - winning!

Sounds simple, but we assure you it is not. Gubbio, is set on one of the lowest slopes of a local mountain. This means lots of uphill climbs and down hill balancing acts and with a 3ft tall torch sat on your shoulders, we are sure you can appreciate how adventures and difficult this race actually is.

Why you ask? Well the aim of this unique race is to provide a great display of fun, excitement and strength.  Bur above all else one thing that all participants want the most is to win!

Key Events:

The race is split into 3 main sections and the fun start at 6pm sharp!

Section 1: the crowds gather at Via Dante and get ready for the hardest part of the race. A mainly downhill speedy journey to their 15 minute pitstop for participants to catch their breath. 

This is arguably the best part of the race so be sure to be there at 6pm sharp to make the most of it. 

Section 2: After a tough downhill descend the danger levels reduce a little with the crowds and participants making their way through the "flat " portion of the race as they make their way to Piazza 40  Martiri. But the easy pace does not last all to long and before you know it the race embarks on a uphill challenge as the teams make their along Via dei Consoli  before they get to the entrance of Piazza Grande. 

Section 3: After lots of excitement and another well deserved 15 minute break,  the final stage of the race comes around. The mayor, standing at the window of the Council Hall, waves a white handkerchief which gives the order to the bell-ringers to start ringing, and the Second Captain to start up the race again. The teams give themselves one last push to make it it around the main flagpole in the Piazza Grande 3 times. And with that the race comes to an end and another candle race in the town of Gubbio comes to a close.

So if you are looking to experience something fun and challenging in Europe this May, then be sure to make plenty of space for Italy on your travel list. 

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