Top Historical Sporting Events in Europe You Should Experience
2026 is a year rich in sporting events: the Winter Olympics and the World Cup have taken place.
Even those who usually aren't interested in sports are getting into sports tourism: people are traveling to feel the atmosphere at baseball games in Japan, hockey matches in Canada, and Muay Thai bouts in Thailand.
If you're planning a trip and want to try your hand as a fan, why not combine it with a love for history and culture?
These historical competitions span several centuries and allow you to delve into the traditions of the countries where they take place.
Palio di Siena, Italy
Since the 17th century, the Palio di Siena horse races have transformed the main square of Siena into a racetrack twice a year, on July 2 and August 16.
The historic city is divided into 17 contrade, and only jockeys from 10 of them participate: seven that did not race last time and three chosen at random. Horses circle the square three times.
If you're not a fan of horse racing, visit Siena the next day when the residents of the winning contrada parade through the streets of the losing neighborhoods in their colors, carrying effigies symbolizing rebirth.
Calcio Storico Fiorentino, Italy
In Florence, the Calcio Storico Fiorentino competition divides the city into four historical districts.
This sport, which originated in the 16th century, combines elements of football, rugby, and wrestling. Matches last 50 minutes and take place on a sand-covered square, with teams aiming to score a ball into the opponent's goal.
Unlike football, there are no substitutions for injuries, and injuries are quite common.
Two semifinals take place from early to mid-June, with the final on June 24, the feast day of St. John the Baptist.
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Velká Pardubická Steeplechase, Czech Republic
The oldest steeplechase in Europe has been held in Pardubice since 1874.
On the second Sunday of October, 15 to 20 horses with jockeys are allowed to race over a distance of 6,900 meters with 31 obstacles, including the notorious Taxis ditch.
The Velká Pardubická steeplechase lasts between nine and ten minutes, and there have been years when no horse finished the race.
Concurs de Castells, Tarragona, Spain
The Catalan tradition of building human towers, or castells, is listed as a UNESCO masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity.
Although performances of human towers take place throughout the summer on various festive days, the most famous competition is the Concurs de Castells in Tarragona, held every two years.
Teams earn points based on the number of levels in each tower and the number of people at each level. The next event will take place in September, but tickets are already sold out.
Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Festival, Edirne, Turkey
The Kırkpınar oil wrestling tournament is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the oldest official sporting event in the world, first held near Edirne in 1350.
The festival lasts three days at the end of June. Victory is awarded when a wrestler successfully grasps the kösbet, or leather pants of the opponent, demonstrating this by lifting the opponent and walking three steps or spinning them around.
Matches last 40 minutes; if there is no clear winner, an additional 15 minutes is added.
Swiss Wrestling and Alpine Games Festival, Switzerland
The ESAF, or Swiss Wrestling and Alpine Games Festival, has been held every three years since 1895.
The program includes the national sport of schwingen, the game of hornussen, where teams try to hit a disk as far as possible, and the Swiss stone throwing sport — steinstossen.
At the last tournament in 2025, over 50,000 spectators watched, and the festival prides itself on being the only major event where knives and glass bottles are allowed in the arena, as raising toasts and sharing cheese and bread is an important part of the fan experience. In 2028, the host of ESAF will be Thun.
Sinjska Alka, Croatia
Would you like to travel back in time? At the Sinjska Alka tournament, knightly competitions take place every first weekend of August since the 18th century.
Listed as an intangible cultural heritage masterpiece by UNESCO, the tournament features races where knights gallop down the main street and try to hit an iron ring suspended on a rope with their lance.
The iron ring is divided into three parts, with hitting the smallest part earning the most points. Three races are held, and throughout the tournament's history, only a dozen knights have managed to hit the middle section each time.
Highland Games, Scotland, United Kingdom
The Highland Games, where participants compete in strength disciplines like caber tossing, stone putting, and hammer throwing, have been held since the 19th century across Scotland and in countries with a large Scottish diaspora.
Competitions take place in spring and summer. The largest festival is the Cowal Highland Gathering in Dunoon, held on the last weekend of August, while the gathering in Braemar, taking place on the first Saturday of September, is traditionally attended by the British royal family. A full list of events can be found on the Visit Scotland website.
