Poland and Ukraine mark one year to go

Celebrations throughout Poland and Ukraine today mark a year to go until UEFA EURO 2012 kicks off. The tournament logo will be proudly displayed on lampposts, buses and trams across the two countries, with airports in the neighbouring territories also receiving a special makeover as a significant milestone is reached on the road to the biggest sporting event in Poland and Ukraine's histories.

The one year to go festivities coincide with a media tour of the two host nations, as 50 media representatives from all over Europe are given the opportunity to see at first hand how preparations for the finals are progressing.

Kicking off with a visit to Lviv and its historical town centre – a UNESCO world heritage site – the tour also took in a trip to FC Shakhtar Donetsk's Kirsha training complex and the Donbass Arena. Kharkiv's new stadium, training complex and airport were the next ports of call before the focus shifted to Kyiv's new National Stadium. The tour will also cover the four Polish host cities.

UEFA.com runs through the activities and ceremonies planned in the eight host cities.

Poland
Gdansk
Residents will get a first glimpse of Gdansk's official UEFA EURO 2012 flowerbed as part of the one-year-to-go celebrations, which also feature a Coca-Cola-sponsored children's football tournament and other sporting activities.

Poznan
One Year To Go scarves have been placed on a host of the city's main monuments, but the big party is scheduled for Saturday, at Malta Lake, with an array of sporting activities and a visit from the UEFA EURO 2012 mascots Slavek and Slavko.

Warsaw
Four UEFA EURO 2012 flowerbeds will be presented in the Polish capital, yet the main focus of the festivities will be an event on Saturday in which one of the bridges over the river Vistula will be coloured as part of a day of food and fun.

Wroclaw
The city's dramatic pergola and fountain will stage a One Year To Go event from 21.30 local time, with up to 20,000 spectators set to attend an all-action show featuring music, dance and lots of surprises, as well as a film of Slavek and Slavko.

Ukraine
Donetsk
The day will be marked by a celebration of sport, with street football, mountain biking and table tennis among the activities on offer at the city's central AS Scherbakov Park, which is near the location for the UEFA EURO 2012 fan zone.

Kharkiv
The celebrations began early in Kharkiv, with Saturday seeing children take to the streets for a variety of events heralding the coming of the finals in the city's Svobody Square. Today the city's EURO flowerbed will be opened at Kharkiv station.

Kyiv
A ceremony will signal the unveiling of the Ukrainian capital's countdown clock, which is situated near the city hall, with representatives from the EURO and national sponsors on hand for the event, scheduled for between 18.45 and 19.15 local time.

Lviv
From midday, the city's Svobody Avenue – venue for the EURO fan zone – will hold a variety of events, with Coca-Cola and adidas providing prizes for a series of competitions. The city will then present its official countdown clocks at 19.00 local time.