Gdansk on the shores of the Baltic Sea and the mouth of the Motlawa River is a beautiful city and a famous tourist destination in Poland. As a member of the Hanseatic League, a trade and defense confederation of trade guilds and trade centers of northwestern and central Europe that developed between the 12th and 19th centuries, it was a commercial crossroads and a meeting point for many cultures, nationalities and religions. The above and the fact that the city was sometimes under German and sometimes under Polish rule have given it a special culture.
It is Poland’s main port and one of the largest in the Baltic Sea, and has a 1,000-year history of commercial success, battles and wars. The most distinctive part of Gdansk’s history, however, is relatively recent, as it was here that Germany’s first offensive in World War II took place. The modern city was formed after 1945, as much of it had been destroyed by bombing.
The citizens rebuilding the city at the end of the war wanting to distance themselves from the German element, which existed strongly before the war, borrowed the architecture of other countries and now the city is a very interesting mixture of German, Dutch and French aesthetics. Another important event in its history is the Solidarity movement in the 1980s, an organization that played an important role in the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact.
A stroll through the old town of Gdansk is enough to see history unfold before you. You will find most attractions along but also in the wider area of Ulica Długa or Long Street and Długi Targ or Long Market, which are actually a continuation of the other and are located between the Golden and Green Gate. This route was also called “Royal” as it was the old road where the kings of Poland paraded during their visits to the city. Here, you will see some of Gdansk’s most beautiful old buildings, several of which are from the 17th century, it is probably the most colorful and lively part of the city.
The Golden House of 1618 stands out, with its elaborately carved busts of famous historical figures, including two Polish kings, and statues of Cleopatra, Oedipus, Achilles and Antigone. Here is also the Central Town Hall, which is now a museum, the impressive Poseidon Fountain and the Uphagen House, which is a reconstructed 18th century merchant house where you can get a very good idea of what a typical house was like of the middle class in Gdansk at this time.
At the western end of the Royal Road is the Upland Gate, where kings traditionally entered. It was built in 1574 as part of the new fortifications, however the initial result was not satisfactory, so the authorities commissioned in 1586 the Flemish artist Willem van den Block to change its appearance. Block achieved this by covering the facade with sandstone and adding three coats of arms, the Unicorns, Angels and Lions representing Prussia, Poland and Gdańsk respectively.
Exit the Green Gate and walk down Dlugie Pobrzeze by the river, where old brick houses on one side contrast with modern ones on the opposite bank, and you see the city’s past and future at a glance. On your left coming out of the Gate is the famous medieval crane, in fact the largest harbor crane in the whole of Europe during the Middle Ages. Two blocks down the Royal Route is the wonderfully atmospheric Mariacka Street, with its terraced houses and small shops selling amber jewelry and artefacts. It largely preserves the old architecture with small modern touches. The gargoyle heads at the edges of the gutters are extremely impressive.
Don’t Miss:
The Golden Gate
Built in 1612, it was designed by Abraham van den Block and is the most beautiful of Gdansk’s gates. It is a kind of triumphal arch decorated with a two-story colonnade topped by eight statues representing Peace, Liberty, Wealth, Fame, Wisdom, Piety, Justice and Harmony. Today’s elements are post-war copies of the 1648 originals.
Fort No. 1
Don’t expect to see anything casual and impressive here. The Westerplatte area is where at 4.45 am. on September 1, 1939, the first shots of World War II were heard during the German invasion of Poland. The German battleship Schleswig-Holstein began bombarding the Polish garrison of just 182 men, which held out for seven days before surrendering. The area is now a memorial with some of the ruins remaining as they were after the bombing as “exhibits” of war. A memorial has also been erected to the soldiers who lost their lives.
The European Solidarity Center
Opened in 2014, it describes in seven rooms Poland’s post-war struggle for freedom, the strikes of workers in the Gdańsk shipyards in the 1970s, the negotiations between the dock workers and the communist regime and the signing of the 1980 agreements, the events that led to the Solidarity movement and how this peaceful process helped transform Poland from a communist state to a democratic one. The movement helped bring down communism, not only in Poland, but also in other Central and Eastern European countries.
The World War II Museum
This impressive modern building on Gdańsk’s waterfront houses the World War II Museum which opened in 2016. It describes the fate of Poland during the war and the pain it caused. It extends over 5,000 sq.m. and you will need about 3 hours to cover it all. It is divided into 18 chronological sections covering specific aspects of the war. Your tour begins with the grounds, with Nazi propaganda posters and ends with Cold War communist propaganda posters. Among the exhibits you will see a huge model of a street in interwar Warsaw, the Holocaust section with hundreds of Jewish faces rising 7 meters to the ceiling, a huge bombed-out Warsaw courtyard, uniforms, weapons, maps, documents and even radios which were sold in Czechoslovakia with stickers promising the death penalty for listening to the BBC.
St Mary’s Church
It is considered the largest brick church in the world. It began to be built in 1343 but reached its current form in 1502. The Gothic altar in its interior from 1510 is impressive, as well as the astronomical clock of the 15th century in the northern part. It has a tower 78 meters high, which gives an excellent view of the city to anyone who manages to climb its 405 steps. The interior was formerly decorated with frescoes, but it was whitewashed during World War II and only a few have survived. Very close is the Royal Chapel, the only baroque church in the old town. It was built between 1678 and 1681 by the famous royal architect Tylman van Gameren for the Polish King, John III Sobiesk.
The Maritime Museum
As one of the most important ports of the Baltic throughout the centuries the city could not do without its own Maritime Museum. It features a permanent interactive People-Ships-Ports exhibition which is flanked by other ticketed exhibits such as the SS Sołdek, the first ship built at the Gdańsk shipyard in the post-war years, and the Żuraw, the 15th-century medieval crane that it was used to load and unload heavy cargo from ships that docked at the wharf. It could lift loads of up to 2000 kg, making it the largest crane in medieval Europe. An annex of the museum are also the granaries on the island of Otowianka which illustrate the history of Polish shipping from the first years to the present day. It includes models of old sailing warships, a dugout from the 9th century, navigation instruments, etc.
The Artus Court Museum
You will find it behind the Fountain of Poseidon in the Long Agora and it is probably the most famous house in the city, which was once a meeting place for merchants and officials. In the war it was completely destroyed, however they restored it based on old photos and historical records. It was originally built in the 14th century and owes its impressive facade to the architect Abraham van den Block. Inside it are housed impressive paintings with carved frames, clocks, statues, armor, objects of daily use, etc. Among the most distinctive exhibits is the huge Renaissance tiled stove, said to be the tallest of its kind in Europe and containing 520 tiles, 437 of which are original.
The Historical Museum
It is housed in the imposing brick building of the Central Town Hall right next to Artus Court and includes exhibitions that tell the history of the city. The Red Room is the most special part of the museum, echoing the Dutch Mannerism of the 16th century. Impressive is the decorated ceiling with 25 paintings dominated by an oval central piece entitled “The glorious moment of the union of Gdańsk with Poland”. In 1942, the entire room was stripped and kept outside the city until the end of the bombing. Other impressive exhibits include the Winter Hall with portraits of Gdańsk mayors up to the 17th century and the Great Council Hall with huge oil paintings of Polish kings. It also has an 82 meter tower where if you climb it you will have the best view of the city.
The Berlin Wall
Near the headquarters of the Solidarity movement in Wały Piastowskie is a small piece of the Berlin Wall and right next to it is part of the wall that Lech Wałȩsa climbed in 1980 when another rise in food prices led to a strike at the Lenin shipyard in Gdansk. Wałęsa was one of the instigators, who climbed over the shipyard wall and quickly became one of the leaders of the strike and then the leader of the Solidarity movement and the first democratically elected President of Poland. Although the two pieces are small, they are worth a visit just for the history they carry.
St Bridget’s Church
It was founded about 700 years ago, but has largely been restored to the original plans dating from 1394-1420, as by 1970 only the outer walls remained. It is worth going to see the interior of the church which is decorated with a metal work of art depicting the history of the Polish people’s struggle for freedom and the amazing amber altar which is 11 meters high and 6 meters wide in its central part which dominates the image of the Virgin clothed in amber.
Oliwa Cathedral
It is located outside the city center and has an impressive facade consisting of two tall narrow octagonal Gothic brick towers between which a baroque section dominates. What makes the temple famous is the sensational musical instrument above the main entrance. It was built between 1755 and 1780 and at the time was the largest organ of its kind in Europe. It features animated cherubs and angels as well as 7,896 flutes that allow it an incredible range of musical tones.
Amber Museum
Gdansk is considered the amber capital of the world and as such has its own museum dedicated to amber. Among the exhibits you will see everything from lumps of resin to jewelry, cutlery and chests. You will learn how amber is formed, how it is mined, what its properties are and how it has been worked over the centuries. Also of interest is the building in which it is housed, the historic Fore Gate complex on Dluga Street consisting of the Torture Chamber and the Prison Tower.
