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10

Gdansk Travel & Sightseeing Guide

Filed Under Poland

A trip to Gdansk
Known as the most beautiful city on the Baltic Sea, Gdansk is a dazzling Polish holiday destination with stunning buildings, wonderful sceneries and a bustling waterfront area. Usually referred as Tri-city, together with its neighbours Sopot and Gdynia, this exotic town has become an uber-hip hotspot where celebrities retreat on holiday. Nightlight is electrifying, with a dizzying array of clubs and pubs dotting the main square. Just close your eyes and point at any space on the city map and you will be rubbing shoulders with the young and beautiful amid the summer heat.

Flights to Gdansk
There’s an airport located about eight miles west of the city, receiving a number of low-cost flights from European destinations. Domestic flights arrive from Kraków, Warsaw and Wrocław. If you are looking for a cheap flight to Gdansk try Thomas Cook. The airport is well equipped, but changing money here isn’t recommended as the rates can be very low.

From the airport, there are buses that leave for the central station regularly. The journey to town takes about 30 minutes, depending on traffic. It is also possible to ask for a courtesy pick-up from your hotel. Optionally, tourists can take a train from Gdansk Glowny Station to their destination, but they should bear in mind that all train information is in Polish. Using trams and buses is the best way to get around; services are frequent and cheap.

Gdansk

Sightseeing in Gdansk
The historic quarter of the Main Town is ideal for sightseeing. The main street, the Royal way, is lined with striking buildings with painted façades, with the most breathtaking one belonging to the Golden House. The Town Hall and Artus Court are also not to be missed. In front of the court is the lovely Renaissance-style Neptune’s Fountain, a popular spot for photo opportunities.

Opposite the Royal way is another remarkable street, Mariacka lane. Here you can see the beautiful St Mary’s Church dominating the skyline. Walking up the tower is recommended. You might sweat a bucket, but the views are jaw-dropping. If time permits, walk along the waterfront to check out the quaint shops and cafés. Chances are you might even spot a celebrity in hiding or sipping at a coffee under a big, stripy umbrella.

Fun by night – eating drinking and partying
If you plan to go on a diet during your holiday in Gdansk, think again. Polish food is heavenly and healthy. Take your pick between kielbasa, a type of sausage; cabbage rolls; stuffed eggs or hunter’s stew, while seafood is also aplenty. The Poles don’t regularly say ‘eat, drink and loosen your belt’ for nothing.

After a sumptuous meal, it’s time hit the Polish nightlife scene. If you are here during the summer, make sure you have your shades in hand even at night. The sun doesn’t set until 22:00, but it doesn’t make nightlife in Gdansk less thriving. Clubs, pubs and bars dot the city, so expect to mingle with party-goers from all around the world. If you are into relaxing venues, head to the historic part of town where you can cock your ears to classical music at the opera or in an old church.

Fun by day - shopping and activities
Digging for local treasure is a fun pastime in Gdansk. There are many little shops to explore if you have the time. Whether you want to find yourself a unique piece of Polish jewellery or buy an elaborate chess set to put on display at home, Gdansk has everything imaginable. Sopot is also bustling with souvenir shops boasting hard-to-find keepsakes.

If you can’t be bothered to hog for local goodies, head to the waterfront where a number of cafés are located. Relaxing here is a good way to while away the hours and soak in the vibrant atmosphere of this upcoming city.

Daytrips
There are some real gems just a few kilometres from Gdansk. The Medieval Malbork Castle is one of the most popular. It’s Europe’s largest brick castle, containing courtyards, an armoury, Knight’s Hall, treasury and chapels. The interior houses some impressive collections of relics from this medieval era that could rival any museum in Poland.

Some of Poland’s best beaches are also near Gdansk. Leba is one of the most popular for its soft sand and clean warm water. Just outside this pleasantly mellow resort town are the Polish Dunes at Slowinski National Park, a natural wonder well worth seeing. Another great seaside destination is Hel, a town lying on a thin peninsula just 22kms from Gdansk. Lots of locals come out here to play during the summer. There are great restaurants, bars, and a handful of interesting historic sites.

Must-see attractions
Even though it was bombed to the ground during WWII, Gdansk’s medieval city centre has been painstakingly restored and looks just as authentic as it did before the war. This is where most visitors hang out because the attractions are non-stop. Just ogling the stunning Hanseatic architecture is enough to inspire your imagination. Oliwa Cathedral, built in 1178, is one of its most marvellous pieces of architecture. Its highlight is an organ with 7,896 pipes, 100 registers and angels playing trumpets. You just have to see it to believe it.

Westerplatte is a popular destination for history buffs as this is where WWII broke out on 1 September 1939. Located at the harbour’s entrance, the site now houses a small museum, memorial, and the ruins left over from the intense shelling. Another historic site that played a vital role in Polish history is the Gdansk shipyards, a monument to the Soviet era which was the site of the Solidarity protests in the early 1980s.

The Baltic Sea Culture Centre is a new, but welcome, addition to Gdansk’s scene. Located inside the old Renaissance Town Hall, you’ll find an engaging collection of photographs featuring famous photographers. The centre also frequently stages special cultural events. Along the way, wander along Mariacka Street, the city’s premier strip for window-shopping, antique hunting and lingering in sidewalk cafés.

Best time to go
The weather in Gdansk is similar to the rest of continental Europe. Summers are warm but not oppressively hot, and the winters are brutally cold, dark and damp. Rain falls throughout the year but turns to snow during the winter, creating icy conditions that linger until March, when spring begins to thaw out the city. Summer is the ideal time for a visit as temperatures average 20C to 30C, but evenings are pleasantly cool enough to don a sweater.

Rainy day suggestions
The National Museum in the old suburb is the city’s best museum if you want to learn more about the unique history of this Polish port town. There are also a number of amazing medieval buildings open to tour such as Artus Court, the centre of Gdansk’s mercantile empire during its heyday. The Town Hall is another evocative structure and home to the city’s Historical Museum. Its Red Room is particularly impressive, providing a real sense of the importance of Gdansk during its golden years.

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