Gdańsk, located on the Motlawa River and near the Vistula River, was one of the influential port cities in the Middle Ages of Europe. Its prominent location made it a bustling and wealthy city used to transport incredible goods throughout all of Europe. Like most cities, this 1,000 year old one took heavy damages during WWII but some of the ancient city still remains for us to see and much has been rebuilt to its former glory, thank goodness!
I will go into a few of the items in more detail in later posts but here’s my top 10 list of things to see and do, just to get you started in this wonderful city!
1. Ulica Dluga (Long Market) and Dlugi Targ
These two streets were also known as the Royal Way because they formed an avenue where Polish kings used to parade along its length when visiting the city. It used to be the street where the main city market was held during the Middle Ages, and although it is not anymore, it is still a major tourist attraction and heart of the city. These streets also allow you a good chance to admire the beautifully reconstructed buildings, some dating back to the 14th century. There are wonderful cafes, bars, and restaurants all along these wide streets, if you want a place to stop and grab a bite to eat throughout the day.
2. Neptune’s Fountain and the Fahrenheit Thermometer Among other objects of interest, one of the streets in this interesting city features Neptune’s Fountain (Fontanna Neptuna), which, according to legend, once started spouting Goldwasser, the trademark Gdansk liqueur which contains flakes of 23 k. gold (you can buy this as a great gift and souvenir in shops around the city). The bronze statue of Neptune was made in the beginning of the 17th century and is the oldest secular monument in the country. The original Fahrenheit Thermometer sits almost directly opposite Neptune’s Fountain, so make sure to take a look at that too. If you’re wondering why it’s residing in Gdańsk, the man who invented it, Daniel Fahrenheit, grew up here.
3. The Uphagen House
This beautiful building, found on Long Street, is one of interest as it combines the Baroque, Rocco and Neo-classical architectural styles, which surprisingly blend very well together. The house was purchased in 1775 by the merchant Johann Uphagen. He remodeled it to suit the needs of a wealthy 18th century merchant. After Uphagen's death in 1802, the house was passed down through several generations of the Uphagen family. In 1911 the Uphagen house was converted into a museum.
4. The European Solidarity Center
This museum is a new one situated in the Gdansk shipyard. It is great for those who love architecture because it was built to resemble a steel ship. It was created with the ambition of becoming a world center for the ideas of freedom, democracy and solidarity. In this area you will also see the Monument to the Shipyard Workers who were killed during strikes and demonstrations. There is another small building located close by where Lech Wałęsa famously signed the agreement in August 1980 permitting the Solidarnośc Trade Union movement, which helped influence the fall of Communism.
5. St. Mary’s Church
This 14th and 15th century Roman Catholic Chuch took a whole 159 years to build and is the largest brick church in the world. This is a massive Gothic building, but the inside also has elements of Mannerist and Baroque styles. One of the interior highlights is a huge wooden 15th-century astrological clock. The main alter piece was under construction while we were there but it was still absolutely stunning to see.
6. Town Hall
Work on the current building itself began in 1327 with the elegant clock tower starting construction in 1486. The clock tower is complete with 37 bells and every full hour plays different melodies. Today it is a history museum. Walk through the Golden Gate to the city and it will be in perfect view at the end of Long Street.
7. Amber museum
This museum was once a prison and execution house, which is of interest in and of itself, but now is a museum to highlight Poland’s precious resource. Amber is a resin that takes 40 million years to produce and is beautifully made into jewelry and other precious goods. Just off Long street is St. Mary’s Street, a street famous for amber shops so you many also buy amber here to take back home as a souvenir if you want.
8. The Harbor Crane (Żuraw Oddział Narodowego Muzeum Morskiego)
You will see this distinctive medieval structure along the river front. This icon of the city was originally built in the 14th century and was not only used to load and unload goods onto ships but it also helped fit masts to ships back in the old day. It was capable of lifting up to two tons at a height of 90 ft! It is no longer functioning but is an interesting sight when you consider this had to have been considered cutting-edge technology of the time. It is now part of the National Maritime Museum.
9. The Sky Wheel
This, like the Crane, is another landmark of the city. This Ferris wheel, which has become one of the city's major attractions since 2014, operates under the name Amber Sky (I told you that amber is important to this city) and offers to its rider wonderful views of the Old Town. Even if you don’t choose to ride, it is particularly beautiful at night in front of the illuminated Gdansk sign.
10. Westerplatte A trip out to the Westerplatte section of the city is a must see for history buffs. It was here that the Germans launched their attacks on September 1, 1939 and so the first shots of WWII were fired here. The Germans fired upon the city of Gdansk expecting the fight would take hours, but the Polish resistance lasted seven full days. Their heroic efforts became a symbol of Polish resistance against the Nazis. These days, the area is a huge outdoor museum and memorial to the events that occurred during World War II. Small storyboards are found around in various languages with explanations of the events.
We enjoyed our days exploring Gdansk and it was hard narrowing the list to ten. I was surprised at the incredible history we found here. The town was charming and quaint – the buildings were beautiful. Stay tuned for some places we visited just outside of this wonderful city!
Thanks Elizabeth! We were so pleasantly surprised by this great little city and enjoyed exploring it so much. The history alone was incredible and the architecture was an added bonus. Thanks for your comments.
An informative read with some surprising facts and photos. It is always good to get this type of information from someone who has experienced this first hand to show that it’s not what I would have expected.