The Baltic Coast and Pomerania
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1. Dwór Artusa
Stare MiastoBehind the Fontanna Neptuna on Długi Targ, one of the more significant of the grand houses was constructed over a period from the 15th through the 17th centuries and is now a museum. The mansion was named for mythical English King Arthur, who otherwise has no affiliation with the place. This and the other stately mansions on the Długi Targ are reminders of the traders and aristocrats who once resided in this posh district. The court's elegant interior houses a huge, 40-foot-high Renaissance tiled stove, possibly the world's largest, a mid-16th-century masterpiece by George Stelzener. The mansion's collection also includes Renaissance furnishings, paintings, and holy figures as well as hunting trophies and models of tall ships suspended from the ceiling. The building was the meeting place of the Gdańsk city nobles.
Długi Targ 43, Gdansk, Pomerania, Poland058-346–33–58Sight Details
Rate Includes: zł 10, Closed Mon. and Tues. afternoon, Tues.10–1, Wed.–Sat. 10–4 -
2. European Solidarity Centre
Opened in 2014, the center is much more than a museum. Yes, it does have a rather brilliantly done permanent exhibition telling the story of the Solidarity movement and the Polish roads to freedom—it is a great introduction to the country's contemporary history. But the center has another mission: to commemorate and keep the message of the Solidarity movement alive and current and to nurture its ideals of democracy, open society, and dialogue. The exhibition itself provokes the visitor to think and to participate. The center organizes conferences and educational programs, and has an impressive library. It also provides homes to several NGOs that are working toward the common good, freedom, and human rights. The building's interior is a beautiful space, an exciting piece of modern architecture that is strongly reminiscent of the industrial past. From spring through autumn, you can enjoy the panoramic views of the post-Shipyards area and Gdańsk Old Town from the observation deck on the roof. Sometimes, especially on important anniversaries, you may have a chance to meet the former Shipyard workers—participants in the democratic opposition movement—who will act as your guides through the exhibition and tell you their story (and Poland's recent history) in their own words.
View Tours and ActivitiesPlac Solidarności 1, Gdansk, Pomerania, 80-863, Poland58-772–40–00Sight Details
Rate Includes: zł 20, May–Sept., daily 10–7; Oct.–Apr., daily 10–5 -
3. Fontanna Neptuna
Stare MiastoOne of the city's most distinctive landmarks is the elaborately gilded, 17th-century fountain at the western end of Długi Targ. The fountain itself is perhaps the best-known symbol of Gdańsk, emphasizing its bond with the sea. It was sculpted by Peter Husen and Johann Rogge. The general conceptual design was developed by Abraham van den Blocke. The magnificent surrounding fencing was added in 1634. Between 1757 and 1761 Johann Karl Stender remade the fountain chalice and plinth in the rococo style and added a whole array of sea creatures.
Gdansk, Pomerania, Poland -
4. Gdański Teatr Szekspirowski
Stare MiastoWould you expect an authentic Elizabethan-style stage in Poland, at the Baltic coast, in Gdańsk? The story goes back as far as the year 1610, when a building known as the Fencing School appeared in the city. In addition to fencing classes, the School hosted regular theater performances, and even the first opera ever staged in Gdańsk. Similar in style to London's Fortune Theatre, it often hosted performances by visiting English theater troupes. More than 400 years later, the tradition has been revived in a beautiful building designed by Renato Rizzi of Venice. The architect says that there's no building like this one anywhere in the world. The architecture is very striking: on the outside, it matches the Gothic, darkened brick forms of its surroundings, so typical of Gdańsk. In contrast to the dark and serious exterior, the interior is bright and luminous, built in light-color stone and fragrant birch wood, and white walls are finished with meticulous attention to detail. In warmer months, the roof over the stage is open to the sky. The stage hosts performances of Shakespeare's plays, but not only that: it has a varied program of theater performances and concerts. You can also take a guided tour in English (tours are offered most days at 3 pm, but check the website for availability).
Bogusławskiego 1, Gdansk, Pomerania, 80-818, Poland58-351–01–22Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tours zł 18 -
5. Katedra w Oliwie
Oliwa | Religious Building/Site/ShrineThe district of Oliwa, northwest of the Old Town, is worth visiting if only for its magnificent cathedral complex. Originally part of a Cistercian monastery, the church was erected during the 13th century. Like most other structures in Poland, it has been rebuilt many times, resulting in a hodgepodge of styles from Gothic to Renaissance to rococo. The cathedral houses a museum as well as one of the most impressive rococo organs you're ever likely to hear—and see. It has more than 6,000 pipes, and when a special mechanism is activated, wooden angels ring bells and a wooden star climbs up a wooden sky. Demonstrations of the organ and a brief narrated church history are given almost hourly on weekdays in summer (May through September), less frequently on weekends and the rest of the year.
View Tours and Activitiesul. Cystersów 10, Gdansk, Pomerania, PolandSight Details
Rate Includes: Museum closed Sun. and mid-Sept.–June -
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6. Kościół Najświętszej Marii Panny
Stare MiastoThe largest brick church in the world—and the largest church of any kind in Poland—St. Mary's is on the north side of ulica Piwna. The sanctuary can accommodate 25,000 people. This enormous, breathtaking 14th-century church underwent major restoration after World War II. Although it originally held 22 altars, 15 of them have been relocated to museums in Gdańsk and Warsaw. The highlight of a visit is the climb up the hundreds of steps to the top of the church tower. The church also contains a 500-year-old, 25-foot-high astronomical clock that has only recently been restored to working order after years of neglect. It keeps track of solar and lunar progressions, and it displays the signs of the zodiac. One of the loveliest features inside is a group of baroque statues of angels playing musical instruments.
Podkramarska 5, Gdansk, Pomerania, PolandSight Details
Rate Includes: zł 4 (church); zł 10 (church and tower), Tower closed Nov.–Mar., Church Mon.–Sat. 9–5, Sun. 1–5; tower Apr.–Oct. only -
7. Stocznia Gdańska and Pomnik Poległych Stoczniowców
Stare MiastoThree huge and somber crosses perpetually draped with flowers stand outside the gates of the former Lenin Shipyards, which gave birth to the Solidarity movement. The crosses outside the entrance to the shipyards are the Pomnik Poległych Stoczniowców (Monument to Fallen Shipyard Workers), where striking workers were killed by the military police and soldiers in December 1970. On the monument, you will find fragments of Psalm 29 and a poem by Czesław Miłosz: "You who wronged a simple man." There are also plaques that commemorate the struggle, and a quotation by Pope John Paul II inspired by his visit to the monument in 1987: "The Grace of God could not have created anything better; in this place, silence is a scream." The monument stands close to the Shipyard's historic Gate No. 2 and the BPH room, where the Gdańsk Agreements were signed, starting the avalanche of political and economic transition in Poland. Somewhat ironically, it was the same transition—and a series of controversial decisions—that led to the shipyard's bankruptcy and downsizing. Now a private company, the shipyard is a fraction of what it used to be; however, there are some good ideas for revitalizing the land and the buildings. Part of the postshipyard area, referred to as "the Young City," is designated for housing, services, shopping, and entertainment functions. Already standing is the impressive European Solidarity Centre, telling the story of the Solidarity movement and Polish transformation.
Plac Solidarności 1, Gdansk, Pomerania, 80-863, Poland058-772–40–00Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
8. Brama Wyżynna
Stare MiastoThe historic entrance to the old town of Gdańsk is marked by this magnificent Renaissance gate, which marks the beginning of the so-called "Royal Route," along which the king passed through the city on his annual visit. The gate is adorned with the flags of Poland, Gdańsk, and the Prussian kingdom. Its builder, Hans Kramer of Dresden, erected it as a link in the chain of modern fortifications put up to frame the western city borders between 1574 and 1576. The brick gate was renovated and decorated in 1588 by Flemish sculptor Willem van den Blocke, whose decorations you can still see today.
Gdansk, Pomerania, Poland -
9. Brama Zielona
Stare MiastoThe eastern entrance to the medieval city of Gdańsk is at the water's edge. Construction, supervised by Regnier of Amsterdam and Hans Kramer of Dresden, lasted from 1568 to 1571. This 16th-century gate also doubled as a royal residence. Unfortunately, the name no longer fits: the gate is now painted brown.
Gdansk, Pomerania, Poland -
10. Brama Złota
Stare MiastoJust behind the Brama Wyżynna, the Golden Gate was the second through which the king passed on the Royal Route. This structure dates from 1614, and combines characteristics of both the Italian and Dutch Renaissance. It was built to the design of Abraham van den Blocke. The stone figures (by Pieter Ringering) along the parapet (on the Wały Jagiellońskie facade) represent allegories of the city's citizens' virtues: prudence, justice, piety, and concord. On the Długa street facade there are allegories of peace, freedom, fortune, and fame—the pursuits of Gdańsk city over the centuries. Next to the Golden Gate squats the house of the St George's Brotherhood, erected by Glotau between 1487 and 1494 in the late-Gothic style.
Gdansk, Pomerania, Poland -
11. Kościół świętej Brygidy
Stare MiastoThis church, a few blocks north of the shipyards, is a prime example of the fundamental link in the Polish consciousness between Catholicism and political dissent. After the Communist government declared martial law in 1981 in an attempt to force Solidarity to disband, the union's members began meeting here secretly during celebrations of mass. A statue of Pope John Paul II can be seen in front of the church.
ul. Profesorska 17, Gdansk, Pomerania, Poland -
12. Kościół świętej Katarzyny
Stare MiastoThe former parish church in Gdańsk's Old Town is supposedly the oldest church in the city: its construction was begun in the 1220s; the tower was constructed in the 1480s; the carillon of 37 bells was added in 1634. The 17th-century astronomer Jan Hevelius is buried in the presbytery of the church, below which lies what's left of the town's oldest Christian cemetery (which dates from the 10th century). One of the most fascinating objects in the interior is an octagonal baptistery of 1585, the work of Mateusz Gletger of Braniewo—a wooden structure with a rich wood mosaic and sculpted decoration. Since 2011, the church has also hosted the world's oldest pulsar clock, calculating the time from a signal source outside the Earth. Throughout history, the church survived many calamities, including a fire in 2006, after which the roof had to be replaced; luckily, the interior survived.
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13. Muzeum Archeologiczne Gdańska
Stare MiastoGdańsk's small archaeological museum displays Slavic tribal artifacts, including jewelry, pottery, boats, and bones.
Ul. Mariacka 25–26, Gdansk, Pomerania, Poland058-322–21–00Sight Details
Rate Includes: Zł 8, Closed Mon., Tues.–Sun. 10–4 -
14. Muzeum Etnograficzne
OliwaConnected to the Modern Art Museum, administratively and physically, is the Muzeum Etnograficzne, in the former Abbots' Granary. The museum display has fine examples of local crafts from the 19th century and also has an interesting display of amber folk jewelry. It has a separate entrance from the Modern Art Museum and a separate admission fee, but the hours and other contact information are the same for both museums, and they are both under the management of Gdańsk National Museum.
ul. Cystersów 19, Gdansk, Pomerania, 80-822, Poland058-301–68–04Sight Details
Rate Includes: zł 10, Tues.–Sun. 9–5 -
15. Muzeum Narodowe w Gdańsku
Stare MiastoThe former Franciscan monastery, just south of the old walls of the Main Town, exhibits 14th- to 20th-century art and ethnographic collections. Hans Memling's triptych Last Judgment is the jewel of the collection and is alone a good reason to visit.
ul. Toruńska 1, Gdansk, Pomerania, Poland058-301–70–61Sight Details
Rate Includes: zł 10 (free Sun.), Closed Mon. May–Sept., closed Mon.–Thurs., Oct.–April, Tues.–Fri. 9–4, Sat. and Sun. 10–5; May–Sept., Tues.–Sun. 10–5; June–Aug., Thurs. noon–7 -
16. Muzeum Sztuki Współczesnej
OliwaTwo museums can be found in a beautiful park surrounding the cathedral in Oliwa in the former Abbots' Palace. The Modern Art Museum has a large collection of works by Polish artists from the interwar period onward. The collection includes paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and textiles. The Ethnographic Museum next door has the same hours and contact information but a separate admission fee.
Cystersów 18, Gdansk, Pomerania, 80-330, Poland058-552–12–71Sight Details
Rate Includes: Zł 10, Closed Mon., Tues.–Sun. 9–5 -
17. Ratusz Główny
Stare MiastoAlthough Gdańsk's original town hall was completely destroyed during World War II, a careful reconstruction of the exterior and interior now re-creates the glory of Gdańsk's medieval past. During the summer season the tower is accessible to visitors and well worth climbing for the view. Inside, the Muzeum Historii Miasta Gdańska (Gdańsk Historical Museum) covers more than five centuries of Gdańsk's history in exhibits that include paintings, sculptures, and weapons.
Ul. Długa 47, Gdansk, Pomerania, Poland058-301–48–72Sight Details
Rate Includes: Museum zł 12 (free Tues.), Closed Mon., Tues. 10–3, Wed.–Sat. 10–4, Sun. 11–4 -
18. Westerplatte
Ten kilometers (6½ miles) north of the Old Town, the peninsula of Westerplatte is home to a branch of the National Museum. World War II broke out here, at the entrance to the northern port. On September 1, 1939, a German warship, the Schleswig Holstein, began a bombardment of the Polish army positions here. A monument to the men who attempted to defend the Westerplatte for seven days against impossible odds was erected in the 1960s. Westerplatte can be reached by Bus 106 or 158 from ulica Okopowa, just outside the Main Town wall, or by water bus.
View Tours and ActivitiesMajora Sucharskiego 1, Gdansk, Pomerania, Poland058-343–69–72Sight Details
Rate Includes: Museum zł 5, Closed Nov.–Apr., Museum May–Oct., daily 9–4 -
19. Wielka Zbrojownia
Stare MiastoTwo blocks west of St. Mary's Church, the armory is a good example of 17th-century Dutch Renaissance architecture. Today it is home to an art school (The Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk), periodically showing students' artworks.
Piwna, Gdansk, Pomerania, Poland -
20. Żuraw Gdański
Stare MiastoBuilt in 1444, Gdańsk's crane was medieval Europe's largest—and today it's also Europe's oldest. It used to play the double role of a port crane and city gate. The structure was given its present shape between 1442 and 1444. Today it houses the Muzeum Morskie (Maritime Museum), with a collection of models of the ships constructed in the Gdańsk Shipyards since 1945. At the museum ticket office, inquire about tickets for tours of the Sołdek, a World War II battleship moored nearby on the canal.
Szeroka 67, Gdansk, Pomerania, 80-835, Poland058-301–69–38Sight Details
Rate Includes: Zł 10, Closed Mon., Oct.–June, Tues.–Sun. 10–3; July–Sept., Tues.–Sun. 10–4
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