34 Best Sights in The Baltic Coast and Pomerania, Poland

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.

Two 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.

Szczecin still carries many reminders of its medieval heritage, including the grandiose castle, built on the left bank of Odra, which, due to its favorable defensive position, was inhabited as early as the 8th or 9th century. The oldest surviving parts date back to the 14th century and the reign of prince Barnim III. The clock tower dates from the beginning of the 16th century; later in that century, it was expanded by by prince Barnim X and again by Jan Fryderyk. Eventually, the castle grew to have four wings and a courtyard decorated with picturesque loggias, reminiscent of Wawel in Kraków. In the 17th century a fifth wing was added, creating a second narrow courtyard and a second tower (the bell tower, which, incidentally, offers the best panoramic view of the city). Today the reconstructed castle is a cultural center.

Built 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.