Tour of Gdansk, Poland

The Town Hall, situated in the centre of Gdansk, dominates the Long Market skyline. The spire, with a gilded statue of King Sigismund II Augustus of Poland on its pinnacle, was installed in 1561.

The City Hall houses the Gdansk City Historical Museum. Visits MON 10.00-15.00 TUE-SAT 10.00-18.00 SUN 11.00-18.00. Entrance about, 8 zl, reduced 6 zl.

There are many beautiful interiors in the City Hall but the best known is the Red Room (Great Council Chamber), the White Room for audiences and the Treasury Room.

You have the option of going up the 80 meters high and narrow tower which is topped by golden figure of Zygmunt August (1561). From the top there is a splendid view to the Basilica and a panorama of the city.

The City Hall is situated about 1 mile southeast of the main bus and train stations, as can be seen in the Google Map.

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Dluga and Dlugi Targ, the main streets and shopping areas with the most amazing architecture, run from the Green Gate east of the Town Hall, to the Golden' Gate west of the Town Hall, as seen left.

The Golden Gate was constructed between 1612-14 by Abraham van den Blocke with sculptures by Piotr Ringering (1648).

Behind the Golden Gate is the Executioner's House and the Prison Tower.

After the city fortifications were developed, the military importance of the gates declined so they were turned into a prison and a place for executions.

There is the Amber Museum inside the prison tower now. Visits WED-SAT 10.00-18.00(price about, Normal 10 zl, reduced 5 zl ) MON 11.00-15.00- free entrance.

Use the Google Map then change to walking for precise directions.

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The Renaissance Green Gate, at the east end of Dlugi Targ Street, was built between 1568-71 by Regnier and Hans Kramer as the house for noble guests visiting Gdansk.

The most notable guest was Ludvika Maria Gonzaga, who lived here in 1646.

Now the building is a division of the National Museum and presents temporary exhibits. Go inside to find out what is happening in the city. Maybe something that might interest you.

Go through the Green Gate to Dlugie Pobrzeze street and you will find a good promenade along the banks of the Motlawa river, full of restaurants, souvenir stands and important monuments.

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The Crane is situated a short walk north of the Green Gate, by the Motlawa River, a scenic area with many cafe's and shops.

This is a symbol of the city, the largest Medieval port crane in Europe. The present structure is from 1442. It was used to unload ships as well as a tower and city gate.

At first glance, this fragile looking wooden structure does not seem capable of lifting almost 5 tons of goods. It used an extraordinary man-powered mechanism which boosted the power generated by the human body.

Go inside and have look. The Crane's interior is quite a surprising piece of construction. Open 10.30-18.30 Adult ticket about 6 zl, reduced 4 zl.

You can walk between the Green Gate and the Crane although the Google Map directions tend to differ.

St. Mary's Basilica is situated about 0.2 miles north of the Town Hall.

This is the largest brick built church in Europe, and the largest church in Poland.

The present Gothic structure was constructed on top of the original XII c. wooden church and was built between 1343-1502.

The huge spacious interior is amazing. Your attention is drawn to the stone baptistery (mid XVI c.), Gothic high altar (1511-16), Baroque ambone (1617), the thirteen metre high astronomical clock and the chapels of St. Baltazar and St. George.

It is also worth considering climbing the 400 stairs to the top of the tower for the fantastic panorama of the city.
Visit to the Basilica MON-SAT 09.00-18.00, SUN 13.00-18.00. Adult about 2 zl, reduced 1 zl .

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The Late Renaissance Great Armoury, Wielka Zbrojownia, is situated about 0.4 miles west of the Town Hall, close to the Golden Gate.

This building was constructed between 1601-09 according to the plans of Antoni van Obbergen.

It was originally a place to store armour, and until the end of WW I, functioned as a military depot.

Nowadays, the Great Armoury houses a shopping precinct and the Fine Arts Academy.. Have a look at the facade of the Great Armoury, as it is an important example of Dutch Mannierism.

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Sopot is situated about 8 miles northwest of Gdansk.

Sopot is a large health-spa and tourist resort destination, well known for the longest wooden pier in Europe, the Molo (at 515.5 meters), from which one can see the Gulf of Gdansk.

The city is also famous for its Sopot International Song Festival, the largest such event in Europe after the Eurovision Song Contest. Also, its many bars and clubs that are reported to be some of the finest in Poland.

Regular inexpensive trains and buses run between the towns.

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Gdynia is an important seaport at Gdansk Bay, on the south coast of the Baltic Sea, about 14 miles northwest of Gdansk centre.

Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdansk and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the Tricity, with a population of over a million people.

Regular inexpensive trains and buses run between the towns.

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Malbork Castle is situated about 39 miles southest of Gdansk

From Gdansk's main rail station, Malbork is only 60 minutes, and 10 zloty away!

The Castle Museum at Malbork represents one of the greatest historical attractions in Poland itself. Once the nexus of one of the most powerful states on the Baltic, this gargantuan edifice was founded by Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, Siegfried von Feuchtwangen, in 1309.

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For more information on Gdansk, visit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gdansk.