The last piece of the puzzle in this year’s quest to travel all the Baltic coast, from Tallin to Poland passing by Kaliningrad. And what a way to finish this trip in Gdansk, one of the Jewel of Poland and the Baltic Coast. I’ve been waiting to come to Gdansk for years but wanted to do so on the perfect time during summer months as the weather is critical for me to enjoy in this part of Europe.
In This Article...
Poland’s Most Beautiful Old Town
Gdansk is beautiful! I can’t believe it took me so long to come here, even after visiting in Poland many times over the last 10 years and even living just nearby for a month in Poznan in 2015. Now that I’ve been in most big cities in Poland, I believe the old town of Gdansk is the most impressive. They have especially done a great job in rebuilding it the exact way it was prior to World war 2 after a massive part of it was destroyed. Like many cities of Poland, it is still in rebuilding process even more than 75 years after the war, as the task is massive. But in my opinion, they have done the best choice, to rebuild in the traditional way, step by step, instead of just rebuilding in a more practical industrial way as it was done in other eastern bloc countries like in Kaliningrad for example, where they just ignored the prussian style it once had to build cement blocks instead, or simply convert large areas in parks instead… The results of nowadays Gdansk are mindblowing and proves to be an incredibly enriching experience to spend a weekend walking around the old town.
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Outside the Old Town of Gdansk
Would I live in Gdansk? Probably not. The reason is that it is, in my opinion, a very unpractical city for its size. Gdansk is part of a Tri-City formation with Sopot and Gdynia which overall spreads over 30 km. This means that all the cities infrastructure like universities and residential areas are spread all over the place and requires extensive use of intercity transport to get from one end to the other. You basically need to take the Train to get to Sopot and Gdynia, not even the subway or tramway. The center of Gdansk in truly beautiful, but as a resident of the Tri-City, I doubt they come here very often. It’s more a massive open-air museum than a residential old town. I personally prefer European cities where I can live in the center of the old town and walk everywhere such as Wroclaw, Poznan, and Krakow.
Best 2 Days Itinerary
Visiting Gdansk is all about walking around the magnificent old town. Start your journey on Dluga Street, Gdansk’s main artery for pedestrians. First visit the Brama Gate, which was built in 1588 and was the main entrance to the city. You can visit the annexed Muzeum Historycznego Miasta Gdańska and continue walking down taking a glimpse at the beautiful colorful building on the Dluga street. Reaching Fontanna Neptuna, continue towards the Stagiewna bridge and Walk along the banks of the island to get the best views of the Old Town Waterfront and the famous Gdansk Crane. Continue to Olowianka and cross the elevated bridge back to the old town. From there it’s pretty easy, walk along the Motlawa River Embankment to reach the Gdansk Crane and try getting lost in the old town and reaching at least Piwna Street and Mariacka Street. Don’t miss out the St. Nicholas Church, the St. Mary’s Church and the Main Town Hall.
On the second day, visit the Museum of the Second World War and the European Solidarity Centre. After lunch, grab a train and head to Sopot about 15km away for some beach time if in summer. The main street is filled with tourists in the summer and will satisfy anyone wanting a shopping experience. In Sopot, go on the Molo Peer all the way to the Ferry Terminal.
Top 10 Things to do in Gdansk
- Old Town
- Motlawa River Embankment
- Oliwa Cathedral
- Dluga Street
- Gdansk Main Town Hall
- Gdansk Crane
- European Solidarity Centre
- Museum of the Second World War
- St. Nicholas Church
- Piwna Street
Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Gdansk
- Drukarnia
- Jozef K
- Pyra Bar
- W Starym Kadrze
- Pikawa
Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Gdansk
- Drukinaria
- Jozef K
- Correze
- Piwna 47
- Cafe Kamienica
- Mandu
- Mlynek Cafe
- Guga Sweet
- Zafishowani
- Retro
Gdansk In Pictures
The Famous Crane of Gdansk
Riverfront
At Night
Sopot
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