St Mary's Church in Gdansk Poland towering over some of Gdansk's colorful burgher houses

12 Things You Shouldn’t Miss When Visiting Gdansk Poland

Gdansk is one of Poland’s most beautiful and most-visited cities. This scenic gem sits on Poland’s Baltic coast and has long held the title of Poland’s most important port city – a distinction dating all the way back to the Middle Ages. In more modern times, Gdansk is famous as the birthplace of Poland’s Solidarity movement – a labor movement that ultimately lead to the fall of Communism in all of the European Soviet Bloc. And as if that’s not enough 20th-century fame, World War 2 actually started in Gdansk. With so much history in such a scenic place, it’s no wonder that our own six days in Gdansk flew by. Here’s a look at 12 things I don’t think you should miss when visiting Gdansk.

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Wandering Its Historic City Center

The historic city center of Gdansk is very scenic indeed. Pictured below is the main pedestrian thoroughfare called Długa Street. During our time visiting Gdansk, this street was always very busy and filled with tourists. But not on my early morning picture-taking quest…

Długa Street in Gdańsk Poland in the early morning with only a few pedestrians

You can see that the architecture in old town Gdansk is picture-perfect Central European at its very best. Most of the historic city center was rebuilt after near total destruction during World War 2. However, instead of a restoration of its original architecture, the city was rebuilt in an even prettier Dutch-Flemish Renaissance style.

Colorful houses lining Długa Street in Gdansk

As you stroll Długa Street, passing by these narrow and colorful burgher houses, you’ll find that many of them feature a restaurant, or a cafe, or a shop of some kind on the ground floor.

And in this part of town, you’ll also find many of Gdansk’s most historic sites, including Neptune’s Fountain. It was built in the early 1600s, and is one of city’s most famous landmarks.

A close-up look at Neptunes fountain in Gdansk Poland

The View from Its Medieval Town Hall

Another famous landmark in this part of town is Gdansk’s medieval Town Hall. It dates from the 1500s, and its distinctive tower dominates this section of the town center.

Gdansk's medieval Town Hall tower overlooking Długa Street

It now serves as a museum – its rooms are filled with exhibits covering the history of Gdansk. But you can also climb the tower for the very best view of Gdansk’s historic center.

You will pay a small additional amount for the privilege of climbing the 200+ stairs to the top (May-Sept only). But I thought the view was absolutely worth it.

A view of the historic center of Gdansk Poland from atop the Town Hall tower

You’ll find a narrow outdoor viewing platform wrapping all the way around the top. So not only will you get to fully appreciate the Old Town, but you can also get a sense of the entire surrounding area – all the way out to the Baltic. If you are physically able, you definitely won’t want to miss the chance to climb this tower when visiting Gdansk.

One of World’s Largest Brick Churches

Another important landmark in this part of Gdansk is St Mary’s Church. It’s hard to miss St Mary’s. It rises above everything else in the historic center. As well it should – this Gothic wonder is the second largest brick church in the world (with construction lasting from 1379-1502).

St Mary's Church in Gdansk Poland towering over some of Gdansk's colorful burgher houses

In fact, it’s so large, that I really only could get a complete photo of it from above – from the town hall tower.

A view of St Mary's Church in Gdansk Poland from the Town Hall tower

And while you will regularly catch various ground level views of this church while wandering around town, don’t miss actually going inside St Mary’s Church when you are visiting Gdansk.

Though it’s not nearly as ornate as many of the other churches we visited in Poland, we loved the stark white interior and high vaulted ceilings. The religious art, stained glassed windows, and beautiful blue & gold 17th-century organ all popped against the white background.

And St Mary’s Church in Gdansk also features a huge medieval astronomical clock which dates back to the late 1400s. It rises 46 feet high and is thought to be the largest wooden astronomical clock in the world.

The medieval astronomical clock inside St Mary's Church in Gdansk Poland

Riverside Gdansk

Another incredibly scenic part of town that you shouldn’t miss when visiting Gdansk is the riverfront along the Motława River. While Gdansk is Poland’s most important Baltic Port, the city itself actually lies a bit inland, along a collection of rivers and canals.

Buildings line either side of the Motława River in Gdansk Poland

In the center of Gdansk, the historic old town sits along one side of Motława river. On the opposite side is Granary Island where 300 granaries originally stood – places to store all the goods moving in and out of Gdansk. Sadly, nearly all of these granaries were destroyed during the War. The buildings now are very modern architectural interpretations of the original granaries. Several bridges connect these two sections of town.

Restaurants and cafes flank the river on both sides. These are ideal for relaxing and enjoying Gdansk’s scenic riverfront. A favorite of ours was the Słony Spichlerz food hall – an inexpensive collection of international eateries with this perfectly positioned patio…

The outdoor patio of Słony Spichlerz in Gdansk Poland

The riverfront is also where you’ll find another one of Gdansk’s most important landmarks – the medieval Gdansk Crane.

A closeup view of the medieval Gdnask Crane

The Gdańsk Crane was originally built in the 1400s and was the largest medieval port crane in Europe. It was used to load and unload ships in this busy port city. Sadly, like much of Gdansk, it was significantly damaged in WWII, and has been restored. It now houses a museum where you can learn about the Crane’s history and see its impressive inner mechanisms.

A Sunset Cruise

But you shouldn’t only enjoy the waterways around the city from the shore. You should definitely spend some time on the water when visiting Gdansk.

You’ll find that many boating companies offer all kinds of on-river opportunities in Gdansk – from large replica pirate ships to row-your-own-kayaks.

We opted for this 1.5 hour sunset cruise on a small 12-seat boat, modeled after traditional Polish riverboats.

A traditional river boat with tourists on a sunset cruise in Gdansk Poland

One of the reasons I chose this particular cruise was to gain further insight into the famous Gdansk Shipyard (more on that below) and see it at sunset.

Gdańsk shipyard cranes at sunset

The cruise also took us along many of the various waterways surrounding Gdansk, while our guide provided lots of historic perspective about the riverside sites. Plus it was a great way to see Gdansk at golden hour. And then watch the city slowly light up.

A view of Gdansk from the Motława River

European Solidarity Centre

Now, more on that Shipyard history.

It’s really not possible for me, in a city summary blog post like this, to cover the history of the Solidarity Movement in Poland. I couldn’t begin to do it justice in only a few words. But if you are visiting Gdansk, the European Solidarity Centre needs to be at the top your list. It’s a museum, a library, and a research center dedicated to preserving both the legacy of Solidarity and the ongoing fight for democracy in various corners of the world.

The outside of the European Solidarity Center in Gdansk Poland

The Centre is located on the grounds of the Gdansk Shipyard. It was here in 1980 that dissatisfied shipyard workers, led by an electrician named Lech Walesa, started a labor strike. This strike ultimately led to the downfall of Communism in Poland. And ultimately, the entire Eastern Bloc. Walesa later won the Nobel Peace Prize and became the first democratically elected president of Poland.

The gate to the Gdansk shipyard adjacent to the European Solidarity Center

At the beginning of the strike, the workers attached wooden boards to the shipyard’s main gate – located adjacent to the museum. On the boards they had written a list of 21 demands for improving their work conditions. It’s an incredibly meaningful location in the history of the democratic world.

The original boards themselves are located within the museum.

The original boards on which are written Solidarity's 21 Demands on display at the European Solidarity Center in Gdansk Poland

The entire museum is remarkable. With the help of an impressive audioguide system, it walks you through Poland’s late 20th century history with a focus on the Solidarity movement. You’ll move from one multi-media display to the next over the course of a couple hours. And leave enlightened and inspired. Again….a must when visiting Gdansk!

A display within the European Solidarity Center

Westerplatte

We happened to be in Gdansk on Sept 1st. On that morning, we were awakened at 4:47am by the bells of St Catherine’s Church (located next to our apartment building) ringing incessantly. They rang unabated for about 10 minutes. We didn’t know what was happening. And frankly, we were a bit concerned. Ultimately, we discovered that on Sept 1st 1939, the very first shots of World War II were fired in Gdansk Poland. The bells that morning were a commemoration.

On that day, German ships attacked a Polish munitions depot at a place called Westerplatte, north of the city. In the weeks that followed, Nazi and Soviet forces invaded the entire country, dividing it up between them.

Nowadays, the grounds of Westerplatte is a war memorial. And it’s well worth an hour or two when visiting Gdansk.

You’ll discover quite a bit at Westerplatte, including this former barracks. You can actually walk inside and see the bombed-out damage. It’s first time I’ve walked into an unrestored war-damaged building.

The ruins of one of the barracks at Westerplatte in Poland

You’ll also find a cemetery and memorial to all the Polish soldiers killed at Westerplatte, the foundations of several buildings, and quite a bit of information on the events of Westerplatte spread throughout the site.

You can also walk up to the large Westerplatte Monument sitting atop a small knoll at the edge of the grounds.

A closeup view of the Westerplatte Monument

With our own visit to Westerplatte, we have now bookended WWII history with a visit to where the War started, and a visit to where the war ended at Hiroshima Japan. (Plus, we have also visited the assassination site that initiated WWI in Sarajevo)

You can get to Westerplatte via bus or a seasonal ferry. But I would recommend taking Uber. It was the fastest of the three options (only 15 minutes from central Gdnask), and relatively inexpensive too.

The Museum of the Second World War

As WWII started in Gdansk, it only seems natural that The Museum of the Second World War would be located here. This is another amazing museum that you really shouldn’t miss when visiting Gdansk.

The outside of The Museum of the Second World War in Gdansk Poland

This is a good place for me to say that all the historical museums we visited in Poland (and there are a lot!) were very impressive, and seemed to follow a similar template.

They all used the best audioguide system we’ve ever come across. It hung round your neck with ear phones. And then it shared a well-scripted story which explained the most important details of each room. It also used GPS to follow your movements. So if you wanted to linger in a room, you didn’t have fumble with any buttons. It simply resumed when you moved on.

The information in these museums were presented chronologically from room to room in great detail, using a combination of historical artifacts, multi-media displays, and large set pieces (such as replicas of city streets).

The Museum of the Second World War was absolutely packed with information. After nearly 3 hours, we left with an understanding of the entire scope of the War from its beginnings in pre-war Germany to its end in Japan. It was like walking through a documentary on the whole of WWII.

A display about pre-war Nazi Germany inside The Museum of the Second World War
A display on pre-War Nazi Germany
Photos of Auschwitz victims inside The Museum of the Second World War
Photos of Auschwitz concentration camp victims

(Auschwitz is Poland’s most important WWII site and we did visit Auschwitz while touring the country. You can read about our time there in my post How To Visit Auschwitz from Krakow – 11 Helpful Tips)

Europe’s Longest Wooden Pier

As I mentioned earlier, Gdansk doesn’t sit directly on the Baltic Sea. But when visiting Gdansk, I don’t think you should miss spending some time on the Baltic. And the best way to do this is by taking a short trip northward to the seaside town of Sopot.

Sopot is Poland’s famed Baltic resort city known for its health spas, seaside hotels, casinos, and beaches. This is where you’ll also find the longest wooden pier in Europe.

The Sopot Pier in Poland

It’s easy to reach Sopot from Gdansk using public transportation. You simply take a commuter train from the central Gdansk train station. It connects the two cities in about 20 minutes, with several departures per hour. Once you arrive in Sopot, it then only takes an additional 15 minutes to walk to the Pier and its beaches – along Sopot’s pedestrianized Main Street.

A train at a Sopot train station platform in Sopot Poland

We spent a few hours one afternoon seaside at Sopot. We found two different restaurants on either side of the Pier, and ate at the one that looked busiest – called Tawerna Molo. The food was good and not very expensive, given the great location.

Outdoor dining at Taverna Molo next to the Sopot Pier in Poland

We strolled the length of the Pier after lunch. Not only does the Pier offer great views out to the Baltic and back towards Sopot, but if you are so inclined, you can find several different types of touristic boating adventures as you stroll along.

And there’s another restaurant – called Meridian Molo – at the very end of the pier. We probably would have eaten there had I discovered it ahead of time. Its location is truly ideal.

We didn’t spend any time on the beaches adjacent to the pier. But they looked pretty nice.

Note that there is a small entry fee to access the pier, located at a booth inside an adjacent building.

A Day Trip to Malbork Castle

I’m always on the lookout for a good day trip when we travel, and a day trip to Malbork Castle is essential when visiting Gdansk. Plus, this isn’t just any old day trip. Malbork Castle happens to be the World’s Largest Castle. How can you miss that?

A closeup view of Malbork Castle in Poland

This UNESCO World Heritage Site was constructed by the Teutonic Knights beginning in the 1200s. And it is indeed massive. I couldn’t find a way to capture the entire structure in a photo from ground level.

The Teutonic Knights were a Germanic order of Crusaders who ultimately became the rulers of this part of Europe after their return from the Holy Land.

Statues of various important Teutonic Knights in a courtyard in Malbork Castle

A tour of their castle takes about 2.5 hours (with the help of one of those great audioguides). During the tour, you will see quite a bit (though not all) of the castle, while gaining lots of insight into the Knights and their medieval way of life.

The inner courtyard of the High Castle of the  Malbork Castle in Poland

The easiest way to get from Gdansk to Malbork is via train. Depending on which type of train you take, it can take as little as 30 minutes. As I have outlined in my post about riding the trains in Poland, I bought our tickets ahead of time on the Koleo App and took one of the Intercity (IC) trains. High Speed EIP trains are available on this route, but they cost significantly more, and offer very little time advantage, given the relatively short distance.

I would advise that you also buy your entry tickets for Malbork Castle ahead of time, if you are visiting during high season. The tickets are timed-entry and can sell out. Here is the Malbork Castle website.

If you would like to read more about visiting Malbork Castle, then check out my post The Perfect Day Trip From Gdansk to Malbork Castle.

Some Great Polish Food

You certainly won’t want to miss eating some great Polish cuisine when visiting Gdansk. And our best Polish meal was at a restaurant called Mandu. It was the #1 recommendation from our rental apartment host (a great apartment by the way – here’s the link), and has a 4.8 rating on Google.

Mandu specializes in Pierogis – the classic Polish boiled dumpling stuffed with various kinds of goodness. The pierogi menu at Mandu is extensive, offering more types of pierogis (and other types of dumplings) than we saw anywhere throughout our travels in Poland.

It was really hard to choose, but ultimately I went with this one – filled with crayfish, bacon, cream, onion, white wine, dill and barley served with horseradish sauce.

Pierogis containing crawfish and bacon at Mandu in Gdansk Poland

I also ordered a bowl of Zurek. This is the favorite soup of Poland. Its base is a sour rye starter – so it’s a soup equivalent of sourdough bread. Then it’s usually also contains sausage, potatoes, and egg. This version at Mandu was the best I had in Poland.

A bowl of Zurek at Mandu in Gdansk Poland

A Shipyard Hangout

Another food venue you shouldn’t miss when visiting Gdansk is 100Cznia. This is certainly the coolest outdoor dining spot we’ve come across so far in our travels.

It’s located in a disused section of the Gdansk Shipyard – somewhat reminiscent of the Ruin Bar we visited in Budapest – but on a much much grander scale.

In one section (and at the main entrance pictured below), old shipping containers have been converted into a collection of street food kitchens and bars. Others have been stacked to create container-top patios.

The entrance to 100Cznia in Gdansk Poland made up of shipping containers

In another section, you’ll find an alleyway lined with food carts offering an array of international eats.

An ally of food trucks at 100Cznia in Gdansk Poland

You’ll be surrounded by street art throughout the entire complex. Some of the old shipping buildings now house galleries, boutique shops, and performance spaces. You’ll see a basketball court and a small skate park. Plus tables and chairs are scattered everywhere.

And you may not be able to see it well in this photo, but there is a stage located directly underneath the shipping cranes for bigger musical events. All very cool!

An exterior space with a stage in 100Czynia beneath large shipping cranes in Gdansk Poland

100Cznia is located north of the town center, but it was very easy and inexpensive to use Uber for our transportation back and forth.

(In fact, though I love public transportation, we never needed to use Gdansk’s tram or bus system while in town. Gdansk is a very walkable city, and Uber is more convenient for longer distances.)

Final Thoughts

Gdansk is the one place from our travels in Poland where I felt that we didn’t have enough time – despite our 6 days in town. I found so much for us to see and do. Plus its charm is undeniable, and I easily could have spent extra time simply enjoying the atmosphere of this beautiful city.

I hope that you get the chance to see all of these unmissable sites, and maybe even more, during your own time in Gdansk.

If you would like to read about other great cities to visit in Poland, then be sure to check out these posts:

All The Reasons You Should Consider Visiting Wroclaw Poland

How Many Days in Krakow: 3, 4, or Even More for Your Itinerary?

11 Useful Tips for Visiting Warsaw Poland

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