Best Things To Do In Gdansk | The Pearl Of The Baltic

Planning a visit to Poland? Make sure the charming seaside town of Gdansk is in your plans. This colorful, cosmopolitan city has a storied past and meticulously reconstructed architecture from its destruction during and after WWII. You can follow the Royal Route where visiting monarchs were welcomed into the heart of the city. You’ll walk past elegant tenement houses, where the wealthy lived, explore 14th century Market Square, see Neptune’s Fountain, and walk through elaborate architectural gates, ending at the harbor. This post covers the best things to do in Gdansk, a city that will surprise you.

Note: if you want to read more about the incredible history of Gdansk, skip to More About Gdansk below. Otherwise, continue on to the Best Things To Do In Gdansk.

Best Things To Do In Gdansk

The beauty of Gdansk lies not only in its fascinating history, considered the starting place of WWII and the start of the Solidarity movement that eventually led to the fall of the Berlin Wall, but also the exquisite reconstruction of its architecture and their ornate facades. I was impressed by both and wish I had spent more time here.

The Royal Route

The best place to start your visit to Gdańsk is at the beginning of the Royal Route. This is the main ceremonial path Polish Kings, other visiting monarchs, and distinguished guests once used to enter the city.

With the city’s amazing reconstruction, after being destroyed by the Nazis, it’s easy to imagine how impressive these processions once were.

The Royal Route is about 700 meters long on pedestrian Dlugi Street, which is the main street of town. It starts at Upland Gate on the western side of the old town and ends at the Green Gate by the port.

As you walk, you will pass through several grand architectural gates, the reconstructed tenement houses where the wealthy once lived, Neptune’s Fountain, the Town Hall, Market Square, and more. I’ve added more details on each below.

If you walk it without stopping, it will take you less than 10 minutes, but you will want to stop and explore all the stops below along the way.

Upland Gate

Regal-looking Upland Gate at the entrance of Gdansk dates back to the 16th century where there was once a large moat and a drawbridge securing the city here. This is the Upland Gate, or Brama Wyżynna.

The three architectural reliefs at the top of the gate highlight some important history of Gdańsk. They include the coats of arms of Royal Prussia, Poland, and Gdańsk, showcasing its history as a Prussian state, its Polish sovereignty, and Gdańsk’s autonomy.

The three Latin phrases on the gate provide insight into the culture and aspirations of the city. They read as follows.

• “The wisest is done everything that is done for the Commonwealth.”
• “The most desirable goods by society are: peace, freedom, agreement”
• “Justice and piety are the foundation of all kingdoms”

The Prison Tower

A few yards after Upland Gate is the 14th century Prison Tower, or Wieża Więzienna. This tower, built in the 14th century (before Upland Gate), was part of the early fortifications of the city.

It’s free to enter. You’ll see some of the prison cells and the shackles by the doors for when prisoners were allowed outside of their cells.

The prison tower itself is home to the Amber Museum of Gdansk. The Baltic Sea area contains the largest course of amber in the world, so has been important here for centuries. In fact, Gdansk is known as the world capital of amber. There’s a small fee to enter the museum.

Golden Gate

The 17th century Golden Gate, or Zlota Brama, is next. This is the main gate into the heart of the city and the start of pedestrian Dlugi Street, or the main street.

As you pass through, you get your first view of this charming city with its colorful, multi-storied tenements houses lining the street, where the wealthiest citizens lived, and the grand Town Hall in the distance.

The photo below is taken looking back at the Golden Gate from inside the city. This way you see the gate as well as the colorful, tenement houses that line Dlugi Street. The gate is not actually golden, but called Golden Gate for its golden embellishments.

The inscription above the gate reads “In agreement small republics grow, because of disagreement great republics fall”.

Long Market Square

Long Market Square, or Dlugi Targ, dates back to the 14th century. It’s the commercial part of Dlugi Street, lined with some of the most impressive houses, like the Golden House, with its golden-colored plaster, and Uphagen House, which is now a museum. Both noteworthy houses once owned by wealthy merchants.

Long Market Square is also where the Town Hall is, as well as a Neptune’s Fountain, Artus Court, and many cafes and souvenir shops.

The Town Hall

Gdańsk’s iconic Town Hall can’t be missed with its classic, Renaissance architectural style and striking clock tower. This was once the seat of local government. Today it contains the Gdansk History Museum. Stop here to learn the more about the details of this historically important port city.

There is a small entry fee for the museum and town hall tower which you can climb over 400 steps for a panoramic view of the city.

Neptune’s Fountain

This fountain may not look special at first glance, but when it was built in the 16th century, it was one of the most impressive and biggest fountains of Northern Europe.

The fountain sits in front of Artus Court and across from the luxurious tenement houses where visiting royalty and important guests stayed. Notice that Neptune is positioned so his head is bowed down to those staying in the opulent tenement houses across from him.

Artus Court

Artus Court, the bluish building behind Neptune’s Fountain, was where the local elite socialized. Its name “Artus” is from legendary King Arthur. It was mean to symbolize the chivalry and gallantry of those that frequented here.

Today the great hall inside Artus Court is a branch of the Gdańsk History Museum. There’s a small fee if you want to enter and see the hall and its artifacts.

Fahrenheit Thermometer

This little stop is easy to miss, but look for the Fahrenheit Thermometer as you continue along Dlugi Street. It’s just past Neptune’s Fountain on the opposite side of the street.

It sits in honor of Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, its developer, who was born nearby. He is the creator of the fahrenheit thermometer in the early 18th century.

The celcius thermometer, which is more predominant today, was designed a few decades later.

The Green Gate

The 16th century Green Gate, which was also once part of the fortifications of the city, marks the end of the Royal Route.

As you walk through the Green Gate, you leave the main part of the city and transition to the port area at the Motlawa River.

The Green Gate was once the ceremonial entrance to the city for distinguished guests that arrived by sea.

Walk Along The Motlawa River Bank

After walking through the Green Gate, turn left at the Motlawa River and walk along the sidewalk on the embankment. The riverside here is lined with tall gable roofed buildings. Some used to be storage facilities for the port area, but most have been renovated (or are being renovated) as modern apartments.

There are also many cafes and shops along the river, so the perfect place to visit for dinner. Plus it’s especially pretty at night with the buildings and lights reflected in the river.

A few highlights to see in this area include Mariacka Street, Saint Mary’s Church, and the ancient Crane once use to load and unload ships here.

Mariacka Street

Mariacka Street runs parallel to the Royal Road, although is further north. It’s considered the most romantic street in Gdansk. In additional to its lovely houses, its balconies and terraces were also restored, showcasing the original charm of the streets of Gdansk. During the reconstruction of Dlugi Street, or the main street, they were left off to provide more ‘street’ space.

You pass through a brick archway to get to the pretties part of the street. At the end of Mariacka is Saint Mary’s Basilica, so plan them together. Mariacka Street is filled with amber jewelry shops so be prepared to shop.

As you walk, make sure to notice the artful gargoyle heads and flower pots on the balconies.

Saint Mary’s Church

Beautiful Saint Mary’s Church, or the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, is at the end of Mariacka Street. It’s one of the largest brick churches in the world.

Its spacious interior is filled with artwork and artifacts, making it worth it to explore. There’s a large, ornate alter, colorful stained glass windows, an elaborate 15th century astronomical clock with sculptures of Adam and Eve at the top, important religious artwork, and sculptures to see.

In addition to the Town Hall tower, you can also climb this tower for a panoramic view of the city. There are over 400 narrow, winding steps, so be patient. Once at the top, the viewing platform is actually quite small, so only do this is if you’re not claustrophobic.

The entrance to the basilica is free, but there is a small fee to climb to the top of the tower.

The Crane

Visiting the old 15th century Crane at the port is another one of the best things to do here. As this was once one of the most important ports in the world, it’s no surprise that Gdansk also had one of the most powerful medieval cranes in the world.

It’s unique as instead of a hand crank powering the crane, humans waking inside two parallel sets of wheels powered it. If you walk under the crane and look up, you can see the lower set of cylindrical wooden wheels they walked inside.

This was not the only crane powered this way, but it was the biggest, able to lift up to 2-3 tons. Double what other cranes at the time could lift.

The Crane is now a branch of the National Martime Museum. You can find it on the Motlawa River, north of Mariacka Street.

Saint Bridget’s Church

This church gets its name from a legend that the remains of Saint Bridget of Sweden were placed here for a few days during their transport to Sweden. It is also important as it was used for refuge by Solidarity fighters. This is also one of the reasons it was destroyed.

They have been reconstructing this church with the altar made of amber. It’s still in progress, but a stunning sight with its golden glow!

It’s less than a dollar to enter, which is worth it to see the altar. There’s a few other things to see here as well, like a crypt of bones discovered during renovations and some artwork.

Restaurants & Cafes

There are so many restaurants and cafes in Gdansk it’s tough to choose. The first two below were my favorites. The third one had a line all the time, and I didn’t want to wait to get in, but it smelled amazing.

• Rybakowka is a delicious fish restaurant. You can get great salmon, shrimp, and even dumplings with salmon. It locared north if the Green Gate.
• Svojski SMAK serves comfort polish food. It was recommended by one of my tour guides and it was a great recommendation! It’s not too far from Bridget’s Church.
• Ostro is a little boutique Italian place with pizzas and cocktails. It’s alomg the Motlawa River.

More About Gdansk

Gdansk is on the northern coast of Poland, on the Baltic Sea. It was once known as Danzig and was one of the most important cities of the Hanseatic League, a powerful group that dominated maritime trade here.

Gdansk changed hands many times. It has been ruled by the Teutonic Knights, Germany (multiple times), Prussia (multiple times), and Poland (multiple times), all before being awarded back to Poland after WWII. It was also a free city protected under the League of Nations…multiple times.

As for some of its dramatic history, the 1939 invasion of Westerplatte by the Nazis is considered the start of WWII. In addition to this, the root of the Solidarity movement that eventually led to the fall of the Berlin Wall started here. Some incredible history for such a small city.

Similar to Warsaw, Gdansk was almost completely destroyed by the Nazis during and after WWII. It took decades to meticulously reconstruct the city and reconstruction still continues today. Because of this, its port town history, and its importance in history, it has been nominated for tentative UNESCO listing.

Want More Of Poland?

Poland is an amazing country. There’s so much history and so many grand old towns with exquisite architecture. Plus the food really is amazing! To learn more, see my post on The Best Things To Do In Charming Krakow.

Visiting the old town of Prague is also an excellent choice, just a short train ride or flight from Krakow.

Safe Travels!

Julie