Picture this: it’s end of August and days are getting shorter but warm weather is still daunting us. What to do? Catch a flight to Gdańsk, Poland. 

Oh yes, this was a fast but very explorative trip. I would have never expected that Gdańsk was such a beautiful city, together with a lot of other facts, such as the name Gdańsk = Danzica in Italian.

Motława River

Roofs from the Town Hall

Gdańsk lies at the mouth of the Motława River: in the late Middle Ages it was an important seaport and shipbuilding town and, in the 14th and 15th centuries, a member of the Hanseatic League.

Like a mini-state all to itself, Gdańsk has a unique feel that sets it apart from other cities in Poland. Centuries of maritime ebb and flow as a major Baltic port, streets of distinctively un-Polish architecture influenced by a united nations of wealthy merchants who shaped the city’s past, the to-ing and fro-ing of Danzig/Gdańsk between Teutonic Prussia and Slavic Poland and the destruction wrought by WWII have all bequeathed a special atmosphere that makes Gdańsk an increasingly popular destination.

There are few must see places/things to do that you should not miss over a weekend there:

1. The Town Hall: usually place for some exhibitions about Gdańsk and its history, but you can also enjoy a stunning view from the top for as little as 2 euros.
2. A walk in the Long Lane: the city centre, and the shopping lane. Full of shops and passing through the historical landmarks such as Town Hall, Neptuna Fountains and the historical museum.
3. The Millennium Tree: it marked the 1000th anniversary of Gdansk in 1997.
4. Shopping for Amber in the picturesque Mariacka Street in the shadow of St. Mary’s Basilica which is lined with numerous stores and workshops.
5.  The Centrum Hewelianum with its fortress and WWII bunkers, quite an amazing sight.
6. The seaside: it will cost you no more than 8 Euros to go from the city center to the seaside by Uber. Get down here and enjoy the walk and the view!
   

   The Millennium Tree

   

   Centrum Hevelianum (Fort Gòry Gradowej)
   

   

    

Hope you will enjoy this little city, we definitely did!