# GDANSK – Nightsky's trip to Poland's most historical city



## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Gdansk certainly looks very worthwhile.


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## hellospank25 (Feb 5, 2008)

wow it looks amazing

did this city suffer the same fate as Warsaw during world war 2 or did it remain intact?


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## rychlik (Feb 14, 2008)

Not even a single door was kicked in.


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## markfos (Sep 14, 2012)

hellospank25 said:


> wow it looks amazing
> 
> did this city suffer the same fate as Warsaw during world war 2 or did it remain intact?


90% of the city was destoyed.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Beautiful Gdansk, full of history, like a phoenix risen from the ashes! Great thread.


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## Marbur66 (Mar 1, 2009)

Benonie said:


> Beautiful Gdansk, full of history, *like a phoenix risen from the ashes*! Great thread.


You can almost say that about just about any city in Poland. Incredible what they've achieved from an architectural POV after seeing their cities get razed to the ground. This is even more incredible considering the financial situation they were in between WWII and 1990.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Thanks! And yes I agree, it's incredible that they have been rebuilt in such a good way. In Gdansk's city center I noticed there were many large empty places, like gaps with parking lots or just empty very close to the old town. Probably blocks that have been bombed and not rebuilt?


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## Marbur66 (Mar 1, 2009)

Nightsky said:


> In Gdansk's city center I noticed there were many large empty places, like gaps with parking lots or just empty very close to the old town. *Probably blocks that have been bombed and not rebuilt?*


Yeah, that would be it. They were either bombed to the ground or damaged to such an extent that they were demolished after the war. Pre-war Gdansk was very dense in the city center.


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## rychlik (Feb 14, 2008)

I'm sure there's plans to fill these spaces with some interesting architecture.


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## TimothyR (Feb 17, 2011)

What a beautiful city - and so many magnificent churches.


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## hellospank25 (Feb 5, 2008)

markfos said:


> 90% of the city was destoyed.


so is there any city in Poland that was spared ?


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## JanVL (Jun 25, 2012)

hellospank25 said:


> so is there any city in Poland that was spared ?


Krakow is the biggest city that nearly entirely survived the war.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

ULICA MARIACKA:

This is a very nice picturesque, but short street that goes from St Mary's Church and ends at the Old City Gate next to the river. Along Mariacka you find mostly specialized amber shops, jewel shops and art galleries, many of them located in basements.























































http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Gdansk_City.html


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

I take it that amber is a natural mineral to be found in that area of Poland?


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## Marbur66 (Mar 1, 2009)

openlyJane said:


> I take it that amber is a natural mineral to be found in that area of Poland?


Yes, the southern shore of the Baltic is traditionally an amber hotbed. Those amber shops can be found all over the old town in Gdansk. There is even a historic route known as the "amber road" that went southwest towards Rome.


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## DocentX (Apr 16, 2003)

great pic :cheers: did you visit European Solidarity Centre ?

ps. how you rate Gdansk as compared to other northern middle size cities in Western Europe? and what is that you didn't like about Gdansk and the rest of Tricity ?


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

openlyJane said:


> I take it that amber is a natural mineral to be found in that area of Poland?


These amber shops are very common in Riga and Tallinn too (was there last year), and there are in some Danish cities as well, these cities are all situated by the Baltic sea. Here in Sweden it is not common with amber at all.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

DocentX said:


> great pic :cheers: did you visit European Solidarity Centre ?
> 
> ps. how you rate Gdansk as compared to other northern middle size cities in Western Europe? and what is that you didn't like about Gdansk and the rest of Tricity ?



Yes I did visit the Solidarity Musuem and pictures will come later. If you can't wait, visit my website: 

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Gdansk_Solidarity.html

:cheers:

Gdansk's old town (or actually Main Town is the real name) is very nice and picturesque, comparable with Prague or Tallinn. Unfortunately I found the old parts a bit small while the majority of the rest of the city is a bit dull (judging from what I saw from trains and buses).
I liked the area around the central station since it is more of "real" Gdansk where you find citizens instead of tourists.

Sopot: a very nice seaside resort. Nice main street, beach promenade and casino.
Gdynia: a bit dull city with almost no old buildings and mostly grey socialist buildings. But less touristy, more "genuine" and more lively then the other cities I think.
A thread will come about these two cities as well as soon as I'm finished with the text.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

OGARNA STREET:









Ulica Ogarna, a parallel street to Dluga, is where our guesthouse/apartment hotel was situated









Ogarna is much more empty, and much more grey then Dluga. Our guesthouse was situated in one of the grey buildings to the right.









Ogarna. In Poland cars are parked on the sidewalks, making less space for pedestrians!

KAMIENICA ZACISZE (our apartment hotel/guesthouse):

We stayed at the Kamienica Zacisze, a small apartment hotel right in the heart of Gdansk, Ulica Ogarna, a parallel street to Ulica Dluga and just a few minutes away from most of the sights. It was incredible value for money, for only about 100 euros for 3 nights and 2 persons you get a whole apartment with fashionable furniture -some in old style, a modern kitchen, marble toilet with shower, a bedroom and views over St Mary's Church and the City Hall from the window. It is only reachable from a courtyard, the building has 5 floors with an elevator luckily. The only downside is that it is self service with no restaurants or other facitilites, and almost no staff, they were not the most friendly (they didn't say anything to us upon check in, just gave us a paper to sign and a key). In general, Poland is not exactly the country of service and politeness, people are not rude but they are very introvert and don't say much at all. Partly that could be because they are not used to speak English.



























Our apartment at Kamienica Zacisze 


















The courtyard that surrounds Kamienica Zacisze 

VIEWS FROM OUR APARTMENT:



























'









http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Gdansk_City.html


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## Wapper (Feb 24, 2011)

Very nice!
Shame about those cars though.


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## Iluminat (Jan 16, 2008)

^^It's common problem in Poland, especially in older districts there is never enough parking space because this streets weren't planned for cars and their numbers grew too rapidly in the last two decades.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates from Gdansk


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## Joe King (Oct 11, 2014)

Some cracking shots on this thread. Nice work!


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

^^Thanks a lot! :cheers:

THE BANKS OF MOTLAWA RIVER:

The city center abruptly ends at the banks of the mouth of Motlawa River, that flows throught the city. Opposite the old town from the river you will find the island Olowianka where you will find the concert hall and some hotels. Along the part of the river that flows between the city center and the island, you will find tourist boats, a museum boat and small ferries (the oldest one has trafficated the river since 1687). On its bank you wil find open-air restaurants and pubs.









Main Town, the rebuilt historical part of Gdansk, seen from River Motlawa. Old gates (Old Gate, St Mary's Gate etc), open-air restaurants and historic former port crane, Zuraw (to the right).









SS Soldek, a freight ship that has been turned to a museum ship. It was built 1949-54. In the background is Olowianka island.









This pirate ship "Galeon Lew" takes visitors to Westerplatte, the place where the first shootings of WWII took place, and is a landmark of its own at the bank of Motlawa.









Green Gate (Brama Zielona), the gate to Old Town and Dluga street from a bridge across the Motlawa River.


















Brama Mariacka (St Mary's Gate), one of the old gates towards River Motlawa: view towards St Mary's Church and Mariacka street.









Brama Mariacka (St Mary's Gate)









Zuraw, the structure to the right of the open-air restaurants, is one of Gdansk's most famous symbols. It is the oldest preserved port crane in Europe, built 1442-44.









Zuraw had 3 functions: loading crane, defensive fortification and city gate. There is an exhibtion inside and possiblities to see the internal mechanisms.









The backside of Zuraw, the structure to the right of the open-air restaurants, is one of Gdansk's most famous symbols. It is the oldest preserved port crane in Europe, built 1442-44.









The odd "zombie" performance that we earlier saw at St Mary's Church now passed our open-air restaurant next to Motlawa river. A lot of things happened during our diner there!









Brama Straganiarska, one of serveral city gates. It is situated in the Northern end of the Main Town and is the entrance to Straganiarska street.









Hilton Gdansk is one of the city's most luxorious and newest (opened 2010) hotels and is built right behind the historic Swan Tower, that was ereceted by the teutonic order as part of a castle that existed in the 15th century.









Maritime Culture Center (Osrodek Kultury Morskiej), a brand new 4-storey maritime museum



















http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Gdansk_Riverfront.html


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## MysticMcGoo (May 30, 2010)

Great Hanseatic city! Amazing Danzig!


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## Urbanista1 (Sep 13, 2006)

I wonder if anyone has pics of interior of Maritime museum, looks well done contemporary building on outside blended with historic buildings.


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## Urbanista1 (Sep 13, 2006)

It's a shame you missed the façade restoration of Szeroka Street (you probably saw the unusually decorated kamienice of Ogarna Street), which just started a few weeks ago. Looks very interesting:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1669131&page=17


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

It looks familiar...I don't think I have any picture of it though. Didn't vsit the Maritime museum. There are so much to see, but I think I really saw a lot for one day and two half days in Gdansk and one day in Gdynia/Sopot. And many more pictures are left...


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

OLOWIANKA ISLAND AND GRANARY ISLAND (WYSPA SPICHRZÓW):

Olowianka is a small island opposite the Main Town. Here you find the concert hall, a hotel and a museum. Wyspa Spichrzów (Granary Island in English, Specherinsel in German) is a somewhat narrower island to the south of Olowianka. Here you find som interesting architecture, as well as some empty grounds since the WWII bombings. 









Polish Baltic Philharmonic is a concert hall that is housed in a former power station on Olowianka island from 1898. This neo-gothic building was reconstructed and converted into a concert hall between 1996 and 2008.


















Hotel Królewski and the tourist pirate ship "Galeon Lew" along Motlawa, Olowianka island to the right.









Brama Stagiewna, seen from Stagiewna street on Granary Island(Wyspa Spichrzów). Built in the 15th century.









Granary Island still has many empty holes since the WWII bombings, but there are also some magnificent buildings there.









Swedish bank at Stagiewna street 


















ZUS Oddzial building, situated on Granary Island(Wyspa Spichrzów) opposite the Main Town from the river, is a complex of houses with partly half-timbered facades. It houses social security services.









Ruins of 16th century granaries on Granary Island. There is a reconstruction project going on to restore these buildings that were bombed during WWII. Granary was the most important income source in the 1700s and surved over 200 ships a day. Only one of 300 granary buidings survived the bombings.


















Millennium Bridge









Main Town skyline



























Motlawa bank, Main Town

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Gdansk_Riverfront.html


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

I really like the look and feel of Gdansk.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

"JAN HEWELIUSZ" SQUARE:

The square/park around the Jan Hewelius sculpture has no official name, but is filled with beautiful historical buildings. 









Great Mill (Wielki Mlyn) is a former mill in a historic building that has been concerted into a small shopping galleria. It was built by the Teutonic Knights in 1350 and in 1356 the Radunia Canal was built, that flows just next to and below the edifice, that is the grandest civil construction in the city. The only remnant from the past inside is a small exhibition of old equipment from the mill (dating from 1400) at the entrance to the shopping center. In the background is St Catherine's Church. 









In 1356 the Radunia Canal was built. A narrow part of it flows through a sink right next to the Great Mill. The height differences create a small waterfall.


















Jan Heweliusz (Johannes Hevelius, 1611-1687) was a distinguished astronomer born in the city, for a time also Gdansk's mayor. 


















St Catherine's Church (Kosciol sw. Katarzyny) is the oldest church in Gdansk. It was a protestant church between 1545 and 1945, but now it is roman catholic. Jan Hevelius is buried here. In 2006 a great fire occured, that destroyed the ceiling and parts of the church! It took years to restore the church. The 76m baroque tower is open to public summertime.









Jacek Tower (Baszta Jacek) from year 1400 is 36 m tall and features a photo studio inside. To the left of it is the market hall Hala Targowa that has a very high ceiling. 


















Old Town Hall (Ratusz Starumiejski)



























The "Jan Heweliusz" square at night









Prorem Tower (left) and Mercure Hevelius Hotel (right)

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Gdansk_Station.html


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

WALY JAGIELLNSKIE AND THE CENTRAL STATION:

Waly Jagiellonskie is the busy road that passes the historic city center to the west. The Main railway station (Gdansk Glówny), the New City Hall and the Coal Market are situated here. When it passes the Central Station it changes name to Podwale Grodzkie.









The Central Station (Gdansk Glowny) is situated just next to the small city center, and was the place were we got off after taking the bus from the airport. The station opened in the year 1900. From here you can take regional trains (SKM) to the bordering cities Gdynia and Sopot, or intercity trains to Polish or other European cities (PKP). Large parts of the station are situated underground in tunnels, and there are a lot of stores and restaurants in the station complex. The station has 5 platforms. Before World War II, the station was called Danzig Hauptbahnhof, but was demolished by Russian, and later rebuilt. The station has the same design as the Colmar Station in Alsace, France!









Sculpture outside the Central Station, dedicated to the Jewish children that had to be rescued from the Nazis in the free city of Danzig in 1939. They left for Britain so their lifes could be saved. This sculpture was one of the first thing we saw when we arrived in Gdansk by the bus from the airport.









Jewish Children Sculpture, Central Station. Note the railway track below them.









Cinema City Krewetka is a multi-storey cinema complex at the Station square. 









New Town Hall (Nowy Ratusz), seen from the road Waly Jagiellonskie near the Central station.









The busy Waly Jagiellonskie road and a hill above the flat city center.



















http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Gdansk_Station.html


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

As well, great and very nice updates


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Thanks!

PLAC OBRONCÓW POCZTY POLSKIEJ (Place of the Defenders of the Polish Post Office):

This is a square park in the Northeast end of the city center, near Motlawa River, where you find the Post Office building, and the impressive sculpture that is dedicated to the people who defended it from the Germans. The invation of Gdansk was the main cause of the start of World War II.









Monument to the Defenders of the Polish Post Office (Pomnik Obrońcom Poczty Polskiej). On September 1 in 1939 the postmen at the post office defended the building from the Nazis, who later sentenced them to death! This event was one of the first events that led to World War II.



























Mercure Hotel Hevelius, the tallest hotel in Gdansk and the 3rd tallest skyscraper (70m). It has 19 floors and was built in 1979, but the facade has been modernized. In the background is the 10m taller Prorem Tower seen, the tallest highrise in Gdansk. 









Prorem Tower, Gdansk's tallest building (80m, 20 floors), was built in 1975 and renovated in 2000, but is stil very ugly. It is here seen from Ulica Heweliusza. 


















St James Church (Kosciol sw. Jakuba). The church was completed in 1437 and contained sand from Jerusalem.









St Bartholomew Church (Kosciol sw. Bartlomieja), a Greek-Ukrainian Catholic Church. Originally completed in 1380 and rebuilt twice after fires.









Galeria Handlowa Madison is a shopping mall near the central station, that covers 18 000m2, 5 minutes from the Old Town.






















































Millennium Cross Monument is situated on a hill high above the Central Station and the city center. 

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Gdansk_Station.html


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

EUROPEAN SOLIDARITY CENTRE 
Three Crosses Monument, Solidarity Museum


The Solidarity Museum is a museum just to the North of the city center. It is dedicated to the Solidarity movement, that was created by the former shipyard worker Lech Walesa. Here you also find the Three Crosses Monument (also called the "Solidarity Monument") at Solidarity Square, that symbolizes the workers struggle and is a memorial for the ones who died during the strikes. The Solidarity movement (Solidarnosc) was created by Walesa to protest against the poor working conditions for the workers at the Lenin Shipyard (today Gdansk Shipyard) in the early 1970s. In 1980 the big strikes at the shipyard led to protests all over Eastern Europe, and finally lead to the fall of the communist regime in Poland. Solidarity later became a political party, with Lech Walesa as a leader. Between 1990 and 95 he became the president of Poland.

THREE CROSSES MONUMENT and SOLIDARITY SQUARE:









Three Crosses Monument, or Monument to the Fallen Shipyard Workers 1970, and the Solidarity Museum at the Solidarity Square (Plac Solidarnosci). The monument is made of three tall crosses, 42m and weighing 36 tons each, made by the shipyard workers, with an anchor on top of each of them. It was unveiled in 1980, after the protests that led to the fal of the communist regime.



























Three Crosses Monument is a tall monument at the Solidarity Square, commemorating the victims of the strike.


















Footprint of former pope John Paul II

STOCZNIA GDANSKA SHIPYARD AND THE SOLIDARITY MUSEUM: 









Entrance to the Gdansk Shipyard (Stocznia Gdanska), and European Solidarity Centre. It was called the Lenin Shipyard during the protests. 


















European Solidarity Centre (Europejskie Centrum Solidarności).This futuristic 5-storey buildin houses a permanent exhibition about Solidarity and the opposition, that led to the democratic transformation of Eastern Europe, as well as a library, conference rooms and reading rooms. The structure is built with rust-coloured sheet metal remnisent of a ship's hull, has a design that resembles walls that are cracking and tilting.
* It opened on August 30 2014, just a few weeks before our visit! The admission is free to the museum.*









Monument to the third international, a remnant from the communist time, used in the "Roads to Freedom" exhibition.









Wintergarden and atrium of European Solidarity Centre, a really futuristic building with rust-coloured elements, glass elevators, large and small atriums and escalators.



























Another, smaller atrium with skybridges and rust-coloured, tilted metal walls 

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Gdansk_Solidarity.html


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

THE SOLIDARITY (ESC) EXHIBITION:
The exhibition about the Solidarity movement and the opposition that lead to the fall of the communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe. With photographs, film, 3D projections and other state-of-the-art technology, as well as stuff and vehicles that were used during the strikes the history is shown in an interesting way in the ESC Building









1970 strike




































Jacek Kuron's desk, where the info about the strike was spread to the media 



























Armoured Milicja (state police) truck that captured strikers 


















Swedish TV channel




































"Roads to Freedom" exhibition was an exhibition that was precursor to the current Solidarity exhibiton in the brand new ESC building, but there are still parts left. Milicja (state police) tank at one of the main roads, Podwale Grodzkie.


















Milicja tank and the Zieleniak highrise


http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Gdansk_Solidarity.html


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Stocznia Gdanska Shipyard, just a short walk from the city center, seen from the train. This is where the famous strikes that led to Lech Walesa's Solidarity movement and the fall of the communism regime took place in 1970 and 1980


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

^^Thanks!

Anyone been to the Solidartiy Center?


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Once again great, very nice photos from Gdansk


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

^^Thanks, Christos! :cheers:


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## Rombi (Apr 17, 2010)

I've been. I must say I was a bit dissapointed. The building is promissing more than exhibition offers.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Rombi said:


> I've been. I must say I was a bit dissapointed. The building is promissing more than exhibition offers.


Really? I thought it was very interesting and also touching. The building itself is also interesting.


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