Gdansk Poland
A Thousand Years of Baltic Beauty
We decided to check out the Polish city of Gdansk because I had wanted to visit the Baltic area for quite some time and yes, there was a CASTLE I needed to see! The massive, 13th century, Teutonic, Malbork Castle just an hour away from Gdansk. More about that castle in a later post!
Airline flights between European cities have become so cheap and easy that it really made no sense to make the trip north by train which would have involved many long hours. Ryan Air flew us from Wroclaw to Gdansk in an hour!
The beauty of Gdansk might be a well-kept secret from independent travelers, but it is well known to those who have stopped there as part of a Baltic Cruise. It is on MANY cruise itineraries.
So, in my opinion, Gdansk is a place that you should visit during the shoulder/off season when the major cruise ship lines no longer cruise the Baltic Sea and the hordes of tourists are gone.
The beauty of Gdansk might be a well-kept secret from independent travelers, but it is well known to those who have stopped there as part of a Baltic Cruise. It is on MANY cruise itineraries.
So, in my opinion, Gdansk is a place that you should visit during the shoulder/off season when the major cruise ship lines no longer cruise the Baltic Sea and the hordes of tourists are gone.
Ever since my school days, the name of this Baltic city located at the far northern edge of Poland was renowned for stories of the strikes carried out in protest by 20th century shipyard workers’ where several workers were killed in support of the famous “Solidarity” movement and its heroic leader Lech Walesa.
He led the people out of Communist rule in Poland and helped precipitate the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Lech Walesa became the President of Poland in 1990.
While this is an impressive and poetic history on its own, I now know that Gdansk has even more to offer and the city quickly became one of our favorites!
Photo left above: Derzsi Elekes Andor [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)] Photo right above: Anthony Baratier [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]
The earliest mention of Gdansk occurs in 997 a.d. For more than 300 years it was the capital of a Slav duchy in Pomerania. At the beginning of the 14th century, it was taken over by Teutonic Knights and under their rule, the city grew. In 1361 Gdansk became a member of an economic association of the Baltic called the Hanseatic League.
From the 15th through the 18th centuries, the city belonged to Poland. It was the country’s largest Baltic port and was an important player in the grain and timber trade between Poland and the rest of Europe. It was also a major center of the arts. Goldsmiths fashioned fine jewelry for the royal courts of Europe and the city’s gem and amber workshops were renowned.
In 1793, Gdansk was incorporated into Prussia and only regained its independence at the end of WWI.
In the period between WWI and WWII, Gdańsk (then known as the free city of Danzig), lay in a disputed region between Poland and the Weimar Republic, which later became Nazi Germany.
It became the location of the first battle of WWII. Sadly, the city was almost completely destroyed during WWII, but a post-war rebuilding program restored many of the city’s finest buildings giving the old center the delightful historic atmosphere it has today.
From the 15th through the 18th centuries, the city belonged to Poland. It was the country’s largest Baltic port and was an important player in the grain and timber trade between Poland and the rest of Europe. It was also a major center of the arts. Goldsmiths fashioned fine jewelry for the royal courts of Europe and the city’s gem and amber workshops were renowned.
In 1793, Gdansk was incorporated into Prussia and only regained its independence at the end of WWI.
In the period between WWI and WWII, Gdańsk (then known as the free city of Danzig), lay in a disputed region between Poland and the Weimar Republic, which later became Nazi Germany.
It became the location of the first battle of WWII. Sadly, the city was almost completely destroyed during WWII, but a post-war rebuilding program restored many of the city’s finest buildings giving the old center the delightful historic atmosphere it has today.
Gdansk has a long ancient history of more than 1,000 years to explore while enjoying its lively waterfront, wide colorfully gabled pedestrian boulevard lined with inviting cafes, and charming narrow lanes lined with fabulous Baltic Amber and gem shops.
We enjoyed discovering a completely different Polish experience characterized by what reminded me of a Dutch or Scandinavian influence and giving the city a different flavor than other parts of Poland we had visited. The city is a striking combination of a rapidly growing modern waterfront, ancient stone gates and tall historic buildings.
Even the marine smell of the cold Baltic wind constantly reminded us that we had left the verdant rolling farmland of Poland’s Silesia region and were in the far north of Poland at a historic sea-port and fresh Baltic sea-food is delicious!
Even the marine smell of the cold Baltic wind constantly reminded us that we had left the verdant rolling farmland of Poland’s Silesia region and were in the far north of Poland at a historic sea-port and fresh Baltic sea-food is delicious!
Gdansk is charming during the day, but it is absolutely magical at night!
We spent two days exploring the lovely old port city taking these photos to give you a tempting virtual tour of vibrant, growing and historic Gdansk. I hope you enjoy them and book your trip to Gdansk soon!
Look Below!
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