Poland
Gdańsk is the Baltic port where Europe's twentieth century both began and turned.
On the Westerplatte peninsula the first shots of the Second World War were fired in September 1939, and in the shipyard a few kilometres away the strikes of August 1980 gave birth to Solidarity, the movement that helped bring down communism across the region. In between lies one of the loveliest old towns in northern Europe: the Royal Route of gabled merchant houses, Neptune's Fountain on the Long Market, the giant brick bulk of St Mary's Basilica and a riverside lined with granaries and the medieval Crane. The city wears its history openly, with two of Poland's most powerful museums, the Museum of the Second World War and the European Solidarity Centre, and it is also an easy base for the rest of the coast: Sopot's long wooden pier and sandy beach are a short commuter train away, and the vast Teutonic castle at Malbork makes a superb day trip. This guide books it properly, with the closing days and winter timetables that catch visitors out, the tours worth taking, and a hotel to match every budget, from a 1920s grand hotel by the sea to a smart budget base by the station.
European Solidarity Centre
A striking rust-clad museum beside the historic Gdańsk Shipyard gate that tells the story of the Solidarity movement, from the strikes of 1980 to the peaceful fall of communism, through film, objects and the voices of those who took part.
Museum of the Second World War
One of the largest and most moving history museums in Europe, set in a tilted tower by the Motława, with a vast underground exhibition that tells the story of the war through the experience of soldiers and, above all, civilians.
Malbork Castle
The colossal red-brick fortress of the Teutonic Knights on the Nogat river, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest brick castle in the world, an easy train ride from Gdańsk and the best day trip on the coast.
Sopot Pier and Beach
The longest wooden pier in Europe, reaching about half a kilometre into the Baltic from the elegant spa town of Sopot, with a sandy beach, a yacht harbour at its tip and a lively main street, a short train ride from Gdańsk.
The grand processional way through Gdańsk's Main Town, from the city gates along Long Street and the Long Market to the Green Gate and the river, lined with gabled merchant houses, the Town Hall, Artus Court and Neptune's Fountain.
A striking rust-clad museum beside the historic Gdańsk Shipyard gate that tells the story of the Solidarity movement, from the strikes of 1980 to the peaceful fall of communism, through film, objects and the voices of those who took part.
One of the largest and most moving history museums in Europe, set in a tilted tower by the Motława, with a vast underground exhibition that tells the story of the war through the experience of soldiers and, above all, civilians.
The wooded peninsula at the mouth of the harbour where the first shots of the Second World War were fired in 1939, now a memorial site with ruined barracks, a monumental memorial and a new museum being built in stages.
The colossal red-brick church that towers over Gdańsk's Main Town, one of the largest brick churches in the world, with a soaring white interior, a fifteenth-century astronomical clock and, from spring to autumn, a tower climb with the best view in town.
The colossal red-brick fortress of the Teutonic Knights on the Nogat river, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest brick castle in the world, an easy train ride from Gdańsk and the best day trip on the coast.
FreeThe longest wooden pier in Europe, reaching about half a kilometre into the Baltic from the elegant spa town of Sopot, with a sandy beach, a yacht harbour at its tip and a lively main street, a short train ride from Gdańsk.
A private two-hour cruise for up to twelve people from the Main Town riverside, gliding past the granaries, the medieval Crane and the shipyard with a drink in hand, the most relaxed way to see Gdańsk from the water.
A ninety-minute guided tasting in the Main Town with six Polish vodkas paired with traditional food bites and the stories behind them, starting on the Long Market, a lively introduction to Poland's national spirit.
A two-and-a-half-hour guided walk through Gdańsk's beer scene, with a brewery visit and three freshly brewed beers, then a craft beer pub and a flight of Polish beers, starting on the Long Market.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
Sopot
The grand hotel of the Polish Baltic, built in 1927 right beside Sopot's pier, with a private beach, an outdoor and an indoor pool, an art deco cocktail bar and sea views, a short train ride from Gdańsk.
Rates on Expedia →
$$$Motława Riverside
A five-star hotel in a seventeenth-century granary and a modern marina wing on the Motława riverside, with the city's oldest craft brewery, a Balinese spa and the Main Town just across the water.
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$$Granary Island
A stylish, design-led hotel on Granary Island with over two hundred soundproofed rooms, a spa with a sauna, the Magari restaurant and a bar with a view, a few minutes' walk from the Long Market.
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$$Old Town
A dependable four-star in the Old Town district, a five-minute walk from the historic centre and close to the main station, with the Winestone restaurant, a fitness room, air conditioning and secure parking.
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$Old Town
A smart, good-value budget hotel in the Old Town district, five minutes on foot from both the historic centre and the main station, with air conditioning, an early buffet breakfast, a restaurant and on-site parking.
Rates on Expedia →The practical primer for a first trip to Gdańsk: which tickets and tours to book ahead, the closing days and winter timetables that catch visitors out, getting around the Tricity by train and tram, how many days you need and how Malbork, Sopot and Westerplatte fit in.
The best areas to stay in Gdańsk for first-timers, couples and families, from the Motława riverside and Granary Island to the Old Town district by the station and the seaside at Sopot, with honest notes on convenience, noise and price, and a recommended hotel in each.
