Gdansk Pomerania
5
Day Itinerary •
Poland
Five days in Gdansk and Pomerania takes you to the most extraordinary Baltic port city in Poland and the dramatic coastline and lakes of northern Poland. Gdansk's remarkable Long Market, the extraordinary medieval Crane on the Motlawa river and the fine St Mary's Church, the largest brick Gothic church in the world, make it one of the most beautiful cities in Central Europe and the birthplace of the Solidarity movement. This route covers the complete Gdansk and Pomerania experience. The extraordinary Gdansk Old Town and the remarkable Solidarity European Solidarity Centre, the fine Westerplatte where WWII began, the outstanding Malbork Castle, the largest brick castle in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the remarkable Slowinski National Park with its extraordinary moving sand dunes and the fine Kashubian Lake District.
Best Time To Visit
May to September
Getting There
Gdansk Lech Walesa Airport (GDN)
Getting Around
Walking in city, train to Malbork, bus to coast
Budget Per Day
Approx 200 to 400 PLN per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, mostly walking
DAY 1
GDANSK OLD TOWN
MORNING
GDANSK LONG MARKET AND GOLDEN GATE
Gdansk's extraordinary Dluga Street and Dlugi Targ, the Long Market, is the finest main street in Poland. The remarkable Golden Gate at the western end, the outstanding Neptune Fountain in the centre and the extraordinary Artus Court with its fine Renaissance facade make the Long Market one of the most remarkable public spaces in the Baltic. The remarkable coloured merchant houses, rebuilt after WWII, and the fine Town Hall with the golden King Sigismund III are outstanding. Free. Travel: 15 min walk
MIDDAY
ST MARY'S CHURCH AND CRANE
St Mary's Church, the largest brick Gothic church in the world with space for 25,000 worshippers, is the most extraordinary building in Gdansk. The remarkable astronomical clock from 1470, the fine Hans Memling altarpiece and the outstanding view from the 78-metre tower over the entire city are all remarkable. The medieval Crane on the Motlawa river, the finest surviving medieval port crane in the world, is the most photographed structure in Gdansk. Entry church free, crane approx 15 PLN. Travel: 5 min walk
AFTERNOON
DLUGA POBRZEZE AND RIVER WALK
The waterfront promenade along the Motlawa river from the Crane south to the Green Bridge is the finest walk in Gdansk. The remarkable granaries on Spichlerze Island opposite, the extraordinary wooden boats moored along the quay and the outstanding amber shops in the medieval granary buildings make it the most atmospheric area of the city. The fine Museum of Amber in the Prison Tower is the finest amber collection in Poland. Entry approx 20 PLN.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Gdansk Shipyard Gate No. 2, the entrance through which the Solidarity movement's August 1980 strikes were organised, is the most historically significant industrial gate in the world. The remarkable monument to the fallen shipyard workers stands outside. Free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe Ferber, Dluga The finest traditional cafe on the most beautiful street in Gdansk. | Lunch: Targ Rybny fish market Fresh Baltic herring at the finest fish market in northern Poland. | Dinner: Pod Lososiem, Szeroka Street The finest traditional Polish restaurant in Gdansk since 1598.
DAY 2
SOLIDARITY AND WESTERPLATTE
MORNING
EUROPEAN SOLIDARITY CENTRE
The European Solidarity Centre, opened in 2014 in a remarkable building on the site of the Gdansk Shipyard, is the finest museum of the democratic resistance movement in Europe. The extraordinary exhibition tells the remarkable story of the Solidarity trade union founded in 1980 under Lech Walesa, whose remarkable movement helped end communist rule across Central Europe. The outstanding collection of shipyard strike artefacts and the remarkable first Solidarity agreement are deeply moving. Entry approx 30 PLN. Travel: 15 min walk
MIDDAY
WESTERPLATTE, WHERE WWII BEGAN
Westerplatte, the peninsula at the mouth of the Vistula where the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein fired the first shots of World War II at 4:47am on 1 September 1939, is the most historically significant military site in Poland. The extraordinary ruins of the garrison where 182 Polish soldiers held out for seven days against 3,500 German attackers, the remarkable monument and the outstanding military cemetery are all deeply moving. Bus from Gdansk centre. Free. Travel: Bus from centre
AFTERNOON
OLIWA CATHEDRAL AND PARK
Oliwa Cathedral in the Gdansk suburb of Oliwa, with its extraordinary baroque organ, the finest in Poland and among the finest in Europe, is the most remarkable building in the Gdansk area. The remarkable weekly organ concerts in summer, when the extraordinary moving angels and astronomical decorations of the organ case come to life, are the finest free musical experience in northern Poland. The outstanding Oliwa park beside the cathedral is excellent. Entry cathedral free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Zuraw Crane on the Motlawa at night, illuminated against the dark river with the coloured merchant houses behind, is the finest photograph in Gdansk. The view from the opposite bank at Spichlerze Island is outstanding. Free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Gdansk hotel Good breakfast before the Solidarity Centre. | Lunch: Westerplatte or Oliwa cafe Simple lunch at the historic peninsula or cathedral. | Dinner: Filharmonia Baltycka area The finest new dining district in Gdansk.
DAY 3
MALBORK CASTLE AND SOPOT
MORNING
MALBORK CASTLE UNESCO
Malbork Castle, 60km south of Gdansk by train, is the largest castle in the world by land area and the finest example of brick Gothic architecture on earth. The extraordinary Teutonic Knights fortress built from 1274, the remarkable Grand Master's Palace, the outstanding amber collection and the extraordinary scale of the three-castle complex make it the finest castle in Poland and one of the finest UNESCO sites in Europe. Entry approx 60 PLN. Travel: 45 min train
MIDDAY
MALBORK TOWN AND NOGAT RIVER
The fine town of Malbork below the extraordinary castle has the most remarkable medieval bridge over the Nogat river and the outstanding view of the castle from the east bank is the finest in Poland. The remarkable St John's Church adjacent to the castle complex and the fine town market square are both outstanding. Return to Gdansk for the afternoon. Free. Travel: Train back
AFTERNOON
SOPOT PIER AND BALTIC BEACHES
Sopot, 15 minutes by train from Gdansk, has the most extraordinary pier in the Baltic, stretching 516 metres into the sea and the longest in Europe. The remarkable Sopot beach, the fine Monte Cassino Street with its extraordinary Art Nouveau buildings and the outstanding Baltic seawater bathing make it the finest seaside resort in northern Poland. The remarkable Sopot Forest Opera venue is the finest open-air concert venue in Poland. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Sopot lighthouse, the oldest surviving lighthouse on the Polish Baltic coast, gives the finest view of the Bay of Gdansk from the observation platform. Entry approx 10 PLN.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Gdansk hotel Early breakfast before the Malbork train. | Lunch: Malbork cafe Simple lunch in the town below the largest castle in the world. | Dinner: Sopot seaside restaurant Fresh Baltic fish on the finest seaside promenade in northern Poland.
DAY 4
SLOWINSKI MOVING DUNES
MORNING
SLOWINSKI NATIONAL PARK MOVING DUNES
The Slowinski National Park UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, 90km west of Gdansk, contains the most extraordinary moving sand dune landscape in Europe. The remarkable Leba Dunes, up to 42 metres high and moving up to 10 metres per year, slowly burying the forest behind them, create an extraordinary desert-like landscape beside the Baltic Sea. The outstanding walk across the dunes to the sea is one of the finest in northern Poland. Bus from Leba. Entry approx 6 PLN. Travel: 1.5 hours bus
MIDDAY
LEBA SEASIDE TOWN
Leba, the extraordinary fishing town at the entrance to the Slowinski Park, has the finest combination of Baltic beach and the remarkable dune landscape of any town on the Polish coast. The outstanding Leba beach stretching for kilometres east of the town and the remarkable amber collected on the shore after storms make it the finest beach destination in northern Poland. The fine traditional fish restaurants of Leba are outstanding. Free. Travel: 15 min walk
AFTERNOON
RETURN AND GDANSK EVENING
Return to Gdansk for a final evening in the most beautiful city in northern Poland. The extraordinary Long Market at sunset, when the remarkable colours of the rebuilt merchant houses glow in the Baltic light and the fine outdoor cafes fill with visitors and locals, is the finest single sight in Gdansk. A final amber purchase on Dluga Street and the outstanding local Zywiec beer on the waterfront make the perfect farewell. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Lake Lebsko in the Slowinski Park, the largest coastal lake in Poland and home to remarkable white-tailed eagles and the finest birdwatching in northern Poland, is accessible by bicycle or boat from Leba. Entry park approx 6 PLN.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Gdansk hotel Good breakfast before the Leba bus. | Lunch: Leba fish restaurant Fresh Baltic herring and flounder in the finest beach town in Poland. | Dinner: Gdansk Long Market cafe Final evening on Poland's most beautiful street.
DAY 5
KASHUBIA AND FAREWELL
MORNING
KASHUBIAN LAKE DISTRICT
The Kashubian Lake District, the most extraordinary inland landscape near Gdansk, is a region of remarkable glacial lakes, fine traditional wooden villages and the outstanding Kashubian culture with its remarkable language, the only regional language officially recognised in Poland. The extraordinary Kaszubski Ethnographic Park at Wdzydze Kiszewskie, an open-air museum of traditional Kashubian farm buildings, is outstanding. Entry park approx 20 PLN. Travel: 45 min drive
MIDDAY
GDANSK NATIONAL MUSEUM
The Gdansk National Museum in the former Franciscan monastery has the finest collection of Flemish and Dutch paintings in Poland outside Warsaw, including the extraordinary Hans Memling Last Judgement, the finest 15th-century painting in northern Europe. The remarkable collection of Gdansk furniture, the outstanding goldsmith work and the fine collection of portraits from the golden age of the Hanseatic city are all outstanding. Entry approx 25 PLN. Travel: 45 min drive back
AFTERNOON
FINAL GDANSK WATERFRONT WALK
A final afternoon on the extraordinary Gdansk waterfront, perhaps visiting the extraordinary Green Gate and the fine Granary Island development, ending on the remarkable Long Market for a final Polish beer and pierogi. The extraordinary combination of medieval grandeur, Hanseatic maritime history and the remarkable Solidarity legacy make Gdansk one of the finest and most historically resonant cities in Europe. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Gdanski Bar Mleczny, the finest milk bar in Poland serving traditional Polish canteen food at extraordinary prices, is the finest budget lunch in Gdansk. Bigos and pierogi for about 25 PLN. Unmissable.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Gdansk hotel Final Gdansk breakfast. | Lunch: National Museum or Old Town Good Polish lunch near the finest museum in Gdansk. | Dinner: Final waterfront dinner Farewell to the finest Baltic city. Pod Lososiem or Gdanski Bar Mleczny.
Where To Stay
Gdansk Old Town, all nights Stay within walking distance of Dluga. Approx 150 to 350 PLN per night. Sopot option Sopot has more beach resort atmosphere. 15 minutes to Gdansk by train. Booking ahead Book 4 weeks ahead in summer. Gdansk is very popular in July and August.
Top Tips
1. Malbork Castle is the largest in the world. Allow at least 3 hours for the full tour.
2. The Solidarity Centre is one of the finest museums in Europe. Book tickets online.
3. Sopot is 15 minutes by SKM train from Gdansk Glowny. Buy a day pass for all three cities.
4. Gdansk amber is the finest in the world. Buy from reputable shops on Dluga Street.
5. The Slowinski Moving Dunes are most dramatic in wind. Visit in the morning for best light.
6. Gdansk bar mleczny milk bars are the finest budget food in Poland. Bigos for 20 PLN.
Total Budget
270 to 560 PLN/day