Wonderful Gdansk - Eugenio Popakul. Date of travel: Aug 2006
In summer 2006 we travelled to Poland and did a trip from Torun to Gdansk. We all loved this city. Gdansk is the most beautiful city on the Baltic Sea. Old town is a real pearl - full of colourful and rich Hanseatic houses and churches. Old town is full of tourists and actors. We ate in restaurant Sphinx, food was very tasty. Next we went by a car to the beach of Gdansk, - clean, water was warm. Very very nice. Gdansk is worth a visit!!

GDANSK OK..... - DIANE. Date of travel: Apr 2006
Gdansk OK, but as a lone woman traveller found Polish women attitude left a lot to be desired, but male population seemed very helpful. Tour Operator: OWN ARRANGEMENT

Gdansk - Tomek Gwiazda. Date of travel: Jul 2004
The thousand-year-old Gdansk is considered as the most monument-abounding city of the "Baltic Europe". You must know that Gdansk is a Hanseatic (a town belonging to the Hanseatic League - a medieval league of towns of Northern Germany and adjacent countries for the promotion and protection of commerce). Most of the monuments in Gdansk are placed near the heart of its Old Town District, around the Long Street, streets parallel to it, and the Long Quay. The best place to start your trip appears to the Upland Gate and the King's Road stretching beyond it. Having crossed The Upland Gate, you'll find the Torture Tower (Katownia), which is planned to house a museum of amber soon. Next in line is the Golden Gate and, next to it, Manor of the Society of St. George. When you pass the Golden Gate and turn Left you will have possibilitty to visit Kabaretu It's best to do it on evening. People says Paris has its Moulin Rouge, Gdansk has kabaret Ewan. Long Street is main track of the town, where you'll be enchanted by the beautiful renovated XVI - XVII century houses, one of them being the Uphagen's House (Dom Uphagena) - Museum of History of Gdansk. All those venerable buildings are towered over by the beautiful and monumental Main Town Hall. Walk inside, and you will not regret it - the splendid interior was renovated not so long ago. You can also view Flash animation with rebuilding Town Hall history. Nearby, on the Long Market you'll find the symbol of Gdansk - Neptune's fountain. Behind it is the beautiful Artus' Court and the New House of the Court with The Lady from the Window the amazing Golden House. Tip: There is a place on the Long Market from which you can see three Neptune's statues - try to find it! If you would like to feel like you are here now - take a look for Panoramic View of long Market Feeling thirsty? Or hungry? We recommend a nearby pub, called Jazz Club, where you can rest for a while and gather strength to continue your trip. At the end of the Long Market, you'll find the Green Gate (Zielona Brama), with the picturesque Long Quay stretching beyond it and the Granary Island (unfortunately stillin ruins) opposite the Long Quay. The Central Maritime Museum (Centralne Muzeum Morskie) is located on the quay. During your walk on the Long Quay, you will pass Gdansk Harbor. You can come back here in a while when you feel like taking a boat trip to Sopot, Gdynia or Hel. But don't look only at the ships on your right, or else you will miss another great monument on your left - the Crane. And of course - St. Mary's Gate (Brama Mariacka) which reveals a street of the same name, considered to be one of the most beautiful in Europe and leading to Poland's biggest church, St. Mary's Church (Bazylika Mariacka). While you're around, you mustn't miss the Archeological Museum (Muzeum Archeologiczne), the most important archeological institution in northern Poland, with its collection composed of 27 thousand archaeological, ethnographical, numismatical and natural exhibits. The museum also offers a quick, impressive tour of its tower, from which you can see a fine panorama of Gdansk. If you wish to taste traditional Gdansk food, please visit the restaurants. If you feel like grabbing some fish, try out Tawerna - Gdansk's finest fish restaurant. If you don't have time or money for such fancies, please visit La Pasta or Primavera pizzerias, or some inexpensive eatery - we recommend Bar Turystyczny, "Tao-Tao" or "Smok" (the Dragon). That's not the end of interesting places in Gdansk. There are still a few left, one of them being undoubtedly the Old Town Hall, whose cellar conceals two cozy places: A restaurant, and in the lower basement - the Irish Pub. If you lost your orientation during your reading - take a look for Interactive Map of Old Town. Another place worth seeing is the Three Crosses Monument - a homage to dockyard workers, who died in December 1970 in Gdansk. Near the Monument, Gdansk Dockyard's BHP Hall houses the "Ways to freedom" exhibition, where you can return to the old times and see a store where the only goods you could buy were tomato sauce and vinegar. You'll also be amazed to see an antique telephone box and other things which are all a part of the past now. If you are interested in finding out more about Gdansk monuments, please visit the National Museum, and if you have time - check out Westerplatte. Take a look on the plan of Polish Point of defence, when Second World War started You may have problems with reaching the Fortress and Westerplatte on foot, so check the bus schedules (bus line 106). Another one of Gdansk districts is also worth a visit - Oliwa. You can admire The Oliwa Cathedral there, and enjoy the music of its famous baroque organs. The cathedral hosts numerous organ concerts in the summer. We recommend a walk through the lovely Oliwa Park, with its Exotic Palm House (Palmiarnia) where guests of the Polish Chamber Choir often perform. While still in Oliwa, please stop by at the Abbot's Palace and the Ethnographical Museum, or at the famous Oliwa Zoo, which is the largest in Poland. An Interactive Map of Old Oliwa can help you with object location. After kilometres of walk it's a good idea to take a long rest at the seaside. Here's a plan of Gdansk beaches Sopot - a genuine seaside health resort centre. Sopot has a great geographical location - lying between the beautiful woods of the TriCity Landscape Park, and the numerous sand beaches of the Bay of Gdansk. Sopot is known for its sanitaria and countless artists and tourists, who visit the city especially during summertime. The Monte Casino Heroes Street, the center of Sopot, being in fact a promenade where cars cannot drive. On both sides of the street there are countless XIX - XXth-century houses, some of them housing pubs or restaurants today. To discover the real charm of the town, turn into one of Monte Casino's side streets, where you're bound to admire numerous art nouveau houses, antique parks and gardens. One of such beautiful streets shelters the splendid Sierakowskich Manor (Dworek Sierakowskich) - today the seat of Sopot's Friends' Society. At the end of Monte Casino you'll find the Wooden Pier (Molo). It is the longest wooden pier in Europe. During summertime, for a small fee you can enter the pier, and admire the coastline. You'll be amazed at the sight of Grand Hotel (one of the largest and most impressive in the TriCity) on one side, and Zhong Hua Chinese Hotel on the other, where South Baths used to be. In summer, there are jazz concerts on the hotel's terrace every Thursday. Another destination for a long walk are the Castle Hill Caves, Sopot's oldest historic site and the only monument of this kind located in the center of a contemporary European city. The Forest Opera is also an interesting place, famous for its interwar Wagner concerts, and since 1961 - for the International Song Festivals. Another place worth a visit is the horse racetrack, situated between Gdansk and Sopot, built over a hundred years ago, and occupying a surface of 33ha, which used to host international horseracing events of European renown. When you are in Sopot it good idea to visit Aqua Park Gdynia is a young, but quickly expanding harbor city situated just at the seashore, offering many tourist attractions as well as splendid shopping opportunities and a lot of entertainment. The city was founded as a Polish harbor in 1926. Because of its unusual location, you will easily catch great views of the sea and beautiful scenery, and also find long stroll sidewalks, beautiful waterfronts, marinas and yacht clubs. Gdynia is the only city in Poland and one of the few in Europe to pride on such a long and accessible seashore. The city has a good transportation system, so you won't have any problems reaching Gdynia from either of the other cities. You can get here by SKM trains, or by car. Kosciuszki square is the sightseeing center of Gdynia. The ships moored in dockyards , like the ORP destroyer ("Lightning") or Dar Pomorza (the Pomeranian Gift) for instance, are the biggest tourist attractions. If you are looking for a good time tonight then "GEMINI" - Gdynia's largest entertainment center - is the place for you. In summertime you can embark on a tourist ship "Viking II", which offers sightseeing cruises around the Bay of Gdañsk in the daytime, while at night it serves as a boat-restaurant. Scenes that you could otherwise admire only in the depths of the oceans offered by The Maritime Museum and Aquarium (Oceanarium) will leave you speechless. Now we recommend taking a walk along the Seaside Promenade (Bulwar Nadmorski), or visiting the nearby Contrast Cafe for a beer. You can enjoy the beautiful panorama of the harbor and of the city from the top Stony Mount, easily recognizable by the large cross on its top. On your way to the mountain, you will pass the famous Musical Theatre (Theatre Muzyczny), which stages the world's most-famed musicals (you may still be able to get a ticket - check tonight's shows). Another famous place is the Municipal Theatre (Teatre Miejski), with its Summer Stage (Scena Letnia) on the beach where all shows are accompanied by the gentle humming of the waves. Jazz artists from all over the world often perform in Sax Club, placed in the main building of the Theatre. Gdynia is also a great city for shopping. The most attractive places for spending your money is Starowiejska street. There is a modern and exclusive shopping centre named "Batory", where luxurious shops and state-of-the-art architecture intermingle.