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Tourist Attractions
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The Długa Street and the Długi Targ Street
The Długa and Długi Targ Streets which are also known as Trakt Królewski (the Royal Route) rank among the most beautiful streets in Gdańsk. The wealthiest Gdańsk patricians used to live there and almost every tenement house has its own interesting history to tell. The oldest preserved houses date back to the Middle Ages, but most of the buildings were erected in modern times. Tenement houses on Długa Street are typical Gdańsk houses with narrow facades topped with gables or attics, richly decorated with coats of arms, allegoric figures and silhouettes of ancient heroes. The most important secular buildings - the Hall of the Main City and the Artus Court are located on Długi Targ Street. |
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The Neptune Fountain
The Neptune Fountain has stood in front of the Artus Court since 1633 and is a symbol of Gdańsk. It was built on the initiative of the Mayor of Gdańsk, Bartłomiej Schachmann. The model was prepared by Peter Husen and Johann Rogge, and it was cast in 1615 in Augsburg. The design of the whole fountain was prepared by Abraham van den Blocke. The ornamented grill surrounding the fountain dates back to 1634. In the years 1757-1761 Johann Karl Stender redecorated the basin and the base of the fountain in the Rococo style, by adding a large array of sea creatures. According to one of the Gdańsk legends it was Neptune himself who contributed to the creation of the famous Gdańsk liqueur called Goldwasser. He got angry at people throwing golden coins into the fountain and hit the water with his trident so hard that the gold fell to pieces, forming small golden flakes which now shine in the tasty herbal liqueur. |
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The Golden House
It is one of the most beautiful buildings in Gdańsk. It was erected in 1609 by the Jan Speyman, the Mayor of the city and at the same time a wealthy merchant and an open-minded patron of the arts, and his wife, Judyta (from the Bahra family). The construction was based on a design prepared by Abraham van den Blocke, who was also responsible for a part of the sculptural decorations which were completed in 1618. The house is famous for its richly-decorated façade. The legend goes that from time to time the corridors of the house are frequented by a luminous creature. It is a ghost of the beautiful Judyta Speymann whispering “Act justly, fear no one”. |
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The Golden Gate
Built in the years 1612-1614 according to a design drafted by Abraham van den Blocke, in the Renaissance style. Stone sculptures adorning the attic date back to 1648 and they were carved by Piotr Ringering. They present an allegory of citizen’s virtues: Prudence, Justice, Piety and Harmony. The building adjacent to the Golden Gate is the Manor of the St. George’s Guild, erected by J. Glotau in the years 1487-1494, in the late-Gothic style. |
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The Crane
The Crane over the Motlawa River is the most characteristic and unmistaken symbol of Gdańsk. Back in the Middle Ages it was the largest port crane in Europe handling cargo and putting up ship masts. It also served as an uncommon city gate. The reconstructed driving mechanism inside, still in working condition, is an immense wooden wheel originally propelled by men literally walking in it. Today the majestic Crane, a fine specimen of the historic port facilities, sets an excellent background for the rich collection of the National Maritime Museum. |
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St. Mary's Basilica
The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the largest brick church in the world, went through several stages of development over the period from 1343 to 1502. Its interior displays many exquisite pieces of Medieval and Baroque art, including the stone Pieta from about 1410, a copy of the Last Judgement by Hans Memling, the original canvas dating back to 1472, the astronomical clock built by Hans Düringer between 1464 and 1470 and the main altar put up between 1510 and 1517. The church is 105 m long, including the tower battlements, and the vaults soar 29m above floor level. The solid main tower is 77.6m high and it is crowned with a viewing gallery which enables visitors to enjoy a panoramic view of the city. In order to get there it is necessary to climb almost 400 steps!
Virtual tour |
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St. Mary's Street
It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful streets of Gdańsk. It leads from the St Mary's church to the Long Embankment with the Medieval St Mary's Gate. The street is an exquisite example of historic Gdansk urban planning with terraced entrances and narrow, richly decorated facades of houses which once belonged to affluent merchants and goldsmiths. The picturesque scenery of the place has always inspired writers and painters. It has also used as the scene of films. |
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The Royal Chapel
It was founded on the initiative of King Jan III Sobieski to serve as a temporary place of worship for the Catholics of St Mary's parish church, which at that time was held by Protestants. It is a masterpiece created by Barthel Ranisch, erected between 1678-1681, according to the design of the royal architect, Tylman of Gameren. The Baroque sculptures on the facade were carved by Andreas Schlüter. |
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The Highland Gate
It starts the so-called ‘Royal Route’, which takes you along Długa Street and the Długi Targ Street up to the Green Gate. Its builder, Hans Kramer of Saxony, erected it as a link in the chain of modern fortifications put up to frame the western city borders between 1574-1576. Initially made of brick, it gained its present shape in 1588 thanks to a transformation carried out by Willem van den Blocke, of Flemish origin. |
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The Hall of the Old City
Erected in the period from 1587 to 1595 by Anthony van Obbergen. The building displays the classic features of high quality Mannerist Flemish architecture. The interiors feature 17th century allegorical wall paintings by Adolf Boy, and allegoric ceiling paintings painted by the disciples of the Herman Han's school. |
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St. Catherine’s Church
It is the oldest parish church of the Old Town, erected between 1227-1239. First founded by the princes of Gdańsk Pomerania, it was substantially expanded in the 14th century. Until 1944 the church used to daze visitors with its internal decor brimming with Gothic, Mannerist, and Baroque treasures. Unfortunately it was destroyed in 1945. This historic building is now fully restored. Once inside, take a look at the paintings by Anton Möller and Izaak van den Blocke. A tombstone of the famous astronomer, Jan Hevelius, dating back to 1659, can also be found here. The 76-metre high church tower supports a fine carillon. The tower of the Church hosts the Museum of Tower Clocks.
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St. Nicolas Church
It is the oldest church in Gdańsk, erected in the late 12th century. In 1227 Świętopełk, Prince of Pomerania, bestowed the church on the Dominican friars, who were invited here through the persistent efforts of St. Jacek Odrowąż. The church combined with the monastery existed from 1348. This Gothic building was the only survivor of the wartime destruction. In the mid-15th century it was domed with a stellar vault and its towers were made higher. The interiors of the church hide rich, authentic, early Baroque decoration. |
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The Grand Mill
Built around mid-14th century on the Radunia canal, it was the largest Teutonic investment in Gdańsk. The structure combined three functions: that of a flour mill, a granary, and a bakery. It was equipped with 18 overshot water-wheels, each 5 m in diameter, which represented a great technical achievement for that time. |
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The Oliwa Cathedral
This Holy Trinity, Blessed Virgin Mary, and St Bernard's Church was first erected as a Cistercian shrine back in the 13th century. Reconstructed in 1350 after a great fire, it re-emerged in the Gothic style and has remained almost unaltered ever since. The Gothic interior was extremely damaged in the 1577 fire and was replaced with the Baroque fixtures we can admire today. Structurally, the cathedral is a triple-aisle, vaulted basilica built on the plan of the Latin cross. The Oliwa Cathedral is 107m long, which makes it the longest church in Poland. Its splendid decorative gems include the Rococo organ, dating from the period between 1763 and 1788. The organ was manufactured by Jan Wulf and Frydryk Rudolf Dalitz and when built, the instrument was considered the largest in Europe. |
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The New City Hall
The building was erected in the years 1898 - 1901 for the General Commandment of the Prussian Garrison in Gdańsk. After World War I and upon the establishment of the Free City of Gdańsk, in the years 1918-1939, the building was the seat of the High Commissioner of the League of Nations for the Free City of Gdańsk. After 1945 the building became the seat of the Municipal Committee of the Polish Worker’s Party. In 1957 it was transferred to the Seaside Students’ Club “Żak” and since 2000 it has become the seat of the Gdańsk City Council and was renamed as the New City Hall. |
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Monument to the Fallen Shipyard Workers
Three majestic crosses with anchors – symbols of hope – have been erected to commemorate the bloody victims of the workers' strikes in December 1970. The demand relative to erecting this monument at the shipyard’s gates was one of the most important postulates of the shipyard workers who went on strike in August 1980. The crosses are 42 m high and weigh 140 tons. All official delegations visiting Gdańsk lay flowers at the foot of this monument. |
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Gdańsk New Port Lighthouse
A lighthouse in New Port is one of the most beautiful lighthouses of Baltic Sea. It was commissioned in 1894, and it showed the entrance to Gdańsk port till 1984. In its interiors, beautifully kept historical optic devices and exhibition “Gdańsk lighthouses within years”. Also the view from its tower to Gdańsk Port, Westerplatte and the whole Gdańsk Bay, Gdynia and Hel, is very attractive. 27 meters lighthouse in New Port was built as a famous lighthouse erected in 1871 in Cleveland (USA). It was used for three purposes: as a lighthouse, tower of port pilots and basis of time sphere, removed in 1929. The last was an unusual instrument. Its rise and fall at noon, enabled precise setting of marine chronometers, necessary for a precise navigation, for the captains of ships being on roads. The lighthouse is open for the visitors from May to September. You will get more information at: www.latarnia.gda.pl . |
Date of publication: 26.06.2008 12:35
The last modification: 28.10.2011 08:34
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