Royal Way

Starting off our Gdańsk guide is the Royal Way: an unofficial name for the main tourist route in Gdańsk, going through Długa Street and the Long Market, passing the City Hall, and ending at the Golden Gate, described later in the article. Being the main tourist route of the city, it is packed with restaurants, cafes, and urban life. Moreover, it is a great place to admire 16^th-century Polish architecture.

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Long Embankment

The place in Gdańsk you see on all photographs - the Long Embankment is a beautiful promenade stretching along the river with unique architecture and landmarks such as the Gdańsk Crane (more on it below). Just like the Royal Way, it is filled with bustling, charming restaurants, cafes, and monuments. The embankment also boasts views of breathtaking modern buildings located on the other side of the river.

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Neptune's Fountain

Located in the centre of Royal Way's Long Market, Neptune's Fountain has been standing since 1633. Thanks to its age, the fountain represents a very unique style of craftsmanship, rarely found in well-kept monuments. The symbol of Neptune refers to the bond of the city with the sea, and the many times the fountain has been damaged in conflict reflects the troubled history of Gdańsk.

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St. Mary's Church

Looming over the city since 1502, St. Mary's Church, or formally, the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an enormous Catholic church located in the centre of Gdańsk's Old Town. It is an icon of Gdańsk's panorama, and a must-see in Gdańsk. You can enter the church for free and witness its tall ceilings and beautiful gold accents and sculptures, so long as you are respectful and don't take too many photos.

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Gdańsk Crane

One of Gdańsk's oldest buildings, the Gdańsk Crane was constructed in 1444. It is also both the largest and oldest medieval naval crane. Initially, it was constructed for potential use in war - in the 17^th century, however, it was converted to artisan dwellings and living areas. In 1945, the wooden section of the crane was burned down, but was rebuilt after the war. Today, the crane is a symbol of the city and a must-see.

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Museum of the Second World War

Opened in 2017, it is undoubtedly one of the best museums in the world, devoted to Polish history during World War II. It is a highly interactive, modern museum, with life-sized recreations of Polish pre-war streets and Soviet tanks which served during that time. It is also home to an enigma machine, as well as Hitler's birthstone.

It costs 23 zł [5.4 EUR] to enter the museum. See more on the museum's official website.

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Golden Gate

The Golden Gate was constructed in 1612 and marks the end of the Royal Way. It is a beautiful, grand and extremely well-preserved piece of architecture which aims to represent the values strived for by Gdańsk's citizens - Pax (Peace), Libertas (Freedom), Fortuna (Luck), and Fama (Fame). It is equally beautiful during the day as during the night, and it is a great site for photography and, thanks to the incredible preservation, a place to appreciate truly how beautiful the past was.

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European Solidarity Centre

The centre is located in a beautiful, modern building that reflects the current architectural style of Gdańsk, and is devoted to a museum and a library to commemorate the history of Solidarity, the trade union movement that indirectly toppled communism in Poland, as well as other opposition movements on this side of the Iron Curtain.

It costs 20 zł [4.7 EUR] to enter the museum. See more on the museum's official website.

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our super low-budget picks

it's no bed of roses; it's no pleasure cruise - but these picks get the job done with dignity for a penny on the dollar.

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our low-budget picks

for those who want to spend the minimum, but not the bare minimum.

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our mid-budget picks

you don't want to miss out on any amenities, but you're not paying extra for fancy decor - this one's for you.

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our high-budget picks

for the ones who are coming to Poland for the trip of their lives - or just for the one's who always want the best of the best.

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Gdynia

Gdynia is a large city of 250 thousand located 20 kilometers north of Gdańsk. It boasts a beautiful beach, multiple piers with ship-monuments, a marina and aquarium, and a generally very different atmosphere from Gdańsk. Gdańsk has a touristy, big-city atmosphere, whereas Gdynia is a very accessible insight into Polish life outside of tourist centers. Last but not least, Gdynia's shipyard was arguably the starting point for the communism toppling movement and the Solidarity notion.

It takes about 30 minutes to drive to Gdynia from central Gdańsk by car, or about 20 minutes by regional train. The train will cost you 4 zł [0.8 EUR] each way.

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Hel

Poland's beach paradise - a 30-kilometer-long peninsula, called the Hel peninsula, in places as thin as 800 meters from side to side, stretching over the gulf of Gdańsk. Throughout the whole peninsula, you will find beautiful white-sand beaches, blue sea, and a lot of greenery. During the summer, the area is filled with holidaymakers from all over Poland, and the urban life begins to flourish.

The tip of the peninsula is located 100 kilometers away from Gdańsk by road, and it takes 90 minutes to drive there. However, it takes only 1 hour to get to the beginning of the peninsula. Quite amazingly, there is a train that goes all the way to the tip (to the actual city of Hel). Unfortunately, you have to change trains in Gdynia. The whole journey takes around 2 hours and costs 17 zł [4 EUR].

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Malbork Castle

Constructed in the late 13^th century, Malbork Castle is a castle erected by the Teutonic Order to be the home and shelter of the Grand Master of the Order. It is undoubtedly one of the largest and most fortified castles in Europe and listed in the UNESCO heritage register. The rough aesthetic of the castle, coupled with its rich history of conquest and its interesting interiors, make Malbork Castle a must-see for anyone visiting Northern Poland.

It takes about 45 minutes to go from central Gdańsk to Malbork by car. Alternatively, you can take a regional train, which takes a little over an hour and costs 16 zł [3.7 EUR]. There are also bullet trains servicing this route, but we do not recommend them in this case as they are much more expensive and the journey is only 10 minutes shorter.

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Słowiński National Park

Słowiński National Park is very unique in its terrain. It consists of hectares upon hectares of lightly-overgrown sand dunes, surrounded by beautiful forests, and with a large lake in the centre. What is more, part of the park is covered by moss, and the area also boasts beautiful sand-dune valleys and formations. For bird lovers, the park will be a paradise. Other animals, such as frogs, toads, and some mammals, such as beavers, seals, otters, badgers, hares, deer, bats, and, amazingly, porpoises.

The park is accessible mainly by car - it takes 90 minutes to get there and it's a 110-kilometer drive. For public transport lovers, it's best accessible through the city of Łeba, which is reachable by taking a train to Lębork for 13 zł [3.0 EUR], and then taking a bus to Łeba for 8 zł [1.9 EUR] - the whole trip takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes each way, but may well be worth it.

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Tucholskie Forests

There are a lot of great things about Tucholskie Forests. It is one of the largest collections of forests in Europe, and it boasts many fantastic landscapes, such as rivers, lakes, and, well forests. It is also home for many animal species, namely deer, boars, foxes, beavers, ad wolves. It's a great place to trek, have a picnic, observe animals and birds, or kayak.

Like most nature, the forests are best reachable by car. It takes about 90 minutes to go there from central Gdańsk. If you choose to take public transport, it is best to take a train to Laskowice Pomorskie and then a train to Osie, a small town and a great access point for the forests. This will take you about 2 hours and 30 minutes and cost you 35 zł [8.1 EUR] in total.