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Gdansk

The historical amber capital 
One of the oldest and historically important cities in Poland sits on edge of the Baltic Sea. Gdansk, cradle of the Solidarity trade union led by the Nobel Peace prize-winner Lech Walesa, is remembered for the events that began in the shipyards in the eighties and led to the fall of the communist regime.
 
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The Royal Way
The oldest part of the city, from the Brama Wyzynna (Upland Gate) to the Zielona Brama (Green Gate), is an itinerary of a few hundred metres known as the “Royal Way”.
 
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Brama Wyzynna
Brama Wyzynna was part of the old city fortifications. Alongside the gate is the old arsenal of the city, a building that is considered one of the best examples of Dutch mannerist architecture in Gdansk
 
The Golden Gate
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Zlota Brama (Golden Gate) is located nearby, which leads to Dluga street, where the wealthiest inhabitants live. Uphagen House, which has been a museum for exactly one hundred years, stands out among the many buildings adorned with magnificent facades.
 
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Dlunga Street
Dluga Street ends at the Ratusz, the town hall built between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the interior of which is considered one of the richest in Europe. The town hall overlooks the most characteristic area of Gdansk – the old Dlugi Targ market – and a series of perfectly restored buildings.
 
Artù's Court
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Among these is Dwor Artusa (Arthur’s Court), with its splendid late-Gothic facade and large internal pavilion. An imposing statue of Neptune with Rococo decorations stands in front of the building. This has become a symbol of the city and is a much-visited meeting place.
 
The area of the old Dlugi Targ market is enclosed by the Green Gate, beyond which, along the Motlawa canal, is a road that leads to the old port.
 
Mariacka Gate
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Further along the sea front is the Mariacka Gate, which opens into the fairy-tale world of Mariacka Street, the most striking corner of the old city.
 
Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Copyright © Sisterscom.com / Shutterstock
Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The road ends with the majestic Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Gothic building that can hold 25,000 people.

 
Gdansk is the world capital of amber, thanks to the traditional and age-old art of working this natural product with therapeutic properties. Shops and galleries in the old centre sell amber necklaces and jewellery.

Around Gdansk
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Gdynia Copyright © Sisterscom.com / Shutterstock
 
Gdansk is part of an urban conglomeration that also consists of Sopot and Gdynia. This area is surrounded by one of the most attractive regions in Poland from a tourist point of view. A holiday and seaside area, filled with restaurants, cafes and night spots, Sopot is also known as the “Monte Carlo of the north”. The greatest attraction of this town is the pier: a wooden construction that extends out to sea for 500 metres. A few kilometres away lies Gdynia, with a beautiful sea front, site of one of the largest naval shipyards in the world.

Text by Luca Lembi
Updated by Alisè Vitri
Avion Tourism Magazine
Photos: Copyright © Sisterscom.com, Shutterstock
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Video: www.polonia.travel
 
 
 
Tourism Board
www.gdansk.pl
www.visitgdansk.com
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Where to sleep in Danzica
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Gdansk is a welcoming city and offers different possibilities for accommodation.

To find the ideal hotel and the best offers you can do a search for the stars but also for districts or landmarks.
 
STARS
Hotels for stars, differentiated by type of services:
 
WHERE TO GO In Gdansk
Monuments in Gdansk
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GOLDEN GATE

This is one of the most valuable monuments of late Renaissance architecture. The form and symbolism of the gate refer to classic traditions. Deprived of its original defensive functions, it became a triumphal arch, an allegory of the wealth and power of the city. During the years 1803-1872, the Golden Gate became the site of the School of Fine Arts.

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MAIN TOWN HALL

The Town Hall was built between 1379-1382 and survived several fires and a series of wars. In 1946 the reconstruction of the town hall was a difficult and today is considered as one of the outstanding Polish post-war conservation achievements. After the reconstruction, the City Hall houses the Historical Museum of Gdansk, which since 2000 has become the Museum of the History of Gdansk. Inside the Great Hall of the Council, the Red Room.

 
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ST. CATHERINE'S CHURCH

The St. Catherine's Church is the oldest parish church in the Old Town erected between 1227 and 1239 and later expanded in the 14th century. It was rebuilt after the destruction of 1945. Today in the church you can admire paintings by Anton Möller and Izaak van den Blocke. You can also observe the tombstone of the famous astronomer Jan Hevelius, dating back to 1659. The church tower, 76 meters high, supports a nice carillon and a museum.

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ST. MARY'S CHURCH

The largest brick church in Gdańsk, in Poland and also in the world, is St. Mary’s Church that is properly called the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is the most beautiful historic building in the city. It took 159 years for the construction of this majestic Church that encloses within centuries of history: a collection of Gothic altars and a golden altar in the center depicting the coronation of St. Mary and many biblical scenes.

 
Museums in Gdańsk
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TOWER CLOCK MUSEUM

The Museum collects and preserves the mechanisms of the clock tower. The accumulated collection spans the entire period of development of clock-making from the 15th to the 20th century. The Museum maintains a number of historical clocks situated in all over Poland and has also a unique bell playing instrument, a carillon to ring the bells. To date just 2 carillons are in Poland, in Gdańsk. One is in the Main Town Hall and the other in the tower of Saint Catherine’s Church.

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MUSEUM OF THE POLISH POST

 The Museum of Polish Post in Gdańsk was opened on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Nazi attack in Poland. Doctor Wincenty Kućma, a sculptor from Kraków Academy of Fine Arts, was the main designer of the monument. The most interesting exhibit in the museum concerns one of the ten post boxes, which on 5 January 1925 were installed on the buildings belonging to Polish authorities. The second room is dedicated to telecommunication technology.

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AMBER MUSEUM

In February 2000 Mr. Paweł Adamowicz, the Gdańsk City Mayor, established the creation of an Amber Museum as a branch of Gdansk History Museum. The official opening ceremony of the Amber Museum was held on June 8, 2006. The traditions of Gdańsk amber craftsmen are reflected especially in the monumental sculptures, decorations and everyday use items. Nowadays amber is used usually in jewellery.

 

 

Excursions in and around Gdansk
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MALBORK 

Malbork is located about 50 kilometres away from Gdańsk and was founded as a settlement around a castle that was built in 1274. the erection of which started in 1274. In 1309 the Great Master of the Order, Siegfried von Feuchtwagen, moved his residence from Venice to Malbork and thanks to this transfer, the castle and the city became the capital of the Teutonic state. The Malbork Castle  was enlarged and is considered as the largest Gothic fortress in Europe and was added to the list of World Cultural Heritage by Unesco in 1997.

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HEL PENINSULA
The Hel Peninsula is one of the kind natural and scenic peculiarity in Poland. The length of the peninsula is about 34 kilometres, while the width of the base area reaches from 200 to 500 meters, in the region of Jastarnia over 1,100 meters, while in Hel over 2,900 meters. The Hel Peninsula is the area of the highest number of sunny days during the year and where the winds are stronger. The Hel Peninsula offers many tourist attractions: an aquarium, the lighthouse of 1825, the Polish Navy Memorial Room and the Fisheries Museum.

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