Gdańsk city guide

Gdańsk is a compact city, but its small footprint brings together a bustling riverfront, historic shipyards and amber-lined streets. Rebuilt after the Second World War to restore its Hanseatic character, the city's scenery changes quickly. Painted façades give way to cranes that once powered Poland’s industrial boom, with warehouses now housing exhibition halls, former dock entrances beside glass-fronted hotels, old merchant buildings holding cafés and galleries, and courtyard bars tucked behind worn brick arches, twinkle with fairy lights.

Maksym Harbar

The Crane, Gdansk riverfront. 

Where the river meets the shipyard

The Motława River is the city's main stage. The medieval Crane leans over the water, a heavy timber structure that once lifted masts and cargo using huge walking wheels. The National Maritime Museum beside it gives a look inside, then a footbridge takes you across to Ołowianka Island where the SS Sołdek is moored. You can explore the post-war steamship with its narrow iron staircases and an engine room that still smells faintly of oil. Ringing the bell on deck is a rite of passage, and you hear it clanging throughout the day.

Polina Kuzovkova

The SS Soldek. 

On the water, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards weave between the tour boats, and bright pedalos move along the edges looking tiny under the shadow of the bigger vessels. Boat trips leave regularly from the riverfront, following the river that brought Gdańsk its prosperity. There are pirate ships with costumed crews and mulled wine in winter, restaurant boats that drift along at sunset and small traditional launches that are more like ferries. Most of them head out towards Westerplatte, the peninsula where the first shots of the Second World War were fired. The ruins and monument are sobering, and the journey there slips past working docks lined with huge shipping containers.

Adrienne Salmon

The Monument to the fallen Shipyard Workers 1970 at the European Solidarity Centre.

Further along the river, the European Solidarity Centre is a colossal rust-red building and the birthplace of the Solidarnośc (Solidarity) movement that spread across the country and helped bring down communist rule in Poland. The exhibition fills multiple floors and takes time to absorb. We spent almost five hours there, and it was worth every minute. The rooftop garden should be the final stop, opening out over the cranes, the shipyards and the city beyond. The Sala BHP next door has a small café with a small seating area, and the shop sells Solidarity posters, pins and books at fair prices, with proceeds supporting the union today.

Maksym Harbar

Mariacka Street.

Baltic Gold

Mariacka Street is the centre of Gdańsk’s Baltic amber trade. The fossilised resin found along the coast has been worked and sold here for centuries. It’s also one of the most photographed streets in the city, so you might find yourself weaving between people posing for selfies. The townhouses are raised above street level, with deep porches and gargoyle drains protruding from the bannisters, giving the whole street a theatrical feel. Amber shops line both sides and people stroll from stall to stall, picking up pieces and deciding between conker brown and honey tones. The best time to wander it is early morning or early evening when the crowds thin.

Adrienne Salmon

The amber altar at St. Bridget’s Church.

A 10-minute walk away, St Bridget’s Church holds the city’s most remarkable amber work: an altar made from more than a tonne of the resin, carved into sweeping shapes that catch the light from every angle. It was designed by local artists and funded through donations from parishioners and families of shipyard workers affected by the 1980s strikes.

Just as lavish, but drinkable, is Goldwasser. The city’s spiced liqueur, flecked with real gold leaf, tastes slightly herbal with a sweet edge, and is best served ice-cold. Goldwasser Brasserie, nearby Mariacka Street on the waterfront, serves it straight from the freezer and is a fitting place to pause after time spent among the stalls.

Kristina Davliud

Drukarnia cafe. 

Food and drink

Gdańsk eats well, and the range of food swings from traditional Polish comfort to modern, playful cooking. Down by the river, Targ Rybny - Fishmarkt serves Baltic fish straight from the morning boats. Sit outdoors if you can, no matter the weather, and watch the boats slide past while you wait. The halibut fried in butter is simple and elegant, and the herring three ways is the kind of coastal dish with traditional ingredients that gives you a sense of place. 

Kawiarnia Drukarnia is one of the best spots for coffee and an afternoon pause, tucked partway along Mariacka Street. It feels slightly apart from the flow of visitors moving up and down the street outside, with a calm interior that suits reading, writing or simply admiring your new amber necklace. They roast their own beans and serve filter coffees with precision, alongside a host of flaky pastries.

Aw58/CC BY-SA 4.0

A bowl of pierogi.

Mandu is the stop if you want pierogi done properly. They hand-pinch every dumpling and the menu runs from classic potato and cheese to duck with red cabbage, seasonal wild mushroom and some excellent vegan options. There are also sweet pierogi filled with berries, which arrive glossy and warm. They have a couple of locations that fill up quickly, so booking in advance is a good idea.

On Św. Ducha Street, Manna 68 is a vegan and vegetarian restaurant where reworked Polish dishes are the stars. I can still taste their delicious white bean and prune ‘lard’, a plant-based take on the classic smalec spread, served with bread, crispy onions and pickled cucumber. It's perfect alongside the warm and comforting Silesian dumplings with wild mushroom sauce.

The Oliwa cocktail and raspberry beer at Zaułek Zappio Pub.

For a tipple, Zaułek Zappio Pub sits tucked into a courtyard under the shadow of a church, just behind the main streets. Strings of lights wrap through the trees and the bar serves Polish beer alongside imaginative cocktails built around traditional liqueurs. My favourite was the Oliwa, a sweet and refreshing apple, honey and Żubrówka (bison grass) vodka creation. It only opens until around 21:00, which makes it the ideal spot for an early drink before heading out to dinner by the water.

Hotel Hanza

Hotel Hanza. 

To stay

The best places to stay in Gdańsk put you close to the river and within easy walking distance of the main sights. Hotel Hanza sits right on the promenade beside the medieval Crane, with many rooms looking out over the boats on the Motława. Inside, the style is comfortable and classic, with big windows and plenty of space. Breakfast was my highlight, with hot dishes, a wide spread of breads, cheeses and pickles, and even a champagne station if you fancy a mimosa to start the day. The terrace opens directly onto the river, and the restaurant is also a great dinner spot. 

Fama Residence

Fama Residence.

Fama Residence sits at the upper end of Długa, right beside the grand city gate, so you step straight out into one of the busiest stretches of the Old Town. The street outside can be lively, but inside it stays quiet. The rooms are simple and comfortable rather than design-led, and many look out onto the painted terraces that line the street. The building itself is decorated with the traditional mural style seen across Gdańsk, and the whole place has an easy, informal feel. There is also a small late-night bar downstairs with a South American-esque vibe.

Giuseppe Gurrieri

Sopot.

Where next

Gdańsk’s easy rail connections make onward travel straightforward. Local trains run up the coast every few minutes and put Sopot and Gdynia within reach for simple day trips. Sopot has a long sandy beach and the wooden pier stretching far into the Baltic, packed with walkers in the early evening. Gdynia is younger and modernist, built during Poland’s interwar period, with a waterfront lined with seafood spots and outdoor swimming in the summer. 

Heading inland, the city of Toruń works better as an overnight stop. It’s small and medieval, full of Gothic towers and gingerbread shops and narrow streets that reward aimless wandering. 

If you are travelling further afield, Poznań is around four hours by train and makes a natural next step, full of bright market squares, student energy and a food scene that punches above its size. From there, or Gdańsk directly, the rail network spreads across the country to Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław and beyond. 

Travel to Gdansk and Northern Poland on a slow travel adventure, or check out other trips to Poland by train. 

Read more about the art of slow travel, or why we love taking the local train.

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