Gdansk, Poland

Prior to arriving at the Port of Gdynia, we decided to book a tour to travel into the historic city of Gdansk.  While we generally prefer to travel on our own, the transit to the nearby city was a little complicated.  With only a 6 1/2 hour travel window, we didn’t want to miss a train in Gdansk and then miss the departure of our cruise ship.  

Gdynia is a young city, founded as a Polish harbor in 1927.  Origins for nearby Gdansk go back to the 10th century.  Throughout the centuries power went back and forth between Prussian and Hanseatic (German) rule.  Due to German control of the country during World War II, and the port and shipbuilding interest in Gdansk, the city was bombed almost into oblivion.  90% of the city was destroyed.  Rebuilding following the war began in the early ’50s when the country was under Russian domination.  The stark, ugly architecture of the Soviet era is still present in many parts of the city.  A small handful of structures in the historic center survived the bombings, but some are still undergoing renovations.  Rebuilding in the “old town” started in the 1980s, with architects, historians, and city planners trying to replicate what had existed in the Middle Ages.  

Traveling by bus from the cruise port, it took a surprising hour to travel the 15 miles to the center of Gdansk.  Throughout the drive, our guide provided us with a detailed history of Poland and the area, but also pointed out countless points of interest along the route.  Upon arrival, we followed our guide for the next 90 minutes and then had another hour to explore on our own.  We started our walk at the Green Gate (it’s brick and not green at all).  At the opposite end of the picturesque, cobblestoned Dluga Street (Main Street) is the Golden Gate built between 1612-1614.  Sandwiched in between the gates are dozens of beautiful townhomes and shops with Dutch designs, all but 2 or 3 are totally new structures replicating the originals.  In the center is the City Hall featuring a clock visible from many parts in the old town.  Other highlights along the street are the Neptune Fountain and the nearby Artus Court where merchants met.  While the historic center is accurately rendered and beautiful, it does have a Disney feel to it.  

Nearby St. Mary’s Church, built in the 15th century, sustained some damage in the 1940s and is still undergoing renovation, but the structure and the large gold altar were largely intact.  As the largest brick, Gothic church in Europe, it will hold up to 25,000 worshipers.  La Pieta, in the church, is the oldest in the world, predating the world-renowned version by Michelangelo. 

Amber, a fossil resin, is not really a gemstone, but is widely used to create jewelry and is mined and processed in the Baltic region.  Dozens of vendors were offering their creations for sale throughout this district. On our exit from the city, we passed the city’s enclosed stadium which is covered in large, amber-colored tiles.  The adjacent public transport is topped with the same tiling.  

When heading back to the ship, we passed the Gdansk shipyard.  At this site in December 1970, dozens of shipyard workers were killed by the military when soldiers fired into the crowd of protesting workers.  A monument to the workers killed was erected at the shipyard over a decade later.  Gdansk is also known for the start of the Solidarity movement which started in 1980, led by Lech Walesa.  We had bypassed his home on the way into the city.  Solidarity represented the hope of the Polish people to throw off the cloak of Soviet repression and was the beginning of democracy in the country.