Gdansk

1. 1

   Long Market & Neptune Fountain

   The centerpiece of Gdansk’s Old Town, this broad pedestrian square is lined with meticulously reconstructed merchants’ houses in pastel shades of amber, jade, and rose—each topped with ornate gables. At its heart stands the 17th-century Neptune Fountain, a Mannerist-Rococo bronze of the sea god that has become the city’s symbol; local legend credits him with inventing Gdansk’s famed Goldwasser liqueur. The adjoining Artus Court—a Gothic merchant clubhouse—and the Renaissance Main Town Hall anchor either end. The Long Market and Long Street (Ulica Długa) together form the historic Royal Way.

2. 2

   St. Mary's Church (Bazylika Mariacka)

   One of the largest brick churches on Earth, this 15th-century Gothic basilica can hold 25,000 worshippers beneath star-vaulted ceilings. Climb the 78-metre tower’s 405 narrow steps for a 360-degree panorama of the Old Town, the Motława River, and the Baltic coast beyond. Inside, highlights include a 14-metre astronomical clock from 1470 and a late-Gothic triptych altarpiece. The experience of standing on the tower platform above the red-tile rooftscape is one of Gdansk’s defining moments. Allow 1.5 hours.

3. 3

   Museum of the Second World War

   One of Europe’s most important WWII museums, opened in 2017 in a striking angular building that slopes into the ground. Its permanent exhibition descends underground through three narrative blocks—the road to war, the horror of war, and the war’s long shadow—using 2,000 artifacts, multimedia installations, and personal testimonies. The curators deliberately center Poland’s and the civilian experience, offering a perspective rarely seen in Western museums. Westerplatte, where the first shots of WWII were fired, is accessible by ferry from the museum’s vicinity. Allow 3–4 hours.

4. 4

   Mariacka Street

   Gdansk’s most photogenic cobblestone lane, flanked by tall, narrow townhouses topped with Renaissance and Gothic gargoyle-head gutters (‘pukers’) and oversized elevated porches. Today the street is the city’s amber capital—dozens of workshops and galleries display the ‘Gold of the Baltic’ in every imaginable form, from insects in resin to contemporary jewelry. Art galleries, cozy cafés, and buskers fill the spaces between. The vaulted portal of St. Mary’s Church closes the vista at the far end. Best visited in soft morning light.

5. 5

   European Solidarity Centre

   A monumental rust-and-glass building on the site of the former Lenin Shipyard, telling the story of the Solidarity trade-union movement that helped bring down communism in Europe. The permanent exhibition spans six halls chronicling the birth of free trade unions, the 1980 strikes led by Lech Wałęsa, martial law, and the path to the 1989 elections. Interactive displays, original protest banners, and oral histories make it far more engaging than a conventional museum. The rooftop terrace offers views of the shipyard cranes. Allow 2–3 hours.

Editor-curated picks carried over from our original guide. Where a full place guide exists, the card links to it.