City Orientation Walk

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1 - Page 1 - City Orientation Walk Gdansk is one of the most beautiful cities on the Baltic Sea. It's one of the main cities of the so-called Tri-cities of the Baltic shore. It is a city of magnificent old architecture and the amazing, almost fairy-tale atmosphere of the streets. There are many landmarks, such as churches, fountains and monuments. Take this tour to discover the most famous places in Gdansk. Guide Location: Poland» Gdansk # of Attractions: 18 Tour Duration: 2 hour(s) Travel Distance: 2.5 km Please note: This walk is also featured in the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" downloadable on itunes App Store and Google Play. The app provides turn-by-turn GPS navigation to guide you from one tour sight to the next, so you will never be lost. The apps offer additional walking tours in Gdansk. Check them out! GPSmyCity offers self-guided walking tours in over 1,000 city around the world. Please visit for more walking tour offers. List of attractions included in this self-guided walking tour: A) Green Gate B) The Long Market C) Neptune's Fountain D) The Artus Court E) Gdańsk Town Hall F) Historical Museum of the City of Gdansk G) Golden Gate H) Galleria Triada I) St. Mary's Church J) The Royal Chapel K) Mariacka Street L) Archaeological Museum M) Great Crane - Żuraw N) St. Nicholas' Church O) Hala Targowa P) St. Catherine's Church Q) St. Bridget's Church R) Stare Miasto (Old Town) - Page 1 -

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7 - Page 7 - A) Green Gate (must see) The Green Gate is one of the most notable tourist attractions of the city. It is situated between Long Market and the River Motława. Together with the Golden Gate and the Highland Gate it was used to span the Long Street and Long Market, called the Royal Route. The Green Gate is a building which is clearly inspired by the Antwerp City Hall. It was built between to serve as the formal residence of the Polish monarchs. It is a masterpiece by Regnier (or Reiner van Amsterdam), the architect from Amsterdam and reflects the influence of the Flemish architecture in the city. Hans Kramer likely participated in the construction. The Nature Society, located here in the late 18th century, soon moved to the House of Naturalists (Research Society House). "(The above description is based on Wikipedia under Creative Common License)" Address: ul. Dluga, Gdansk, Poland Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Brosen. Sight description based on Wikipedia. B) The Long Market The Long Market (Długi Targ) in Gdańsk, Poland, is one of the most notable and important tourist attraction of the city. It is situated between the end of Long Lane (Ulica Długa, Langgasse) and Green Gate (Brama Zielona, Koggentor). Nowadays it s a very beautiful long square full of typical shops and restaurants which are the soul of this cosmopolitan city. It features a great number of historic houses such as Hewel House, Curicke House, Uphagen House, Ferber House, Lion Castle, Schumann House, Golden House etc. One of its most representative buildings is the Town Hall. The Neptune s Fountain, the main symbol of the city, is also there. Address: Długi Targ, Gdańsk, Poland Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Pplecke. Sight description based on Wikipedia. - Page 7 -

8 - Page 8 - C) Neptune's Fountain (must see) Neptune's Fountain is set in the center of Dlugi Targ, a place full of old historic buildings. This Fountain became one of Gdansk's most recognizable symbols. This statue of the God of the Sea was made from bronze in The statue was hidden during WWII and reappeared in its spot in 1954, reminding the people about the city's dependence upon the sea. Address: Dlugi Targ, Gdansk, Poland Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Pibwl D) The Artus Court (must see) The Artus Court is a building in the center of Gdańsk, which used to be the meeting place of merchants and a center of social life. Today, it is a point of interest for numerous visitors and is a branch of the Gdańsk History Museum. The name was taken from the very popular Middle Ages legend of King Arthur - a symbol of chivalry and gallantry. First in England, then in other European countries, his name was given to the houses where knights and aristocrats used to meet. The interior is one big Gothic hall. Since 1531, it has been completely redecorated -- the walls have been covered with wainscot and friezes of mythological and historic character. The richly-ornamented furniture and numerous paintings add to the splendor of the hall. The most famous pictures are the works by anonymous artists from the late 15th century. "(The above description is based on Wikipedia under Creative Common License)" Address: Długi Targ 44, Gdansk, Poland Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Kneiphof. Sight description based on Wikipedia. - Page 8 -

9 - Page 9 - E) Gdańsk Town Hall Gdańsk Main Town Hall is one of the finest examples of the Gothic-Renaissance historic buildings in the city, built at the intersection of the Long Lane (part of the Royal Route) and Long Market, in the most popular part of Gdańsk. It is the second highest building in the Main City, after St. Mary's Church. Access to the building by car is difficult, as the Long Lane surrounding the building is pedestrianised all year around. The closest tram stop is located at Podwale Przedmiejskie. Address: ul. Długa 46/47, Gdańsk, , Poland Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Diego Delso. Sight description based on Wikipedia. F) Historical Museum of the City of Gdansk (must see) The Historical Museum of the City of Gdansk is housed in the beautiful Gothic and Renaissance building of the Main Town Hall. Some of its collections hold tenancy in other historic buildings of the city. The museum itself has a History Section and an Art Section, where you can see paintings, sculptures, things made by goldsmiths, potters and weavers from the 16th to the 20th centuries. The main features of the museum are fresco decorations of the Red Council Room, the Winter Council Room, the City Treasury, the Great Hall, the former chapel and paintings by Jan Vredemann de Vries, Izaak van den Block. The original furniture from the time of the Renaissance is also very rich and worth seeing. Opening hours: Monday 09:00-13:00; Tuesday-Saturday 10:00-18:00; Sunday 11:00-18:00. Address: ul. Długa 46/47, Gdańsk, , Poland Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Starscream G) Golden Gate (must see) The Golden Gate in Gdańsk is one of the most notable tourist attractions of the city. It was raised in in place of the 13th century Gothic gate. It is located at one end of Long Lane, or Długa street, where, together with other gates, it forms a part of the old city fortifications. The architectural style of the gate is Dutch Mannerism. Both sides of the gate have attics, with figures symbolizing citizen's qualities. From the West side they - Page 9 -

10 - Page 10 - represent: Peace, Freedom, Wealth and Fame. From the East side they are Agreement, Justice, Piety and Prudence. The Latin inscription on the gates reads: "In agreement small republics grow. Because of disagreement, great republics fall". The Green Gate houses the National Museum in Gdańsk. Exhibitions, meetings, conferences and shows are held here. "(The above description is based on Wikipedia under Creative Common License)" Address: Długa street, Gdansk, Poland Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Minvia. Sight description based on Wikipedia. H) Galleria Triada The Galleria Triada has been open since It is the largest and oldest private gallery in Trojmiasto, part of the Tri-city area, which includes Gdansk. It displays contemporary art only. You will see about 150 pieces of artwork by well-known Polish and international artists, and also emerging artists from the Art Academy of Gdansk. Operation Hours: Monday - Friday: 11 am - 6 pm; Saturday: 11 am - 3 pm; Address: ul.piwna 11/12, Gdansk, , Poland Image Courtesy of Hmakki I) St. Mary's Church (must see) St. Mary's Church or, properly, Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Roman Catholic church, which is the largest brick church in the world. It was begun in 1379 and is considered to be one of the largest European brick Gothic buildings, which include castles. From 1577 until 1945, when it was named the Marienkirche, it was the biggest Evangelical Lutheran church in the world. It is m long, and the nave is 66 m wide. Inside the church is room for 25,000 people. St. Mary's Church is a triple-aisled hall basilica with a triple-aisled transept. Both the transept and the main nave are of similar width and height, which is a good example of late Gothic style. Certain irregularities in the form of - Page 10 -

11 - Page 11 - the northern arm of the transept are remnants of the previous church situated on the very same spot. The vaulting is a true piece of art, and was in great part restored after the war. Main aisle, transept and presbytery are covered by net vaults, while the side aisles are covered by crystal vaults. Address: Krowia, Gdańsk, Poland Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Starscream. Sight description based on Wikipedia. J) The Royal Chapel (must see) The Royal Chapel in Gdansk is an architectural masterpiece. Built in in Baroque style, its facade is richly decorated with Baroque sculptures. The colored Royal Chapel stands near St. Mary's Church and stands out as a prominent landmark against the grayness of the church walls. Address: ul. Sw. Ducha 58, Gdansk, Poland Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Mathiasrex K) Mariacka Street (must see) Mariacka Street is a street that has preserved the old world atmosphere of the city. It is the most beautiful street in Gdansk and attracts many tourists because of its special architecture. There are several shops and boutiques along this street, and they are a definite must-see. The shops here sell mainly antique and jewelery made of the famous petrified resin of the Baltic Sea amber. Address: Mariacka Street, Gdansk, Poland Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Gracjan Rötke - Page 11 -

12 - Page 12 - L) Archaeological Museum (must see) The Archaeological Museum in Gdansk has many exhibitions about the tribes that lived in this territory in the early centuries. The conjecture is that it were the Goths who inhabited the area. These tribes distinguished themselves by their burial rites - they richly decorated their graves. You will be impressed with various collections of archaeological and ethnographic findings, among which there are jewels and other precious objects. Operation Hours: Tuesday: 8 am - 4 pm; Wednesday: 9 am - 5 pm; Thursday - Friday: 8 am - 4 pm; Saturday - Sunday: 10 am - 4 pm; (from July: Tuesday - Friday: 9 am - 5 pm; Saturday - Sunday: 10 am - 5 pm) Address: Mariacka 25/26, Gdańsk, Poland Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Pumeks M) Great Crane - Żuraw (must see) The Great Crane or Zuraw is a prominent sight of Gdansk. It's a medieval crane set on the waterfront of Gdansk. This medieval wonder dates back to the 14th century. It received cargo off ships for many decades and was built from wood, but rebuilt after the Great World War. Address: ul. Szeroka, Gdansk, Poland Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Tomasz Sienicki N) St. Nicholas' Church (must see) The Church of St. Nicholas dates back to the 14th century. It stands on the grounds of a temple from the 12th century. It has very large windows that are unusual for such an old church. It was not damaged by WWII, and has kept its Baroque and Rococo design. There are many gold decorations in the church, old paintings with scenes of Jesus' life, and a splendid chandelier crafted in Address: ul. Swietojanska, Gdansk, Poland Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Brosen - Page 12 -

13 - Page 13 - O) Hala Targowa Hala Targowa, or Market Hall, is the historic city hall in the main square in Gdansk. The Dominican Monastery was on this site many years ago. It was destroyed, and in 1894 it was decided to build a market hall at the same location. You can find different authentic Polish products, like food, clothes, and handcrafted objects at this market. St. Nicholas' remains from the twelfth century were recently discovered here. These artifacts are now exhibited in the lower part of the hall. Address: plac Dominikanski 1, Gdańsk, , Poland Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Stanislaw Kosiedowski P) St. Catherine's Church (must see) St. Catherine's Church is the oldest parish church in the Old Town of Gdansk. It was built in Before WWII, the shrine of the church enchanted visitors with its interior decorations -- Gothic, Mannerist and Baroque. In 1945, the church was destroyed, but then restored. When inside, make sure not to miss the paintings by Anton Möller and Izaak van den Blocke. In the church yard there is an old tombstone of the famous astronomer Jan Hevelius. Address: ul. Wielkie, Gdansk, Poland Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Brosen Q) St. Bridget's Church St. Bridget's Church of Gdansk was built in Gothic in style, it was totally destroyed during WWII and then rebuilt in The church became a monument, as it sheltered activists of the Solidarity Movement. Inside the church, you can contemplate a unique work of art. There is a large altar made from amber, a petrified resin that is called Baltic Gold. It is found on the Baltic shore only. Address: ul. Profesorska 17, Gdansk, Poland Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Starscream - Page 13 -

14 - Page 14 - R) Stare Miasto (Old Town) The old town in Gdansk is one of Europe s largest historical centres, and the medieval centre is around twice the size of the corresponding centre in Krakow. When visiting Gdansk, you may feel that you are carried back to the Middle Ages, and even though substantial parts of the town consist of reconstructions from after WWII, you will still find plenty of authentic, genuine old buildings. Most streets are located where they were in medieval times, and more than 30% of the streets have had the same names for more than 500 years, and obviously you also feel that this is an old Hanseatic town. In the Old Town you will find many handicraft shops where you can buy local craftswork and the most amazing amber jewelry. This golden coloured beautiful gem is found on the shores of the Baltic Sea and incorporated in necklases, rings, bracelates, rings and artwork. Address: Wały Jagiellońskie Gdańsk, Poland Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Brosen - Page 14 -