Nickname(s):
Demonym(s):
Founded:
Democracy:
Developed:
European Union:
Schengen:
Euro:
National Capital:
RegionalState Capital:
Population (City):
471 000
Population (Urban):
-
Population (Metro):
1 081 000
Population Density (km2):
1 800
Population Density (mi2):
5 000
4th Largest City in Poland
Largest City in the Pomeranian Voivodeship
Language:
Polish
Currency:
Złoty
Avg. Summertime High:
23 °C
73 °F
Avg. Summertime Low:
14 °C
58 °F
Warmest Month:
August
Coldest Month:
January
Avg. Wintertime High:
2 °C
35 °F
Avg. Wintertime Low:
-3 °C
26 °F
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A former member of the Hanseatic League and the currently fourth-largest city in Poland. Gdańsk was once one of the most important cities on the Baltic Sea and it has a history of being fought over. The historic city center was destroyed in WWII, with the loss of most of the original Hanseatic architecture. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, it has gradually been reconstructed and the Old Town is today a popular weekend destination for visitors from all over Europe.
Republic of Poland | Rzeczpospolita Polska
Poland
English
Polska
Polish
Region:
Northeastern Europe
Area:
312 696 km2
Ranked 69 out of 195
Population:
Population:
38 180 000
Ranked 38 out of 235
Urbanization:
60 %
Ranked 97 out of 194
Capital:
Warsaw
Population: 3 101 000
Largest City:
Warsaw
Population: 3 101 000
Major Cities:
Warsaw
Kraków
Łódź
Wrocław
Poznań
Economy & Development:
Human Development Index:
Very High
Ranked 35 out of 189
Inequality-Adjusted HDI:
Very High
Ranked 26 out of 189
GDP (PPP) Per Capita:
$41 685
Ranked 42 out of 225
Democracy & Freedom:
Democracy Index:
Flawed Democracy
Ranked 51 out of 167
Freedom House:
Free
96 points out of 100 possible
Press Freedom:
Problematic
Ranked 66 out of 180
Economic Freedom:
2nd Quartile
Ranked 59 out of 162
National Identity:
Independence Since:
1918
Independence From:
Unification
National Day:
11th of November
What Is Celebrated On The National Day:
This date is the anniversary of the restoration of Poland's sovereignty as the Second Polish Republic in the aftermath of the First World War from the German, Austro-Hungarian, and Russian Empires in 1918. Most of what is today Poland was part of Germany before the war. Some of the areas that were part of the Second Polish Republic are today no longer part of Poland. There are parts that today belong to Belarus, Lithuania, and Ukraine.
Facts & Codes:
Driving Side:
Right
-
Time Zone:
UTC +1 (CET)
Summer: UTC +2 (CEST)
Country Calling Code:
+ 48
-
Country Code:
PL
ISO 3166
Polish Voivodeship | Polski Województwo
Pomeranian Voivodeship
English
Województwo Pomorskie
Polish
Woiwodschaft Pommern
German
Region:
Northeastern Poland
Area:
18 293 km2
Ranked 8 out of 16
Population:
Population:
2 338 000
Ranked 7 out of 16
Population Share:
6 %
Of National Population
Capital:
Gdańsk
Population: 471 000
Largest City:
Gdańsk
Population: 471 000
Major Cities:
Gdańsk
Gdynia
Słupsk
Tczew
Wejherowo
Information:
GDP Per Capita::
-
-
Climate:
Continental Climate
Köppen: Dfb
Time Zone:
UTC +1 (CET)
Summer: UTC +2 (CEST)
Neptune's Fountain
Historic Fountain
Zuraw
Medieval Crane
St. Mary's Church
Large Brick Gothic Church
Gdańsk is a city that surprisingly can offer everything. It has history, a lot of history, and in the summer months, it is also a great destination for a beach vacation since you can reach Sopot in less than 30 minutes by local train. The size of the city is quite small so it's easy to cover in a short timeframe. It is also cheap! In other words, Gdańsk is a little bit of everything you could wish of.
Do I Recommend You To Visit?
Yes! But try to come in the summer half of the year.
Will I Come Back Again?
I think I will visit again and I can even see myself visiting within the next few years, which isn't common for me to revisit cities so soon. But since it's very easy to go there from my hometown of Stockholm and it's a cheap weekend alternative I wouldn't mind it.
Weather During My Stay:
Quite bad. I had one afternoon where I could see a little bit of the sky, the rest of my almost week-long visit was a constant overcast and 18°C (64°F). I actually planned to visit a month earlier than I did, but I canceled at the last minute because the forecast was constant rain during my full planned visit. Thankfully I paid only $10 for the tickets...
Best:
Długi Targ (Long Market), the main street, has a lot of interesting architecture. I also liked the recently constructed "Museum of the Second World War".
Not As Good:
Gdańsk is still under construction, more or less. A lot of what you see in the Old Town today was still in ruins just ten years ago. Ten years from now I can see this city being even more developed towards its true potential.
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Długi Targ, or Long Market, is one of the major attractions of Gdańsk. It is the main street of Old Town.
Ulica Długa is the continuation of Długi Targ and has the width of a normal street instead of the very wide Long Market. The Town Hall is the tall building that is visible in both pictures.
Ulica Długa as it is seen from the Town Hall.
St. Mary's Church (Bazylika Mariacka) is one of the largest brick churches in the world. Only San Petronio Basilica in Bologna is definitively larger, while Munich Frauenkirche and Ulm Minster are tied for second place.
The Old Town along the Motława River. The cityscape is dominated by the Zuraw, a medieval crane.
The peninsula of Westerplatte just North of the city was the site of the first battle of the Second World War. Just minutes after the German declaration of war this Polish Military Transit Depot was shelled by German warships visiting the then independent "Free City of Danzig". Many ruins remain untouched in the area and they can be entered (at your own risk).
Skwer Heweliusza (Hevelius Park), named after astronomer Jan Heweliusz (Johannes Hevelius in English/German) with the Amber Museum (Muzeum Bursztynu) to the right.
Mariacka Street is a photogenic and popular street for photography. Historically this was the amber street of Gdańsk and there are still people selling amber to tourists there.
Neptune's Fountain (Fontanna Neptuna) on Długi Targ has become a symbol of Gdańsk. The statue is almost 400 years old as it was completed in 1633.
Newer buildings on Granary Island, opposite the Old Town on the Motława. Before the destruction in the Second World War, this was part of the inner city but it was never fully rebuilt. It's only in recent years that this area has gone from nothing to a new part of the city, and it is still under construction. I actually like the modern take on traditional architecture here. But I understand those who hate it.