Gdansk, located on Poland’s Baltic Coast, can easily be overlooked in favour of more glamorous Central European destinations such as Prague, Vienna and Budapest like – Joe Bamford is on hand to explain why it shouldn’t be.
Stunning architecture, countless things to do, fascinating history and heritage and incredible food and drink – it’s all here, and all within a couple of hours of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, with flights starting from a little more than £20.
The more popular destinations of Krakow and Warsaw often steal the limelight, but Gdansk is a beautiful city in its own right.
The city has endured a difficult and extremely complex past – as was pointed out during my visit, it’s currently at peace for the longest time in its history (74 years), a harrowing figure considering the city itself dates back to the 12th century.
The mixture of cultures which have impacted Gdansk over the years is incredible in its own right – with obvious influence from Germany, added to that of The Netherlands, Italy and Britain among many others.
A walking tour is the best way to explore the city in all its beauty – we started ours from the city’s famous Dutch mannerism-style Golden Gate (Złota Brama) in the north west corner of the city’s old town. The tour took us around all of the city’s Old Town, exploring several of the other landmarks including St. Mary’s Basilica, Motlawa River Embankment, The Great Arsenal and the Old City Hall, among others.
The more you learn about the city’s history, the more apparent its war-torn past becomes – more than 90 per cent of the city was laid to ruin during World War II. Stark side-by-side pictures emblazoned on the walls underneath the stunning Golden Gate showing its transformation since 1945 are a must-see.
There are countless other ways to find out more about Gdansk’s past, with buggy tours dotted about all over the city centre and the likes of the Museum of the Second World War a must-visit.
You’ll not be stuck for places to eat and drink in Gdansk, either – I sampled plenty local cuisine in my time there including traditional Polish dumplings and sour soup – the latter served in a bread bowl and packed full of meat, herbs and spices.
Head to Dluga Street for the best selection of restaurants serving traditional Polish food, or if you’re feeling brave, venture off the beaten track!
Niepokorni Restaurant is actually located just outside the city centre, but if you get chance to go I’d highly recommend it. The same goes for T-Bone Steakhouse by the Green Gate.
The city’s nightlife is as vibrant as you’d expect – with bars like Chmielna 101 Cooltura, Cathead Multitap Bar and Pub Pixel a few personal highlights – and believe it or not, the city actually has a road named after beer – Piwna Street.
As you’d expect, the street is a beer lover’s dream, and with No to Cyk round the corner – where we lapped up a large beer for as just 5PLN (£1.03) – you can’t go wrong. Needless to say it was a personal highlight among so many others in an incredible city. Gdansk, I’ll be back!
