Things to do in Gdansk
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Gdansk
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best overall window, warm terraces, everything open, beaches empty and prices below peak.
Peak summer, warmest sea, long evenings, beach clubs and the big fairs, but crowded and pricier.
Second best window, September is the local secret and October suits the museums, food and forests.
Cold, dark and windy, except a December weekend built around the Christmas Fair.
What's on
- Majowka / Constitution holidays early May
Polish long weekend bringing domestic crowds, book that weekend ahead.
- Baltic Sail Gdansk usually early July
Tall ships on the Motlawa.
- FETA International Street Theatre Festival mid-July
Free performances across the city.
- Gdansk Shakespeare Festival late July to early August
International productions at the Shakespeare Theatre.
- St Dominic's Fair late July into mid-August
Three weeks and about a thousand stalls taking over the whole Main Town since 1260.
- Mozartiana mid-to-late August
Open air Mozart in Oliwa Park and the Cathedral.
- All About Freedom Festival October
Film and debate at the European Solidarity Centre.
- Gdansk Christmas Fair late November to 23 December
Among Europe's best rated Christmas markets, on Targ Weglowy with the Main Town lit up.
Best things to do in Gdansk
Museum of the Second World War
The essential Gdansk museum, telling the war as a European civilian story in a huge underground exhibition.
European Solidarity Centre
Ship hull shaped centre tracing Solidarity from the 1980 strike to the fall of communism in Europe.
Royal Way
The free orientation walk past Neptune, Artus Court and burgher houses from Golden Gate to the riverfront.
St Mary's Church
Vast brick Gothic church whose tower climb gives the best panorama over Main Town rooftops and the river.
Mariacka Street
Short cobbled lane with raised terraces, amber workshops and cafes, the best street to browse amber slowly.
Amber Museum
Amber science and centuries of craftsmanship inside the medieval Great Mill on its canal island.
The Crane
Medieval port crane plus maritime exhibitions and the Soldek ship, best for anyone who likes ships and trade.
Westerplatte
Wooded memorial peninsula where the first shots of the Second World War were fired in September 1939.
Where to stay in Gdansk
Main Town
first trip, short trips, walking everywhere
Everything central is on your doorstep and the riverfront is your evening walk, at peak prices and noise.
Granary Island and the Motlawa riverfront
design hotels, couples, newer rooms
Rebuilt granary quarter five minutes from Neptune but a half step quieter at night than Dluga itself.
Old Town and station / Young City edge
repeat visitors, light sleepers, budget travellers
Quieter streets around the Great Mill, still only ten minutes on foot to the Long Market.
Wrzeszcz
longer stays, remote workers, mid and cheap budgets
A real residential district with neighbourhood eating and lower prices, fifteen minutes by tram or train.
Oliwa
families, nature leaning trips, Tricity wide bases
Leafy streets around the park and cathedral, with fast trains to the centre and to Sopot.
Beach districts and Sopot
beach first summer trips
Base by the Baltic in Sopot or Gdansk's beach districts and day trip into the city, not in winter.
Think twice about
- Nowy Port and the far port side streets
A working port district with little for a visitor at night and sparse dining, separated by a tram ride.
- Orunia and other southern outskirts
Marketed cheaply as Gdansk but you will spend the trip commuting into the centre.
- Young City / Doki shipyard quarter, parts under construction
Great new flats but a real construction noise risk, so check recent reviews for the specific building.
Best restaurants in Gdansk
Eliksir
Modern Polish tasting menu paired with cocktails, holding Poland's only green star for low waste work.
Fino
Calm, precise modern Polish fine dining in the centre, including a considered vegetarian tasting menu.
Mercato
Acclaimed hotel restaurant on the riverfront built around Pomeranian lamb and Baltic fish.
Pierogarnia Mandu
The pierogi benchmark in Gdansk, covering the full Polish canon plus seasonal and creative fillings.
Restauracja Tygle
Modern Polish small plates for sharing on the new riverfront, strong on fish and fermented dishes.
Zafishowani
Baltic and freshwater fish done properly in a bright marina view room by the Crane.
Swojski Smak
Hearty Polish home cooking in generous portions at prices below the Long Market frontage.
Montownia Food Hall
Huge shipyard food hall with around twenty stalls, the easiest dinner for mixed groups and families.
Outdoor things to do in Gdansk
Malbork Castle
The largest castle in the world by land area, an easy train day trip with an excellent audio guide.
Kayak the Motlawa
Guided kayak loop past the Crane and Granary Island that shows the old town from water level.
Sopot Pier
Walk Europe's longest wooden pier, then follow the beach path north to the wooded Orlowo cliff.
Coastal cycle path Gdansk to Gdynia
Flat coastal cycling past Brzezno and Jelitkowo beaches to Sopot and on to Gdynia, almost all on path.
Sobieszewo Island
Wild Vistula mouth island with bird reserves, pine trails, empty beaches and seal boat trips.
Hel Peninsula
Narrow sand spit with a seal sanctuary, lighthouse and beaches on both the calm bay and open sea sides.
Sierra Golf Resort
Championship parkland course northwest of Gdansk with immaculate upkeep and a large covered range.
Postolowo Golf Club
One of Europe's longest par 72 layouts from the back tees, a serious test in open country south of Gdansk.
Best hotels in Gdansk
PURO Gdansk Stare Miasto
Design hotel benchmark with an atrium locals use as a cafe, rooftop terrace, spa and guest bikes.
Hotel Gdansk Boutique
Boutique hotel split between a restored granary and a yachting wing, with a highly praised spa.
Radisson Blu Hotel, Gdansk
Five star address directly on the Long Market, chain reliability inside historic shells.
Hilton Gdansk
Big hotel with the best river view rooms of its class, a rooftop pool terrace and Mercato restaurant.
Dwor Oliwski City Hotel & Spa
Seventeenth century manor in parkland turned five star spa hotel, a splurge that is also a retreat.
Holiday Inn Gdansk - City Centre
Newer riverfront hotel with strong scores and a rooftop bar looking straight at the Main Town.
Hanza Hotel
Classic mid range riverfront hotel by the Crane with marina views and a fish restaurant.
Craft Beer Central Hotel
Small friendly hotel by the station that does what its name says, ideal after a late train arrival.
Is Gdansk expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | PLN 180 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | PLN 340 a person |
| Splurge | PLN 850 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Museum of the Second World War: a few days ahead
- Olivia Star: a few days ahead
- Eliksir: weeks ahead
- Fino: weeks ahead
- Eliksir and Fino need days to weeks ahead in season.
- Book timed tickets for the Museum of the Second World War on summer weekends.
- Book hotels ahead for St Dominic's Fair and the Christmas Fair, and Olivia Star sunset slots in summer.
Is Gdansk safe?
- Watch for pickpockets in peak crowds on Dlugi Targ, at fairs and on packed SKM trains.
- Never follow a tout or friendly stranger into a gentlemen's club, and never let a drink out of sight there.
- If a club bill looks invented, call the police on 112 rather than arguing at the door.
Gdansk travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Amber mark ups on Dlugi Targ, buy on Mariacka or from established galleries and ask for a certificate.
- Long Market frontage restaurants charge for the view, walk one street back for better value.
- Galleon cruises may not dock at Westerplatte, and always pay in PLN rather than dynamic conversion.
Getting around Gdansk: public transport and more
- Walk the Main Town, everything in it is within about twenty minutes.
- Use ZTM trams and buses for beaches and Wrzeszcz, and SKM trains for Oliwa, Sopot and Gdynia.
- Plan with the jakdojade app and take the train from Lech Walesa Airport to Gdansk Glowny.
Who Gdansk suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Great |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Great |
Make Gdansk your trip
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