Is Gdańsk in Poland worth visiting?

Spoiler alert:

Yes, it is. Very much.

In this blog post I will explain why and describe the reasons why Gdansk is worth visiting.

Regardless if you are searching for a city-break destination or you have already planned your longer trip to Poland and are now crafting its details, I want to show you what you can expect from Gdansk.

I know the city very well, as I live close by and visit it often. It’s my favourite of the biggest cities in Poland, more than Warsaw and Krakow (yes, I just said it 😉).

Let’s see what makes it so special.

A few words about Gdansk

Gdansk is a city with almost 500 000 citizens in the north of Poland, at the Baltic Sea.

Together with two other smaller cities, Gdynia and Sopot, it forms Tricity, about which you can read more here.

There is an airport in Gdansk (with the code GDA, Lech Walesa Airport) with a lot of connections from European cities (and a few other Polish airports too, like Warsaw). So it’s pretty easy to reach Gdansk now, especially from UK or Scandinavian airports.

You can also come by the ferry from Sweden to Gdansk.

The exact name of Gdansk in Polish is Gdańsk, with the Polish letter [ń], which is softer than [n] and sounds a little bit like in the word ‘onion’. Or like the Spanish letter ‘ñ’. Anyway, I’m just saying this as an interesting fact: you can easily write and say the name as ‘Gdansk’ as in English, and everyone will understand.

Gdansk is a truly beautiful city. It has a river and beaches (beaches not in the centre, though) and is also a gateway to many other interesting spots in Poland. Gdansk got city rights in the 13th century, and it has an interesting history through the centuries.

Is Gdansk a hidden gem?

Sometimes I see Gdansk being described as a ‘European hidden-gem’. It’s absolutely a gem, but I’m not sure if it is that hidden anymore. What I mean is that it’s already a pretty touristic city with people visiting and the whole infrastructure for tourists: places to stay, restaurants, and many different attractions. Gdansk is also getting more and more often on different lists and rankings of places to visit, like this one.

Obviously, it’s not that known yet as other European destinations; that’s also why I prepared this blog post. So why is Gdansk worth a visit?

Why Gdansk is Worth Visiting

I promise I’m trying to be as objective as possible in this section.

History and Monuments

Gdansk has an interesting history throughout centuries. There are two points in its modern history that are important for all whole Europe and the world, actually.

Gdansk is a place where the Second World War and the collapse of communism in Europe started.

You can visit many places which show and explain more on these topics: Museum of Second World War, Westerplatte and European Solidarity Centre. I recommend all of them, with museums being easy to visit as they are in the centre close to the old town.

There are also beautiful historic churches to see, like St Mary’s Church.

Pretty streets and tenements

Another reason is simple: it’s just a very pretty city with nice atmospheric streets, colourful houses, and cafes, and restaurants. You can walk and drink coffee along the river and even walk through the rotating footbridge. It’s great, especially during warmer months, but even when it’s cold, it’s very charming.

I think you might be really surprised how beautiful it is.

When you look at these amazing buildings, bear in mind that a big part of Gdansk was destroyed during the Second World War, so it had to be reconstructed.

Many and mixed attractions

What’s also interesting about Gdansk is that it’s a mix of a historic and modern city. Not far from the old town you will find an interesting shopping centre (I’m not a fan of such places at all, but this one has a really nice building blended nicely into the city, even with a natural river inside) or the food hall Montownia, which is located in a renovated historic building. Another must-see of this kind of place is the renovated parts of shipyard with restaurants, food trucks and summer party places.

Additionally, you have many options of interesting attractions, like kayaking at the river or a dinner river cruise.

And, Gdansk is not only centre; there are other very interesting neighbourhoods to visit outside the centre as well.

All year-round destination

Thanks to this mix of attractions, Gdansk is an all-year-round destination. Obviously, it’s nicest during the warm and sunny months. I like May and September the most, when it’s usually nice weather but not that crowded yet.

But you have a lot to do in Gdansk even during cold and rainy weather.

And Gdansk changes to a fairy tale during November and December, with its Christmas lights and decorations and best Christmas market in Europe.

Culture and Sport

Gdansk is full of cultural institutions too. There is one of the best theatres in Poland (Wybrzeże) and one more, the Shakespeare Theatre, which you can also visit without the shows, just on the tour. At the river, at Ołowianka Island (close to the sign ‘Gdańsk’),  there is a building of Philharmonic. Baltic Opera is a bit further from the centre.

Some of the spectacles in these places have English translations too.

When it comes to sports, Gdansk has a beautiful stadium (full name: Polsat Plus Arena Gdansk), which resembles amber) and which was built for Euro 2012. There is also Ergo Arena, where a lot of concerts and events for sports like volleyball and handball are organised.

Beach and gateway to other attractions

Being in Gdansk means that you can easily connect visiting historical sites and modern city life with beaches and a lot of nature. There are beaches in Gdansk; you can also go easily to Sopot and Gdynia and other smaller beach towns. My personal favourite place is Hel Peninsula.

You can also go to the Kashubian region for lakes and to other interesting historical spots like Malbork Castle.

I will write about all these options soon.

Food and Amber

When in Gdansk, you will also eat very well, and enjoy Polish and regional (including fish) cuisine and drinks.

Another important part of the trip to Gdansk for many foreigners is amber shopping. You can buy beautiful jewellery with original amber from the Baltic Sea. Just remember to buy it only in real jewellery shops (and not some random touristic stands with ‘everything and nothing’). You will find many of these shops in Gdansk’s old town, especially on Mariacka Street.

By the way, this street is my favourite street in Gdansk.

How many days to spend in Gdansk

Gdansk is a great destination for a typical 2-3-4 day city break. If you want to see just basics, you will manage in 2 days. However, it will not be enough if you want to see something more than that. Especially if you are coming during spring or summer, you can come for as many days as possible for you. Surely you will not be bored, and you will be able to use the sea, beaches and places outside Gdansk.

Soon I will show you more exactly how to organise your days in Gdansk.