Gdańsk was a surprise delight. I had heard that it was beautiful, but I wasn’t ready for the coupling of beauty and history.  While Gdańsk suffered devastating bombing at the beginning and end of World War II, instead of rebuilding with modern buildings, they decided to rebuild with the same architectural style that they had lost in the war. It is this value in history and culture that emanates across the city.  

Set around the Motława River, Gdańsk’s old city benefits from the riverside ambiance. While one side of the river is more historical than the other, they reflect each other and serve as a balance between old and new. At first I thought the beauty of the canals was the beauty people talked about until I looked through the archways to the streets beyond.  Then, all the sudden this fairy tale world of pastel colored buildings, cobblestone pedestrian streets, open air cafes, and sidewalk vendors took my breath away.  

From the oversized porches and sculptural accents to the painted facades, my eye was constantly drawn up and down – there was so much beauty to take in.  Wandering the city streets admiring the unique details of each building is enough for an afternoon in itself. 

But there is also so much history to learn about within these buildings too. 

In the center of the Długa pedestrian street is the City Hall museum.  The building served as the city hall from the mid 15th century to the early 20th century. After being bombed during World War II, it took considerable effort to bring the gothic-renaissance building back from the brink of demolition. Now the building features the political and cultural history of the city. The exhibits are spread out over multiple small floors as one climbs higher and higher. The museum culminates in a tower observation deck; unfortunately, since it was closed for renovations during my visit, I didn’t get this payoff for the climb. However, the intricate furniture, exhibits about life for people in the past, and the architecture of the rooms was a nice way to spend an hour or so. 

I visited three of Gdańsk’s churches during my visit and each one was fascinating in its own right.  

As one of the largest brick gothic churches in the world, the 15th century St. Mary’s Basilica makes its presence known. The minimalist details in the interior allow the eyes to focus on the more ornate features: the white columns culminate in soaring sculptural ceilings, the light filled lateral windows make visual space for the vibrant stained glass ones.  Additionally, the church houses one of the largest astronomical clocks in the world. The clock features the phases of the moon, zodiac signs, and a calendar of saints. It plays at noon every day, so make sure to be there for its performance. 

Dating back to the 13th century, St Catherine’s Church is the oldest church in Gdańsk. The wooden details in the ceiling and altar paired with the glimpses of frescoes and brick backdrop give this church a grounded historic feel.  Below the church is a small crypt where I was surprised to see actual skeletons.

St Bridgit’s Church is unassuming from the exterior, but the interior holds several surprises. The most notable one is the 11 meter tall and 12 meter wide altar, which features more than 800 kg of amber and two tonnes of Baltic gold. Originally constructed in 2000 the altar is still a work in progress; each element of the altar represents significant people and events connected to the church and the city. For instance, in the center of the altar is the painting of Our Lady of Czestochowa – Patron of the Working People. Nicknamed the Church of Solidarity, it fought alongside workers in the anti-communist Solidarity movement. A final surprise is the ossuary containing about 500 skulls of the Sisters of St Bridgit, which wasn’t discovered until 2016. 

The amber altar represents the ancient history of amber discovery in the area, and the Amber Museum allows one to learn more about this history.  The museum explains the origins of the amber stone, showcases insects, plants, and even small animals that have been discovered trapped within the resin, and displays intricate sculptures and jewelry crafted from it. The museum is also housed in the Great Mill, so the building itself holds its own history and a small side room discusses this heritage site. 

One of the larger museums in the city – and newer (2017) – is the ultra modern Museum of the Second World War. The building’s design represents the fracturing of the world torn apart by the war. The massive maze of the museum delves into the history of the time leading up to World War II, the events and impacts of the war, as well as the aftermath for Poland.  It’s a lot of information and emotions to take in, so be ready to spend a tough few hours here.  The layout and exhibitions are interactive as well as informative, and serve the importance of this period of time for Poland and the world. 

While the old town is beautiful, I also enjoyed the industrial beauty of the city.  Gdańsk’s geographical significance is because of its access to the Baltic Sea, and the interior of Western Europe. Thus, their history is grounded in the industrial port. The remaining Gdańsk Shipyard cranes have become icons of the city and as the city is growing in size, the area around these has developed to welcome residential living as well.  Set within the industrial district is the up-cycled 100cznia food hall and event space.  About a dozen food stalls featuring cuisine from across the globe create a dynamic gathering space. They also feature concerts and movies at night. 

It was from this area of the city that I started my one hour canal cruise. The tour started with the history and current industry centered around the port before we made our way through the Motława river and around Ołowianka and Wyspa Spichrzów islands. As we did so, our tour guide discussed the changes to the city over time, and highlighted some of the more famous buildings along the canal. 

As a side quest, the city has followed in Wroclaw’s tradition of adding small sculptural figures – here they are lions – throughout the city. Right now there are only a dozen of them in the Trail of Hewelion the Lion, but there are slated to be around 4o in the future. The name Hewelion is a nod to the famous Gdańsk astronomer Johannes Hevelius.

Based on my June 2026 visit.