Searching for somewhere different for your next mini-break? How about the city where the first shots of World War II were fired and where, 40 years later, freedom-loving trade unionists set about bringing down the Iron Curtain?
OK, so it doesn’t sound like the romantic getaway of your dreams, but the Polish city of Gdansk is packed with potential for weekenders. And if you’re a fan of grand architecture and lively nightlife you will be in for a very pleasant surprise.
To immerse yourself in Gdansk, some background knowledge of a rich and tragic history helps. For centuries it was fought over by Poles, Germans, Swedes and Russians. Much of Gdansk was destroyed in WWII but was superbly rebuilt in the aftermath as one of Europe’s most beautiful port cities.
There are many striking buildings, like the Gothic St Mary’s Church. Currently the largest brick church in the world, it features an entrancing astronomical clock, which shows the time and date, phases of the moon, the position of the moon and sun in relation to the zodiac signs and the calendar of saints. Legend has it the clock’s creator had his eyes gouged out so he would never make a clock better than this one. A bit drastic, if you ask me – but it is a pretty impressive clock.
After soaking up the artifacts within the church, those with a head for heights can climb the 78-metre tower, gaze down on the city and be rewarded with charming views of the old town. From the decorative grandeur of the church, it was refreshing to browse the city’s terraced doll-like houses and its fountains and statues.
We then headed for a taste of romance on the ‘bridge of love’ with its heavily decorated padlock railings, before refuelling with some traditional Polish cuisine at Gdanski Bowke Restaurant.
I ate zurek on each day of my visit to Gdansk. And given the chance, I would probably have it every day, for eternity. This delicious traditional Polish soup comes in a variety of flavours – and is occasionally topped with a hard-boiled egg – but it is always a unique combination of sour, salty and savoury. It’s even served in a bread bowl, so after you’ve finished slurping you can enjoy the soup-soaked bread. Delicious.
There’s also a popular local appetiser on offer. Certainly not for the devout vegetarian or those with high cholesterol, smalec is predominantly flavoured pork fat. Slather a generous layer on a slice of homemade bread, pop a gherkin on the top, and voilà!
Besides its cuisine and history, Gdansk is best known for its production of Baltic amber – fossilized tree resin – which made a visit to the Amber Museum a must. Housed in Gdansk’s medieval Foregate building – once home to the prison tower and torture chamber – the multistory exhibit delves extensively into the history of Baltic amber and hosts an impressive collection.
Hypnotised by the beauty of the gemstone, we travelled to the cobbles of St Mary’s Street, known as the street of art and amber. Known as the place where time has stood still for 300 years, because of its rows of traditional terraced houses, it's home to classic ornate gargoyle rain gutters, delicately detailed railings and front stoops, which offer a true taste of Gdansk Old Town.
Despite the significant history here, Gdansk is also flourishing as a cosmopolitan, innovative city. In recent years there have been dramatic developments to expand entertainment and culture in Gdansk. The PGE Arena, which was originally built for Euro 2012 is now a multifaceted music, sport, food and entertainment venue. On our tour of this huge building we visited the 'Fun Arena', which is host to various games and activities including an Escape Room. Despite our efforts, we didn’t manage to escape. Nevertheless, it was an interesting way to while away a couple of hours.
Back into the town centre we were in for a more sophisticated kind of culture, with the newly built £15million Shakespeare Theatre. Despite the name, this is an example of supreme modernism, with 56 lifts that enable the area in front of the stage to be transformed into an Elizabethan-style thrust stage and a 90-tonne retractable roof – the only one of its kind in the world – that opens in three minutes to allow for daylight performances in good weather.
Although the modern ventures of Gdansk are worlds away from what the old town and history of the city has to offer, in many ways, the combination of the two makes the city that much more intriguing and provides visitors and locals alike the best of both worlds.
With such rich history it would have been easy for the city to become stuck in the past and out of touch with the world, but instead Gdansk has managed to move with the times while keeping a firm grasp on its past. And because of this, its unusually flavoursome cuisine and quaint beauty, it’s the perfect place for a city break.
Gdansk highlights
The Solidarity museum – this multimedia exhibit traces the history of the Solidarity movement and Poland's struggle to escape the grip of communism.
Further afield...
Malbork castle – the world’s biggest brick castle, with fabulous medieval architecture.
Sopot and Gdina – great nightlife, sandy beaches and some good little cafés and restaurants make these neighbouring cities popular places to visit.