10 best things to do in Gdansk
Things to do in Gdansk.
Here you will find tips for your holiday in Gdansk. Below the list you will find even more information about attractions in Gdansk.
1. The Old Town of Gdansk
2. Sopot and the Sopot Pier (MOLO)
3. Day trip to Malbork Teutonic Castle
4. Visit the WW2 Museum in Gdansk
5. A private beer tasting tour in Old Town
6. Take a pirate boat trip to Westerplatte
7. Shopping in Forum Gdansk shopping center
8. Museums in Gdansk
9. Gothic churches in Gdansk Old Town
10. Visit the Solidarity Museum.
Saint Dominic Market in Gdansk 2023 22.07.2023 – 13.08.2023
It is one of the largest and oldest markets in Europe, dating back more than 750 years. It lasts 3 weeks, from the end of July to circa August the 20th. The market is located in the streets of the Gdansk Old Town, and it is open from early noon to evening.
During Saint Dominic Market in Gdansk you can walk among over 1000 stalls (600 in 2020 due to COVID) with crafts, ceramics, jewelry, antiques and even old vinyls and comics. You can taste several regional delicacies from Poland, Lithuania, Hungary and other European countries. Every year you can meet different local producers of cheeses and wine. It is one of the few places in the world where you can taste Polish wine. You can also experience various cultural events, including The Gdansk Shakespeare Festival, organ concerts in old Ghotic churches and pop music concerts.
The selection is so large that you simply can not participate in all the cultural events that are organized during the Market in Gdansk. In addition, one can watch fireworks shows on the weekends. Saint Dominic Market is without a doubt a major attraction for collectors and people who thrive in a lively atmosphere. If you like tasting regional food products, feel free to join.
More information about Saint Dominic Market HERE
The Christmas Market in Gdansk 2023
The 2023 Christmas Market in Gdansk will begin on November 24 and will end on December 23. It offers several activities: you can buy handmade Christmas decorations, drink mulled wine or have a picture taken with Santa Claus. In many of the stalls you can buy handmade products, including leather bags or gloves, soap or fruit liqueurs.
From 2016, Art Marked is part of Christmas Market. At the Art Market, you could buy paintings and design directly from local artists. The Christmas Market is not as big as Saint Dominic’s Fairs. It includes about 100 stalls. Thanks to that, the stalls are located in one place, Targ Węglowy, right near the main street of the Gdansk Old Town and Dluga street. During the Christmas Market in Gdansk you can take a free ride on the carousel or ice skate. In 2016, there were also Ferris wheel on the market.
The most important cultural event is an excellent period music festival Actus Humanus which attracts the world’s most famous performers of Baroque and Renaissance music. The concerts are held in historic interiors of Gdansk churches and will be a great experience for all music lovers. Christmas Market in Gdansk provides a fantastic opportunity to relax with friends and get beautiful Polish traditional Christmas decorations.
Contact us to order on of most popular tours in Gdansk. Choose tour by foot or by bus, it is up to you. Here is the list of recommended tours in Gdansk
Why is Gdansk worth visiting?
Gdansk is a world history witness. Some of the moments that have affected the fate of Europe and the world took place here, in Gdansk: the struggle for dominance over the Baltic Sea with Sweden in the 17th century, the Napoleonic Wars and the development of German nationalism in the 19th century, Nazism and the tragic events of World War II, communism and liberation thanks to the Solidarity Movement and Lech Walesa.
Traces of those times can still be found in Gdansk Old Town. Gdańsk had been one of the most important Hanseatic cities for over 250 years. In the Gdansk Old Town, international grain and timber trade flourished, and several objects still prove the city’s richness, including Gothic churches with St. Mary’s Church, the beautiful houses of Gdansk patricians, the harbor, the crane, the Neptune Fountain and several others.
Gdańsk was Poland’s largest city between the 15th and 17th centuries. St. Mary’s Church in Gdansk is built of approximately 5 million bricks. It is the largest brick church in the world and it should outshine other St. Mary’s Churches in the Hanseatic cities. Iside the church will find the largest astronomical clock from 1470, several Gothic altars and other valuable souvenirs.
Gdansk used to be a multicultural city.
Germans, Dutch, Scots, English, Swedes and several other nationalities had settled in Gdansk for centuries. Nowadays, the Dutch architectural tradition is visible in the old town. In the old town of Gdansk there is also an international center for amber trade.
It was in Gdansk, German Danzig, on the Westerplatte Peninsula, where World War II began on September 1, 1939. The old town of Gdansk had been almost completely destroyed by the end of World War 2 and was rebuilt by Polish architects after the WW2. Now the Gdansk Old Town is something to be proud of.
Solidarity was born here, in Gdansk.
August 1980. Lech Walesa together with shipyard workers from the Lenin shipyard in Gdansk occupied the shipyard area and the strike broke out almost all over Poland. It succeeded and the workers achieved their goal – the trade union Solidarity was legalized. Solidarity movement was based on non-violent resistance. Thanks to that, the democratization process in Poland was carried out without bloodshed. Today you can find out more about the history of Solidarity and about the victory of Polish society over communism in a new Solidarity Center. The center is built on the site where the Lenin shipyard was located, next to the monument to fallen shipyard workers.
There is a lot of excitement to see and do in Gdansk. Gdańsk is a great place to spend a holiday with family or a weekend with friends. A study trip or a company trip to Gdansk is also a great idea. It is worth coming here for a shopping trip or a visit to the SPA. There are many different things to do in Gdansk. Here are several kilometers of beautiful sandy beaches.
You can eat good food in Gdansk pubs and restaurants. In summer you can visit St. Dominic’ Fair, and Gdansk Christmas Market in winter. It is worth getting to know the area around Gdansk: Sopot, Gdynia, the Polish Netherlands in Żuławy and the Polish Sami in Kashubia. Gdansk is a great place for cyclists as well. And the most important thing: Gdansk is much closer than you think.