City Information
Resa
till Solen flygresa - Queensway
Travel
Airport
Rebiechowo International is Poland’s second largest airport. In
Aug 1997 a new passenger terminal was opened to handle 500,000
passengers a year in modern air-conditioned comfort. Arrivals are
located on the ground floor and departures on the first floor.
Airport facilities include a branch of Gdanska restaurant, a bank
and post office.
Airport to City Centre
You can get one of the taxis which wait in front of the terminal
building. Most taxis will accept credit cards. Airport buses operate
to Gdańsk Central Railway Station (Line B), handy for the Holiday
Inn (1-min walk) and Heweliusz Hotel (4 mins), or to Gdańsk
Wrzeszcz Railway Station (Line 110), close to Szydlowski Hotel (3
mins). Tickets can be bought from the kiosk or directly from the
driver and cost Zl 3 one-way or Zl 6 return, and should be punched
on board.
Orientation
Gdańsk is Poland’s sixth largest city, with a population of
470,000. The city lies in Gdańsk Bay on the Baltic Coast and is
bisected by the Martwa Wisla river. Gdańsk forms part of the
conurbation known as the Tri-City area, with the recreational resort
of Sopot (pop: 50,000) and the shipyard town of Gdynia completing
the trio. Gdańsk is divided into 10 districts. Historic monuments
and shopping are found in the City Centre, Oliwa and Wrzeszcz. The
Old Town is located in the central part of town with cafés, art
galleries, tourist information, the main railway station, theatres
and museums. Gdańsk’s main artery connects all three areas of the
Tri-City, changing its name as it does so between Gdańsk and Gdynia
in the north: Trakt Swietego Wojciecha, Zwyciestwa Ave and
Grunwaldzka Ave in Gdańsk, then Niepodleglosci Ave, Wladyslawa IV
St and Zwyciestwa Ave in Gdynia.
Getting Around
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Queensway
Travel
Public transport in Gdańsk comprises bus, tram and SKM (Fast City
Train) systems. SKM is the most efficient route between the three
towns of the Tri-City area. Tickets are available from kiosks and
Polish National Railways booking offices. Tickets are not valid for
buses and trams and vary in price depending on the length of
journey. Trams and buses operate frequently throughout the day.
Tickets are available from kiosks or drivers and should be punched
on board. Cost varies from Zl 1 for a 10-min journey to Zl 5 for an
all-day travelcard. Taxis are comfortable and fairly cheap, and can
be hailed in the street or picked up in front of hotels.
What to see
National Museum: The pick of Polish and old Gdańsk art, plus
Hans Memling’s Flemish masterpiece, The Last Judgement. 1 Torunska
St.
Oliwa Cathedral: The 12c cathedral contains the splendid
Oliwa Organs, the centrepiece of the summer Festival of Organ Music.
St Mary’s Basilica: Poland’s largest gothic church is
also the biggest brick church in the world. The 14m high
astronomical clock dates from the 15c and is newly operational
following restoration, and there’s some priceless art on display
too. The tower affords a wonderful view of Gdańsk.
Town Hall: The exact date of construction of Gdańsk’s most
important building is unknown, but it was certainly in use by the
end of the 14c. The phenomenal interiors include the Maly Krzysztof,
Biala (White), Zimowa (Winter), Zodiakalna and Wielka rooms. The 81m
tower features a life-size statue of Polish king Zygmunt August.
Golden Gate: Built in 1614, Gdańsk’s triumphal arch forms
the entrance to Dluga St. The allegorical statues represent piety,
justice, harmony, discernment, fame, wealth, liberty and peace.
Dluga St and Dlugi Targ: The main thoroughfare of the Old
Town was home to the tenements of Gdańsk’s wealthiest merchants.
Beyond the Town Hall are the Dlugi Targ (Long Market) and Neptune
Fountain. Golden Gate is at the beginning of the road and Green Gate
at the end.
Arthur’s Court: the medieval meeting place of guilds and trade
organisations, fashioned after the legendary court of King Arthur.
It is situated on Dlugi Targ (Long Market).
Westreplatte: the promontory guarding the harbour entrance
was the first battlefield of WWII. Here the first shots were fired
from the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein and a small Polish
garrison defended itself for a whole week. Apart from ruins and a
huge monument you also find a small museum here. It is about 40 mins
from the city centre and you can get there by bus 106.
Harbour Crane: The largest ancient harbour crane in the world
is a quintessential symbol of Gdańsk. The wooden structure dates
from 1444 and was in use for 500 years, powered by workers walking
in special drums.
Shopping
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Travel
Gdańsk is called the ‘amber metropolis of the world’. This
industry has at it disposal a great number of efficient and
dynamically developing workshops. If you want to buy any amber
jewellery, visit any of the large number of amber and jewellery
shops located in the Old Town, on Mariacka, Dluga and Dlugie
Pobrzeze St. For wine lovers, there are three good wine merchants:
LandM in Gdańsk at 1 Teatralna St, near Targ Wglowy Place, LandM in
Gdynia at 19/21B Kaszubski Place and one in Sopot at 1 Morska St.
Prices go up to about Zl 6,000.
Where to walk
Gdańsk’s Old Town makes for a historical wander, stopping off at
the main sites en route. The Tri-City area Landscape Park on the
moraine hills adjoining Gdańsk offers a richly geological
environment of boulders, post-glacial gullies and beech forests.
Start your walk at the end of Abrahama St in Gdańsk-Oliwa district.
Another spot for a short stroll is the Molo in Sopot, featuring the
longest wooden pier in Europe (512m) and Bohaterow Monte Casino
Promenade. You can finish by sauntering along the seashore to Gdańsk-Zaspa
pier, from where you can head back by bus to SKM stations in Zaspa
or Oliwa (Line 127). Nature-lovers will be delighted by the cliff
coast of the Kepa Redlowska Nature Reserve, stretching from the
southern end of Nadmorski Boulevard (15 mins by foot from SKM Gdynia
Glowna) to the pier in Gdynia’s southern suburb, Orlowo.
