At 4:45am on 1 September 1939, the German warship Schleswig-Holstein opened fire on the Polish military transit depot at Westerplatte, on the outskirts of Gdańsk. The 182 Polish defenders held for seven days against overwhelming German force. It was the opening act of the Second World War. Gdańsk — then the Free City of Danzig, a mostly German city under League of Nations protection — was the pretext that Hitler had used to launch his invasion of Poland.
Forty-one years later, Gdańsk was again the place where history changed: in August 1980, workers at the Lenin Shipyard here launched a strike that led to the creation of Solidarity — the first independent trade union in the Soviet bloc — and ultimately to the peaceful dismantling of communist rule across Central and Eastern Europe.
The Long Market (Długi Targ)
Gdańsk's stunning main street — meticulously restored after wartime destruction — is a showcase of Flemish Mannerist and Dutch Renaissance architecture, reflecting the city's centuries as a major Baltic trading port and member of the Hanseatic League. The Artus Court, the Golden Gate, and the towering Church of St. Mary (one of the largest brick churches in the world) form an ensemble of rare beauty.
The European Solidarity Centre
Opened in 2014 on the grounds of the former Lenin Shipyard, the European Solidarity Centre museum is extraordinary — a rust-corten steel building shaped like the hull of a ship, containing a museum that traces the history of the Solidarity movement, the wider struggle for freedom in communist Europe, and the peaceful revolution of 1989. Visitors to Kraków save POLIN; visitors to Gdańsk need the Solidarity Centre. Allow 3–4 hours.
Amber
Gdańsk is the amber capital of the world. The Baltic coastline produces 90% of the world's amber — fossilised tree resin ranging from 44 to 100 million years old — and Gdańsk has been trading it for over 1,000 years. The Amber Museum in the Torture House and Prison Tower is excellent. Dozens of craftspeople on Mariacka Street sell amber jewellery directly — far better than the tourist trap shops.
The Tri-City
Gdańsk is part of the Trójmiasto (Tri-City) agglomeration with Gdynia (a modern interwar port) and Sopot (the Baltic beach resort with Poland's longest wooden pier). All three are connected by SKM commuter train. Sopot in summer is brilliant — the pier, the beach, and the café- and bar-lined main street make it one of the most fun places in Poland on a warm evening.