On the northern shores of Poland, Gdańsk is a port city full of European history. From the world’s largest castle to the stark museums, Gdańsk is a must for any history lover.
Contents
Getting There
Bus: The Cheapest Option
Your cheapest option, at 4,90 zł, is to get the bus from the airport to the city. Once arriving at Gdańsk airport, head outside and you should see an area with busses passing through. You will also find a red ticket machine, and this is where you can buy your tickets. The process is simple enough, and the machine has the option to switch into English or Ukrainian. However, when we visited this machine did not accept card. Try to get some change in złoty (the Polish currency) before arriving in Poland to avoid the hiked-up airport transaction fees. This journey takes around 40 minutes.
Train or Taxi
An alternative option to the bus that won’t break the bank, costing 5,09 zł, is to get the train. This will involve getting a connection at Wrzeszcz. Just like busses, tickets can be bought from a vending machine. Head to the Port Lotniczy train station just outside the airport, and head from here to Wrzeszcz station. From Wrzeszcz, it’s a short 5-10 minute connection to the city centre. This journey will take around the same amount of time as the bus, 40 minutes.
If public transport is out of the question, taxis are also available from the airport. This is the most expensive option, however, costing you around 65 zł depending on when you arrive. You can either prebook with Welcome Pickups, or find one yourselves once you arrive. As we did not use a taxi service during our time in Poland, we cannot personally speak for the quality of the service. However, from other reliable sources we have heard good things.
Gdańsk Itinerary
Good, now you’ve arrived in Gdańsk safely, it’s time to truly start your holiday. Obviously this will depend on the time of day that you arrive, so plan accordingly
Day 1: Explore Gdańsk’s Old Town
The old town is, as the name suggests, the oldest part of the city. Lined with beautiful architecture, restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops, we wandered here for hours, getting lost in the gorgeous cobbled streets. Some of our top recommendations for the old town are:
Climb the bell tower of St. Mary’s Church.
We promise it’s worth the 400 steps up an oftentimes scarily narrow spiral staircase. The views of the city are just unmatched once you reach the viewing platform. If that’s not your thing, St Mary’s is still an amazing place to visit, just as strikingly beautiful on the inside as it is outside. Note that you must remove your hat whilst inside. Make sure to be quiet and respectful as this is a place of worship.
Stroll from the Green Gate to the Golden Gate
The walk between these two gates is a great way to see the major sights along the old town. This is where you will find the majority of restaurants and bars, but also some amazing sights. Neptune’s Fountain and the Town Hall stand out here, but even just grabbing a coffee (or a mulled wine if you’re there at Christmas like we were) and sitting surrounded by the unique Baltic houses is a good way to take a break before moving on.
Head up Gdańsk’s Motlawa River and see the Crane
Here is another good location to have a stroll and take in the sights. The main attraction here is the old crane, an absolute marvel and unique piece of architecture. You’ll also find another good chunk of restaurants along the river bank. This is an incredibly scenic place to grab dinner, albeit at slightly higher prices.
Wander around and get lost in the cobbled streets of Gdańsk
Obviously don’t actually get lost. One of our favourite things to do, especially in European cities, is to just wander aimlessly and see what we can find. In our case we stumbled upon this scenic street, Mariacka, with some aesthetically set coffee shops and many stalls to buy Baltic gold (also known as amber) jewellery.
Another interesting sight we stumbled across, albeit slightly further afield, was this interesting house seemingly upon a small pond. We can’t remember where exactly it was or what it is. We will be sure to update this guide as soon as we find out.
Bonus: Striking Amber Altar and Ancient Crypt at St. Bridget’s
Head to St. Bridget’s church to see it’s famously monumental amber altar. It can be reached in a roughly 10 minute walk from the centre of the old town. In addition to this mesmerizing display of Baltic gold, you’ll find what is known as the “Crypt of Skulls.” Renovations to the church in 2010 revealed a bricked up crypt. Within the crypt, hundreds of human bones lay, stacked knee high. The bones are thought to date back to the 14th or 15th century, though their is yet to be evidence to back this up. Mysterious and dark, but incredibly interesting!
Day 2: Westerplatte and the WW2 Museum
This day will appeal to the history buffs, but even Ellie, who is not as much interested in WW2 history as I am, found these incredibly interesting.
Westerplatte, an open air museum on the north shore, is most famous for the Battle of Westerplatte, the first battle in the German invasion of Poland during WW2. You can get there via the 106 or 138 bus from Dworzec Glowny, and the journey is around 30 minutes. Once there, you will find a souvenir shop and a map with a suggested route to take around the complex. You will find ruined buildings, guard towers, and most famously the Westerplatte Monument. Entrance is free, so take as much or as little time as you need.
Once you’ve finished at Westerplatte, you can head to the Museum of the Second World War to continue this day of history. To get there from Westerplatte, head back to the city centre on the 106 or 138, and from there you can walk or get a connecting bus. It might be a good idea at this point to stop and get some lunch somewhere before heading to the museum depending on the time. Entrance to the museum is 29 zł, but on Tuesdays entrance is free! Much of this museum is situated underground, and you could easily spend a long time in here.
Once you’ve finished in the museum, you can head back to the Old Town or the Motlawa river and grab some dinner at one of the countless restaurants.
Day 3: Malbork Castle
The largest castle in the world by land area, Malbork Castle could easily take up the majority of your day. Entrance costs 80 zł, and this includes an audio guide. More details about tickets, including ticket purchase, can be found here. It is recommend to buy entry tickets in advance, as there is an entry capacity which is often met in high season. Additionally, arriving early may help to beat the crowds and improve your overall experience.
The easiest way to Malbork is by train. We bought our train tickets in advance from Koleo and had no problems with getting there. Do note that many of the train station staff will not speak English, so knowing a couple of Polish words could be a lifesaver when in need of help.
After arriving at the Malbork train station, it is a 15-20 minute walk to the castle grounds. Take your pre-purchased ticket to the reception (or buy one whilst you’re there) and you will be given your audio guide. We both absolutely loved these audio guides! The narration was great, accompanied by epic orchestral music, and the device gave you directions on how to get around the maze-like castle grounds.
Bonus: Stutthof Museum
We did not include this in the main itinerary, as we understand this will not be for everyone, but we would definitely highly recommend a visit to Stutthof if you can fit it into your schedule. The concentration camp is situated near the town of Stutthof, and was the second-largest of its kind behind the infamous Auschwitz. Now it is open as a museum to the atrocities of the holocaust, and we found it a deeply harrowing yet important experience.
Getting to and from Stutthof is easy, just get the 870 bus for 27 zł, and it takes around an hour. The bus stop at which you alight is sort of unmarked at the side of a moderately busy road, and the same is true for getting back on the bus to get back to Gdańsk. We were confused when leaving as to where the bus was going to pick us up from, but we promise you if you just stand around here, the bus will stop and you will get back safely.
Final Notes
Gdańsk is a brilliant destination for a weekend city break, easily accessible from most major airports in Europe. Flights will often only set you back the cost of a couple drinks down the pub (especially if you live in the south of England!) so it can turn out to be really affordable. We visited in the middle of term at University, so it’s a good one to fit in round a busy schedule (although admittedly I did miss a lecture to spend an extra day there). You don’t need to quit your job or use up your yearly holiday time to get away to a place like this!
For more ideas for your Poland itinerary, check out all of our articles about Poland. To help plan your trip, see our travel advice for Poland.
2 responses to “A Weekend in Gdańsk: An Unforgettable 3-Day Itinerary”
Cool Stuff
Thanks John! Enjoy your trip to Gdańsk