Let's visit Tricity!
Are you planning a tour around Gdańsk, Sopot or Gdynia? Are you
already there not knowing how to plan your stay, where to begin your
visit? Are you expecting a visit from your friends or family, and don't
know where to take them out, what to show and recommend to them? Our
guide will help you reach the places worth seeing in the whole Tricity,
get to know the most important historic buildings and monuments,
facilities and tourist attractions of Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia.
Tricity in a nutshell
Each tourist city has its own landmarks, its must-see places. In
Paris it's The Louvre and The Eiffel Tower, in London - Big Ben and
Buckingham Palace, in Warsaw - Sigismund's Column and the statue of The
Warsaw Siren, in Cracow - The Cloth Hall and The Wawel Castle. What is
the symbol of Tricity which must not be missed? Tricity is not a
homogeneous urban entity, but three cities, each of them with several,
if not more, of their characteristic features. It is hard to imagine
Tricity without
Neptune Fountain, the majestic
Żuraw crane and the Shipyard cranes - the inherent elements of the panorama of Gdańsk, without the Sopot Pier or Gdynia's cliffs, '
Błyskawica'
ship and 'Dar Pomorza' tall ship. It's good to bear in mind, though,
that, apart from historic buildings and other popular places, each of
these three cities, Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia, have their less touristy
gems which we recommend to discover during your personal excursions. One
thing is certain - in Tricity you will not be bored: you can go
night-clubbing, sunbathe by the seashore, taste the local specialities
and take advantage of such wide range of activities, that it may even
make you seasick! Here you will feel the sand under your feet, breeze
on your skin, you will hear the call of the sea and you will the wind
blow in your sails.
Accommodation
If you decide to visit Tricity during the holiday season - it is
advisable to arrange your accommodation well in advance: (see our
recommended
hotels,
guest houses, holiday apartments and
campsites). Most of them offer
online booking.
Transport
Before the trip it is good to choose the transport options. Tricity
is easily accessible from any large city in Poland. Choose your own
means of transport, bus or train. The PKP train timetable is available
on our
website Polski Bus coach service has lately become a popular means of
transport
There are flights to Gdańsk departing from several cities in Poland.
If you are planning your trip by plane, arriving at Gdańsk Rębiechowo
airport you can use a taxi or public transport, checking the
city bus timetable
straight after your arrival
During your stay in Tricity do not forget about the Rapid Urban
Railway (SKM) commonly used by the city's inhabitants You can also go on
a sea cruise: take the '
water tram' which will take you to Hel.
Map
If you wish to thoroughly explore Tricity and acquire more profound
knowledge of the city, you should go on a guided tour, choosing a guide
from the list in our catalogue. You will find our map helpful while you
are sightseeing and Gdańsk 4youmobile application will make finding your
way around even easier. If you need a printed map and brochures go to
one of Tourist Information Centres, where you will find plenty of
promotional materials and expert
guidelines.
Gdańsk
Nad Motławą
A thousand years of history and picturesque seaside location
makes Gdańsk considered one of the most beautiful cities in Poland and
in Europe. Located in the north of Poland, at The Baltic Sea coast, at
The Motlawa and The Vistula river estuary and the Bay of Gdańsk, it is a
lively cultural, scientific and economic centre, with a large
commercial port - an important point of marine industry. It is popular
with tourists, both from Poland and abroad, who are curious about the
city's history and explore its monuments, absorbing its marine nature.
Gdańsk is the city of freedom, where the ideas of Polish companionship
and solidarity were born. The unique "genius loci" can be felt among the
Old Town terraced houses, among the shipyard cranes of Young Town, on
the sandy beaches and post-industrial halls. The omnipresent freedom in
Gdańsk inspires actions, changes people and space they live in. The
present day Gdańsk is a city open to new ideas, keeping pace with the
changing times; traditional yet at the same time very modern.
Złota Brama
Brama Wyżynna i Katownia
The thousand-year-old Gdańsk is considered to be the most
monument-packed city of "Baltic Europe". Most of the monuments in
Gdańsk are located near the most representative passage of Main Town
District - the Royal Route and the streets parallel to it, along with
the promenade, the Motlawa Long Embankment (Długie Pobrzeże). The best
place to start sightseeing of the historic part of Gdańsk would be the
Upland Gate
(Brama Wyżynna) and the the Royal Route stretching beyond it through
Long Street (Ulica Długa) and Long Market (Długi Targ) towards The Green
Gate (Zielona Brama). In the Green Gate you will find the seat of
Pomeranian Tourist Information Centre (Pomorskie Centrum Informacji
Turystycznej). Having crossed The Green Gate, you'll find the Prison
Tower (Wieża Więzienna) and Torture
Chamber
(Katownia), called the Barbican of Gdańsk, inside which The Amber
Museum is located The Amber Museum is planned to be re-located to the
northern end of Granary Island (Wyspa Spichrzów.).
Just behind it, there is the
Golden Gate (Złota Brama) and, next to it,
The Court of the Society of St. George
(Dwór Bractwa Świętego Jerzego) . Within the area bordering on one
side with Wybrzeże Theatre and the Barbican on the other, there is a
square called Targ Węglowy, a venue of numerous concerts and other
cultural events. Just behind The Golden Gate there is a magnificant view
on the Royal Route. The Route is lined with charming, restored houses,
whose original construction dates back to the 16th and 17th century. We
can see gothic references here as well. The houses used to belong to the
most prominent patricians, merchants and senior city officials and
spacious apartments were rented to Polish kings. One of the most
beautiful houses at Długa Street is undoubtedly
The Uphagen's House
(Dom Uphagena) - which houses one of the branches of the Museum of the
History of Gdańsk. All these magnificent buildings are overshadowed by
the beautiful and monumental Main
Town Hall
(Ratusz Głównego Miasta), the most impressive and most valuable secular
building of old Gdańsk, the seat of the city authorities. The dome of
the tower, measuring 80 metres, is decorated at the top with the metal,
gilded statue of the King Zygmunt August. The interior, meticulously
reconstructed, is also worth a visit. (There is an online animation
showing the history of
The City Hall development.
Fontanna Neptuna
Opposite The City Hall there is Tourist Information
Centre, office of PTTK Gdańsk and the souvenir shop with postcards and
albums of Gdańsk. You can also hire a guide here.
The heart of Gdańsk, unlike many cities with their central squares, is the
Long Market, which along with Długa Street in the 13th century functioned as a merchant route. Here, The
Neptune Fountain - symbol of Gdańsk, which has been in front of
The Artus Court since 1633, is situated. Nearby, there is the beautiful
Golden House (Złota Kamieniczka) and the
New House of the Court
(Nowy Dom Ławy) with The Lady from the Window ("Panienka z okienka") -
a young girl dressed as a 17th century maiden who greets the
passers-by every day at three past one o'clock p.m. Tip: There is a
place on the Long Market from which you can spot three Neptune statues
at the same time - try to find it! If you would like to feel like you
are there now - take a look at the Panoramic View of the Long Market.
Walking towards the Motlawa river, along Long Street, you reach
the Green Gate - a branch of the National Museum of Gdańsk. Passing the Green Gate, you will reach
The Long Embankment, where your attention will be drawn by
Żuraw,-
the oldest preserved port crane in Europe and the iconic edifice of
Gdańsk. Further on, going over the Green Bridge you can cross the
Motlawa river and get to Szafarnia Waterfront, the city's marina and
the Lead Island (Ołowianka).
Zielonego Mostu
Tourists like to stop by the bridge which is a popular viewpoint and a
perfect spot to take a photo. Turning left behind the Green Gate, you
can continue your stroll along the Motlawa river. You will go past the
harbour of Gdańsk Shipping Company ( Żegluga Gdańska) where sailing
vessels call at and depart to Sopot, Gdynia or Hel Peninsula. A little
further, next to Baszta Łabędź (Swan Tower) during the summer holiday
season there is a stop of 'water tram' and pirate cruise ship "Galeon
Lew". Passing the row of buildings where souvenir shops and restaurants
are located you reach the majestic
Żuraw - crane,
which used to serve as a point for trans-shipment and for putting up
masts on ships. It also served as the city gate. Inside there is a
reconstructed and fully-operating drive mechanism - an enormous wooden
wheel, in the past powered by the strength of men's legs.
The building adjacent to Żuraw crane (the branch of National
Maritime Museum) is a modern house, yet designed to fit the historical
facade of old buildings around, which houses the Centre of Maritime
Culture (Ośrodek Kultury Morskiej) - the newest branch of National
Maritime Museum, opened in 2012.
Żuraw i Ośrodek Kultury Morskie
Filharmonia Bałtycka
The building adjacent to Żuraw crane (the branch of National
Maritime Museum) is a modern house, yet designed to fit the historical
facade of old buildings around, which houses the Centre of Maritime
Culture (Ośrodek Kultury Morskiej) - the newest branch of National
Maritime Museum, opened in 2012. The main seat of
National Maritime Museum
is situated on the opposite side of the Motlawa river on Lead Island
in three granaries of historical heritage: "Panna" "Miedź" and"Oliwski"
Another part of Maritime Museum is 'Sołdek' - the ship berthed at the
Motlawa river bank, the first seagoing ship built in Gdańsk Shipyard
after World War II and one of the main attractions of the city. On the
opposite river bank there is Granary Island (Wyspa Spichrzów), the city
marina with sailing boats and, along the port canal,
Polish Baltic Philharmonic
located in the building of the former19th century power plant.
Transport across the river is possible on 'Motława' - the seasonal ferry
, property of The Maritime Museum. In the nearest future the footbridge
leading to Lead Island will be available. Walking along the Long
Embankment it is worth to head towards the gothic
St. Mary's Gate
(Brama Mariacka)leading to one of the most scenic streets of Europe -
St. Mary's Street. Its old Gdańsk-style architecture is manifested by
rows of terraced houses decorated with gargoyles and narrow, richly
ornamented facades. The houses once belonged to wealthy merchants and
goldsmiths. Just behind St. Mary's Gate there is the
Archaeological Museum.html?lang=en
the biggest museum of this kind in Northern Poland, with its collection
of over 27,000 archaeological, ethnographic, numismatic and wildlife
exhibits. The Museum has also its observation tower, where you can
admire the view of the panorama of Gdańsk. St. Mary's Street, narrow and
full of amber and jewellery stalls and workshops is surmounted by the
huge, monumental temple:
St. Mary's Church,
one of the largest brick churches in the world is frequently referred
to as The Crown of Gdańsk From its 77,6 metres high tower , which you
have to climb almost 400 steps to get to, the city panorama can be
viewed.
