Heading North
Poland has a bit of everything – the majestic Tatra mountains in the south, the myriad of lakes in the middle and 440km of golden sand coastline in the North. It has rich and eventful history which is clearly reflected in the sights and architecture of its cities. That is why Poland makes a perfect travel destination to all.
As we have not explored the north of Poland as a family before, we decided to spend Easter in Gdańsk and see what the city and the surrounding coastline have to offer. And I can honestly say, there is lots to do if active holidays are your thing. However, if you prefer to take it easy, there are enough museums, cafes and bars to slow the pace down.
The Old and the New
Gdańsk is a city of contrasts. Although almost completely demolished during the WWII, the Old Town goes back centuries ago. You will find that the buildings, especially the ones on the banks of the Motława river, bear a big resemblance to the architecture of Amsterdam. Strolling along the main street which runs through the Old Town, it is almost impossible not to admire the beauty of the architecture. Every building is different. They are different in width, the colour and the overall details – from the ornate gargoyles to paintings and patterns or miniature sculptures adorning the facades.
On the other hand, as soon as you leave the walls of the Old City, your eyes are immediately drawn to the skeletons of cranes of Gdańsk’s shipyard towering in the distance. The importance of the shipyard plays a big part in the Gdańsk history as this is where the Solidarity movement started in the 1980s.
The Cobbled Streets of the Old Town
The walk along the long Długi Targ street is a must for any visitor to the city. Take your time to admire the buildings, stop at the iconic Neptune Fountain, walk under the impressive Green Gate or just lose yourself along the narrow streets of the city. Make sure you find Mariacka street, a quiet and atmospheric street where there are endless shops and stalls selling amber, the Baltic Sea treasure.
Enjoy a walk along the Motława river and watch the boats go past. The 15th century crane building is one of the interesting buildings here. The history has it that the name was derived from the bird crane which had its nest on top of the newly built building. Since then the same name is used for both in most of the world’s languages. Make sure you cross the draw bridge to Ołowianka island to snap a photo in front of the Gdańsk sign.
If you want a bird’s eye view of Gdańsk, I would recommend climbing 370 steps to the top of the St Mary’s Basilica tower. The climb is quite challenging but the views across the city are definitely worth the effort.
Winter Kayaking in Gdańsk
The one thing I would urge everybody visiting Gdańsk to do is to try kayaking. It is a fantastic and such a different way to see the city. As a family, we found is so much fun and despite it sometimes being hard work (well, it was a windy day), we could not stop laughing at our poor attempts to row in a straight line.
We booked our winter kayaking experience with Around Gdansk. We were given all the gear to keep us warm and dry and our amazing guide, Szymon, explained the basics of kayaking… and that’s it, off we went rowing across a busy shipyard canal. To be honest, the rowing gets easier after a while and we got more relaxed in the city itself as there was no pressure of boats aiming at you.
Our guide was not only an experienced instructor but he had lots of facts and stories to tell us about the city. It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. Just go for it!
A Boat Trip to Westerplatte
There are many ways to see the city. We explored it mainly on foot but as the city is on the coast and has a river and a few canals running through it, obviously it made sense to hop on a boat tour. As we visited Gdańsk before the summer season started, our only option was a galleon style boat trip to Westerplatte which the place where the first shots of the WWII were fired.
The boat trip was a very enjoyable 30 minute ride taking us past the cranes, ships and the smoke of the shipyard all the way to Westerplatte peninsula. For the history lovers there is a big monument remembering the soldiers who defended the city and the country. You can also visit a museum and outdoor exhibitions. However, if you prefer to relax and breathe in some medicinal sea air, there is a vast golden sand beach just a short walk from the monument. I can imagine this is one of many beaches the locals visit in the summer.
Beautiful Beaches
When planning a trip to Gdańsk, it is worth staying one or two nights at one of many seaside resorts dotted along the coastline which are easily accessible by a taxi or train. If this is not feasible and you want to experience the Polish beach, there is a regular tram service that goes from the Gdańsk city centre to the Jelitkowo beach and it is about 30 minute ride through the residential area of the city providing another insight to the city.
We stayed in Sopot which is regarded as the Polish equivalent of Cannes due to the annual film festival which takes place here and it is where the rich and famous stay. The town is famous for its pier which is the longest wooden pier in Europe measuring at 511metres in length. The beach here is very clean and the sea is crystal clean. Sopot is also a major seaside health spa with its own spring water fountain.
We stayed in Sopot during the Easter break and it was very busy. The best way to avoid crowds is to hire some bikes – all the major hotels provide this service now- and follow one of many bike trails along the coastline. We decided to ride to the famous landmark of the Orłowski Cliff around 14 km round trip from our hotel. We went through the pine tree forest, challenging hills, a busy promenade and we ended ended in Orłowo, a small village. where we dragged our bikes across the sand to the bottom of the cliff. It was well worth the effort to see it.
It is a Yes for Gdańsk!
Being born and raised in Kraków which is on the opposite side of the country, it was an absolute pleasure to show the different part of the country to my family. We experienced the recent and the old history, the beaches, the variety of amazing activities, fabulous sight and the Polish food which is definitely one to try. Poland has so much to offer and we have only ticked a tiny little part of it. Where to next?
