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 TheWesterplatte sailing past
the Granaries by Ekaterinburg
In some cities ther is only industry along the rivers, in some others the banks are so high that there is no feeling of connection. But in Gdansk you are close enough to the river to smell it and almost touch it. Up to and beyond the Crane and the Granaries there are interesting buildings and lovely river vistas. You can shop here, have a drink or a meal, go to a museum or simply walk and walk and enjoy the ambience. All the boats moored on the river are attractive but a truly beautiful sght is the Westerplatte sailing up the river. This looks so like a pirate ship I expected to see Johnny Depp swashbuckling around on deck. The photo shows the Westerplatte sailing by the Granary complex, where the maritime museum is situated.
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I was surprised about how many famous people were born in Gdansk or have lived in the Tri-City region. The most famous person of Gdansk is of course Lech Walesa; the founder of Soildarity (Solidarnosc) and former president of Poland.
Other people from Gdansk include the philosoph Arthur Schopenhauer, the scientist Daniel Fahrenheit, the astronomer Johannes Hevelius and the writer Günter Grass whose novel "The tin drum" plays in Gdansk.
The actor Klaus Kinski was born in Sopot and the Polish writer Joseph Conrad left Poland from Gdynia where a monument was raised to honour him. Leave a Comment
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As Gdansk used to be one of the most important Hanseatic towns in medieval times, it had many architecturally interesting edifices which were built by the wealthy merchants and burghers.
Unfortunately, 90% of the city was destroyed during WWII, but its historical city centre has been completely restored. Today you will find buildings in Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Roccoco style.
Just keep your eyes open when wandering around the Old Town and its side streets. Leave a Comment
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 The Scales of justice, high
over Dlugi Targ by Ekaterinburg
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Gdansk is situated at the mouth of the Motlawa river which is also known under its German name Mottlau. The Motlawa has a length of almost 65 km and has several branches in the city of Gdansk.
The banks of the river invite tourists for a stroll along the nice buildings. Further outside of the city centre the arms and canals of the river are lined with industrial estates. Leave a Comment
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 Jan Heweliusz by Dagon
I'm sure, that most of you heard about people, I'm going to write about, but maybe you didn't know - they were somehow connected with this city.
- Guenther Grass - he was born here (in Wrzeszcz on 13 Lelewela street). In Gdansk are set many of his books.
- Jan Heweliusz - he lived in Gdansk in XVII century; he had many jobs, but most important was astronomer. He widened people knowledge about astronomy. He discovered many things, and that made him well known in Europe.
- Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit - well known physicist. He made many inventions, for example - his own scale of temperatures ("0" in this scale is equal to the coldest Gdansk winter - in 1709), which is today used for example in US.
- Artur Schopenhauer - he was born in Gdansk, but travelled west when he was 5.
- Lech Walesa - I think, I don't have to write about him - everybody knows something about him (lets say only Solidarity). Leave a Comment
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Gdansk by night is well worth seeing, because most churches and historic buildings in the Old Town are beautifully illuminated.
So don't miss a night stroll along Long Street (ul. Dluga), the Long Market (Dlugi Targ) and the side streets in the Old Town.
The Monument to the fallen shipyard workers and the shipyard gate look fascinating in darkness as well. Leave a Comment
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I got a bit confused about this. I think the New Town is actually a very old town...but it was the new town at the time and so they continue to refer to it in that way.... or something like that. At any rate, it's a little off from the most popular area at the waterfront, but there are some interesting things to explore. For instance, they have taken an ancient granary (built by the Teutonic knights in the 1300's) and turned it into a shopping mall. Another sweet little historic granary is just across the street. There are interesting shops and a nice little park to sit and rest. At the top of the street is the Old Town Hall built in the 16th century. Wish we had more steam and time to explore the area in detail...but it leaves something else to return for. Leave a Comment
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 by Dagon
Other tangible benefit Gdańsk gained both under the Teutonic rule and later, after the peace treaty of Toruń, came from its membership in the Union of Hanseatic Towns (1361 ?1669). The city 's role of an ancient emporium was well captured by a Polish poet of the time who called it "the old lion of the mighty Hansa ". While Lübeck was depicted as the warehouse, Bremen likened to the key, and Hamburg to the lock, Gdańsk was compared to the lion bravely guarding the opulent granaries of Hansa.
After the Teutonic defeat in the battle of Grunwald [Tannenberg](1410), Gdańsk pledged allegiance to the Polish king. However, the Teutonic rule of the city came to an end only in 1454.The knights were ousted, and their fortress at the mouth of Radunia canal was razed to the ground, sharing its fate with the whole so-called New City.
King Casimir the Jagiellonian incorporated Gdańsk into the Crown and conferred numerous privileges onto the city. The document establishing the most important privilege called "The Great" was signed on 15th May 1457. The city took over extensive property previously held by the Teutonic Order. Its authorities and local merchants gained numerous rights. Gdańsk began to mint its own coin. It is since those times that the city 's coat of arms of two crosses has had the Jagiellonian royal crown added on top. The crown and the Polish eagle became a frequently used motif that adorned the works of the local craftsmen and artists, and locally printed books. The largest chamber of Main City Hall was decorated with portraits of the Polish rulers. Leave a Comment
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 by Dagon
The complex combining a castle-town, city, and port began to take shape in the second half of the tenth century. Gdańsk then ruled by the dynasty of Pomeranian princes had a mixed population where the local Slavs lived side by side with growing numbers of merchants and craftsmen that arrived from the west. In the 12th century Gdańsk must have already grown to a large settlement for its times with several hundred homesteads, an open market, harbour, wharf, and defence bulwark.
Thanks to Prince Swietopelk II the Great, Gdańsk obtained city rights (of the Lübeck type). The ruler 's son and last prince of the Gdańsk Pomerania, Msciwoj II also called Mestwin, bestowed his land to Przemysl II, Prince of Great Poland in an act drawn in Kępno in 1282. That was a step of great political significance, as it enabled unification of the Polish territories. However, in view of the chaos that spread in Gdańsk following the death of the Czech king Vaclav (the Święc family having sold Pomerania to the Margraves of Brandenburg), the governor of the castle, Bogusza, called on the Teutonic Knights for help. Those, having captured the castle in 1308 butchered the population. Since then the event is known as "the Gdańsk slaughter ". Leave a Comment
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