Gdansk Travelers Recommend

Northern Poland’s largest city, Gdansk sprawls along the Baltic coast, forming the Tri-City metropolitan area with neighboring Gdynia and Sopot. With one day in Gdansk, you have time to explore the watery Old Town, discover enormous Malbork Castle, and sample the region’s fabulous food and drink. Here’s how.

Morning: Old Town Road

With waterways running right into the heart of the city and a wealth of reconstructed 17th-century buildings, Gdansk’s Old Town should be your first stop. A walking tour is the perfect way to soak up the atmosphere in the cobbled streets and take in sights such as Golden Gate, Old Town Hall, Neptune’s Fountain, and the medieval Crane. Aim to hit 15th-century St. Mary’s Church at noon, when the astronomical clock springs to life. Or, get creative: Paddle a kayak through the center of Old Town, ride a Segway, join a bike tour—or board a hop-on, hop-off bus.

Afternoon: Crusader Castle

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Malbork Castle is an enormous brick-built fortress that started life as a fortified monastery in the 13th century. Just 40 miles (64 kilometers) out of town, it’s an easy half-day trip, and the castle’s turrets, spires, and churches repay the journey. A guide can explain Gdansk’s complex history (it’s been known by its German name, Danzig, for long periods) and bring you straight to the castle’s highlights. Learn how the Teutonic knights rose from the Crusades to found their own religious state, headquartered here in Malbork (also known as Marienburg).

Night: Foodie Fantastic

With one night in Gdansk, it pays to have a guide to help navigate the city’s vibrant food scene—not least because small plates are far from common in Polish cuisine. Discover delights from pierogi dumplings to potato pancakes, and Poland’s wealth of cheese, sausage, cured meat, and pickles. Be sure not to skimp on the drinks. Poland offers a rich vein of vodkas, made with everything from potato to rye. Besides traditional honey and cherry vodkas, don’t miss a Gdansk specialty: Danziger Goldwasser, a liqueur made with real gold. Wrap up at one of the city’s lively craft brewpubs if time allows.

Three days in Gdansk allow you to explore the city thoroughly, taking in Old Town, the shipyards, its Tri-City neighbors of Gdynia and Sopot, and plenty of food and drink. Besides Malbork Castle, you can head into the country, cruising the Elblag Canal, exploring unspoiled Kashbuia, or touring World War II sites. This is how.

Day 1: Castles and Cuisine

Gdansk boasts a history stretching back more than 1,000 years. Don’t miss the chance to explore its photogenic Old Town, with cobbled streets and historic houses. Choose from a wealth of tour options, from walking tours to hop-on hop-off buses. Highlights include the Old Town Hall, Golden Gate, and Neptune’s Fountain. St. Mary’s Church boasts an intricate astronomical clock, engineered in the 15th century. Spend the afternoon exploring Malbork Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a guide. Founded in the 13th century by the warrior monks known as the Teutonic knights, it’s one of Europe’s largest brick structures. Head back to town to hit the city’s food scene on a tasting tour. Besides cheese, sausages, and cured meats, Poland offers fare from pierogi dumplings and potato pancakes to tangy soups and stews—as well as an epic array of cakes.

Day 2: A Tale of Three Cities

With Gdynia and Sopot, Gdansk forms a large metropolitan area known as Tri-City. Spend the morning discovering its neighbors. Sip mineral water at one of Sopot’s historic spas or stroll its charming parks; fuel your Instagram with a snap of the eye-catching Crooked House. In Gdynia, take in Kosciuszki Square or tour a historic battleship. Back in Gdansk, squeeze in at least one of the essential sights that gave the city a starring role in recent Polish history. It was in Gdansk’s shipyards that an electrician named Lech Wałęsa founded anti-Communist trade union Solidarity, starting a freedom movement that would see him democratically elected as president. Explore the shipyards on a tour or visit the European Solidarity Center, a museum devoted to the Solidarity story. Wrap up with a classic Gdansk experience: a sunset cruise along the waterways that thread through this port city’s historic heart.

Day 3: Into the Wild

You have three main options for your final day in Gdansk: Kashubia, a region home to a unique minority culture; the Elblag Canal, which includes the unique experience of riding a boat up a grassy hill; or World War II sites. History buffs pay their respects at the Stutthof concentration camp, where Nazi Germans put Jewish people and Polish freedom fighters to death, and Westerplatte, where one of the war’s first battles was fought. Engineering geeks and families adore the 51-mile (82-kilometer) Elblag Canal, which links a series of lakes. Cruises always include the slipways, where boats ride uphill as if on a funicular railway. A kayak tour of Kashubia’s unspoiled meadows and pristine landscapes is a great option for active types. Finally, say goodbye to Tri-City by discovering its vibrant nightlife: Take a vodka tour, visit a craft brewpub, or (in summer) hit one of Sopot’s throbbing clubs.

Two days in Gdansk gives you time to see the city’s historic signatures, tour mighty Malbork Castle, and savor some delicious food. But you can also head further afield, to Gdansk’s Tri-City neighbors Sopot and Gdynia, the Stutthof concentration camp, or Cold War sites. Read on to find out how.

Day 1: Historic Heritage

**Morning:**Choose any one of a wealth of options to explore Gdansk’s pretty Old Town. Take a city cruise, enjoy a walking tour, ride a bike, or board a hop-on hop-off bus. Don’t miss the Golden Gate, Old Town Hall, Neptune’s Fountain, or St. Mary’s Church with its beautifully engineered astronomical clock.

**Afternoon:**Head out of town to Malbork Castle. The medieval warrior monks known as the Teutonic knights founded this enormous brick-built structure, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the 13th century. A guide can explain how the building evolved from a fortified monastery into the headquarters of a unique religious state.

**Night:**Spend your first evening discovering the hearty flavors of authentic Polish cuisine. Savor a wealth of sausages, cured meats, and cheeses—don’t miss the smoked sheep cheese known as oscypek. Potato pancakes and pierogi dumplings, both sweet and savory, should be on your agenda, alongside lashings of coffee and cake.

Day 2: A Darker Side

**Morning:**Discover the tragic history of World War II Poland during the Nazi German occupation on a visit to the Stutthof concentration camp. Less crowded than the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial, the somber site tells the story of the Jewish people and Polish freedom fighters who died here.

**Afternoon:**On a sunny day, lift your spirits with a trip out to the resort town of Sopot, known for its mineral spas and photogenic Crooked House. Alternatively, learn about the key role Gdansk played in modern Polish history on a shipyard tour. Poland’s first post-Communist president Lech Wałęsa founded resistance trade union Solidarity here.

**Night:**Wrap up your stay in Gdansk by hitting the vibrant nightlife that brings travelers here from all over Europe—and beyond. Enjoy a guided bar-hopping adventure across Tri-City, sample Gdansk’s celebrated craft beers, or savor a signature Polish experience, a vodka-tasting session.