Photo kallerna, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Old townGdańsk, Pomerania

Gdańsk Main Town with children: what to see, map and route

Main Town and the Motława in Gdańsk. In the Turi app, the same map shows your position, guides you from point to point and lets you tick off the places you’ve visited.

23points to see

13on the recommended route

approx. 3 hvisiting with children

Open this map in Turi Directions ↗

Before you go Map Worth seeing All points

Before you go

approx. 3 hwith breaks, at a family pace

8toilets on the map

free entrymuseums and towers have separate tickets

The walk starts at the Upland Gate, which houses the tourist information centre, about ten minutes on foot from Gdańsk Główny railway station, and ends at the Great Armoury, a few minutes from the start. It is a loop, so you will come back to almost the same place. If you are already in the Main Town, Turi will guide you from the nearest point. The streets are level and a pushchair can manage the whole route, with some uneven cobbles on Mariacka Street and by the water gates. Walking the streets and the quay is free. Tickets are needed for the museums: the Town Hall, Artus Court, Uphagen House and the Crane, and for the tower of St Mary's. The Four Quarters Fountain runs in the warm months. Toilets can be found on the Long Embankment, next to the Market Hall and near the Golden Gate, among other places.

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Gdańsk Main Town in the Turi app

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1recommended, in route orderother pointsWCtoilets, food, tickets

Map: OpenStreetMap (ODbL). Descriptions and photos: Turi and Wikimedia Commons. Something not right? Report it in the app at that point.

Worth seeing

The Main Town is the oldest and wealthiest part of Gdańsk, for centuries the largest port of the Polish Commonwealth. The walk follows the Royal Route: from the Upland Gate through the Golden Gate, along Długa Street and the Long Market past the Town Hall, the Neptune Fountain and Artus Court to the Green Gate on the Motława. Then you walk along the quay and up Mariacka Street, full of amber, to one of the largest brick churches in the world, and on to the Crane, a medieval port crane. On the way you will run through a fountain guarded by lions, step into the market hall and find out where America's degrees Fahrenheit came from.

Photo Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons1

Building / monument

Upland Gate

For centuries this was the way into Gdańsk. The gate was completed in 1588 by Willem van den Blocke, who faced it with dressed stone blocks. This is where the Royal Route began: Polish kings were handed the keys to the city here and rode on down Długa Street. Above the passages you will see three coats of arms: Poland in the middle, with Gdańsk and Royal Prussia at the sides. Look for the eagle and for two crosses under a crown.

Photo Barbara Maliszewska, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, Wikimedia Commons2

Building / monument

Golden Gate

This gate from 1612 looks like a triumphal arch and was never meant for defence, only for show. It was designed by Abraham van den Blocke. Eight stone figures stand on top: Peace, Freedom, Wealth and Fame on the side facing the Torture House, and Concord, Justice, Piety and Prudence facing Długa Street. The Latin inscription says that small states grow through concord and great ones fall through discord. The building with a turret attached to the gate is the Court of the Brotherhood of St George, and on its roof the saint is fighting a dragon.

Photo Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons3

Building / monument

Main Town Hall

For centuries the richest city of the Polish Commonwealth was governed from here. The Town Hall is the second tallest building in the Main Town, right after St Mary's Church, and its tower is more than 80 metres high. On the very top stands a gilded figure of King Sigismund Augustus. A carillon, an instrument of 37 bells, plays from the tower, and in summer you can climb to the viewing terrace. Inside is the Museum of Gdańsk with the Red Room, one of the most beautiful town hall chambers in Europe. Look up and find the golden king.

Photo Barbara Maliszewska, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, Wikimedia Commons4

Attraction

Neptune Fountain

The god of the sea with his trident stands in front of Artus Court and is the symbol of Gdańsk, a city that lived off the sea. The figure was cast in bronze in the early 17th century, but the fountain was not switched on until 1633, because the work dragged on for years. Legend has it that Neptune grew angry at people throwing gold coins into the fountain, struck with his trident and shattered the gold into tiny flakes. That is said to be the origin of the famous Gdańsk liqueur with gold flakes. Look for the sea creatures on the base of the fountain.

Photo Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons5

Building / monument

Artus Court

This is where the richest merchants of Gdańsk met guests from all over Europe. The name comes from the legendary King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, where everyone was equal. Craftsmen and stallholders, however, were not allowed in. The first court stood here in the mid-14th century, and its present front was given to it in 1617 by Abraham van den Blocke. In the great hall stands a tiled stove almost 11 metres tall, made of more than 500 tiles. On the front, look for four statues of ancient heroes.

Photo Marcin Białek, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons6

Building / monument

Green Gate

A gate that looks like a palace, because it was meant to be the Gdańsk home of the Polish kings. It was built between 1564 and 1568 from small bricks brought by ship from Holland. The kings, however, preferred to stay in the townhouses on the Long Market, and none of them ever lodged here for long. The gate closes the Royal Route: its four passages lead straight onto the bridge and the Motława River. Above the passages, look for the coats of arms of Poland, Gdańsk and Royal Prussia.

Photo Andrzej Otrębski, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons7

Attraction

Green Bridge and the Motława

This is the best place to see that Gdańsk was a great port. Ships carrying grain, timber and goods from all over the world sailed into the city along the Motława. To your left runs the Long Embankment with its water gates, and further on you can see the dark outline of the Crane, which you will reach later. Across the river lies Granary Island, where grain floated down the Vistula from all over Poland was kept in hundreds of warehouses. A bridge has stood here since the Middle Ages, and it used to be raised to let ships through. Count the ships and boats on the river.

Photo Barbara Maliszewska, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, Wikimedia Commons8

Attraction

Mariacka Street

All the wealthy streets of Gdańsk once looked like this. In front of every townhouse there is a stone terrace with steps, where the owners used to sit in the evenings. Rainwater from the roofs runs off through gargoyles, stone spouts shaped like dragons, fish and strange creatures. After the war the street lay in ruins and was rebuilt house by house. Today it is the kingdom of amber: amber craftsmen work in the cellars and on the terraces. Choose the gargoyle you like best.

Photo Dawid Galus, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, Wikimedia Commons9

Building / monument

St Mary's Basilica

One of the largest brick churches in the world. It took more than 150 years to build, from 1346 to 1502, and 25,000 people can fit inside. The interior is bright and white, because the tall windows let in plenty of light. Here stands an astronomical clock from the 15th century that shows the hours, the days, the phases of the Moon and the signs of the zodiac. More than 400 steps lead up the tower, and from the top you can see the whole city and the port. Find the clock in the church and look for your zodiac sign on it.

Photo marek7400, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons10

Attraction

Four Quarters Fountain

A fountain you can run through. Water shoots straight out of the paving and the jets rise and fall, so you never know when you will get wet. It is guarded by four bronze lions, because two lions hold the coat of arms of Gdańsk. The fountain has been running since 2009 and recalls that the medieval Main Town was divided into four quarters, Kogi, Wysoki, Szeroki and Rybacki, whose borders met right here. The water runs in the warm months. Find all four lions.

Photo DerHexer, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons11

Building / monument

The Crane

The largest and oldest surviving port crane of medieval Europe, and a city gate at the same time. It was built between 1442 and 1444. Inside turn two pairs of wooden wheels about six metres across, driven by men who walked inside them like hamsters in a wheel. The Crane could lift two tonnes to a height of 27 metres, loaded goods onto ships and raised their masts. It burned down in 1945 and was rebuilt, and today it is part of the National Maritime Museum. Moored across the river is the Sołdek, the first ship built in Poland after the war. Spot the rope and the hook under the roof.

Photo Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons12

Building / monument

Market Hall

This brick hall with turrets looks like a castle, but it is simply a market. It opened in 1896 so that trade could move from the streets and squares under a roof. Before that a Dominican monastery stood here, destroyed in 1813. During the renovation of the hall, archaeologists uncovered beneath the floor the foundations of the oldest church of St Nicholas, more than 800 years old, and you can see them in the basement. Upstairs people still buy vegetables, cheese, fish and flowers. Go inside and find out what it smells of.

Photo Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons13

Building / monument

Great Armoury

The most beautiful warehouse in the city. In the early 17th century Gdańsk feared war with Sweden and needed somewhere to keep cannons, cannonballs and armour. The townspeople did not want a plain shed, though, and commissioned Anthonis van Obbergen to design a building modelled on the meat hall in Haarlem in Holland, in red brick and pale stone. Cannons stood on the ground floor and lighter weapons were stored above. Today students of the Academy of Fine Arts study here. This is where the walk ends: the Upland Gate is a few minutes away. On the front, look for Minerva, the goddess in a helmet.

All points (32)

Grouped as in the map legend. A star marks recommended points.

Building / monument 18

Upland Gate ★For centuries this was the way into Gdańsk. The gate was completed in 1588 by Willem van den Blocke, who faced it with dressed stone blocks. This is where the Royal Route began: Polish kings were handed the keys to the city here and rode on down Długa Street. Above the passages you will see three coats of arms: Poland in the middle, with Gdańsk and Royal Prussia at the sides. Look for the eagle and for two crosses under a crown.

Golden Gate ★This gate from 1612 looks like a triumphal arch and was never meant for defence, only for show. It was designed by Abraham van den Blocke. Eight stone figures stand on top: Peace, Freedom, Wealth and Fame on the side facing the Torture House, and Concord, Justice, Piety and Prudence facing Długa Street. The Latin inscription says that small states grow through concord and great ones fall through discord. The building with a turret attached to the gate is the Court of the Brotherhood of St George, and on its roof the saint is fighting a dragon.

Main Town Hall ★For centuries the richest city of the Polish Commonwealth was governed from here. The Town Hall is the second tallest building in the Main Town, right after St Mary's Church, and its tower is more than 80 metres high. On the very top stands a gilded figure of King Sigismund Augustus. A carillon, an instrument of 37 bells, plays from the tower, and in summer you can climb to the viewing terrace. Inside is the Museum of Gdańsk with the Red Room, one of the most beautiful town hall chambers in Europe. Look up and find the golden king.

Artus Court ★This is where the richest merchants of Gdańsk met guests from all over Europe. The name comes from the legendary King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, where everyone was equal. Craftsmen and stallholders, however, were not allowed in. The first court stood here in the mid-14th century, and its present front was given to it in 1617 by Abraham van den Blocke. In the great hall stands a tiled stove almost 11 metres tall, made of more than 500 tiles. On the front, look for four statues of ancient heroes.

Green Gate ★A gate that looks like a palace, because it was meant to be the Gdańsk home of the Polish kings. It was built between 1564 and 1568 from small bricks brought by ship from Holland. The kings, however, preferred to stay in the townhouses on the Long Market, and none of them ever lodged here for long. The gate closes the Royal Route: its four passages lead straight onto the bridge and the Motława River. Above the passages, look for the coats of arms of Poland, Gdańsk and Royal Prussia.

St Mary's Basilica ★One of the largest brick churches in the world. It took more than 150 years to build, from 1346 to 1502, and 25,000 people can fit inside. The interior is bright and white, because the tall windows let in plenty of light. Here stands an astronomical clock from the 15th century that shows the hours, the days, the phases of the Moon and the signs of the zodiac. More than 400 steps lead up the tower, and from the top you can see the whole city and the port. Find the clock in the church and look for your zodiac sign on it.

The Crane ★The largest and oldest surviving port crane of medieval Europe, and a city gate at the same time. It was built between 1442 and 1444. Inside turn two pairs of wooden wheels about six metres across, driven by men who walked inside them like hamsters in a wheel. The Crane could lift two tonnes to a height of 27 metres, loaded goods onto ships and raised their masts. It burned down in 1945 and was rebuilt, and today it is part of the National Maritime Museum. Moored across the river is the Sołdek, the first ship built in Poland after the war. Spot the rope and the hook under the roof.

Market Hall ★This brick hall with turrets looks like a castle, but it is simply a market. It opened in 1896 so that trade could move from the streets and squares under a roof. Before that a Dominican monastery stood here, destroyed in 1813. During the renovation of the hall, archaeologists uncovered beneath the floor the foundations of the oldest church of St Nicholas, more than 800 years old, and you can see them in the basement. Upstairs people still buy vegetables, cheese, fish and flowers. Go inside and find out what it smells of.

Great Armoury ★The most beautiful warehouse in the city. In the early 17th century Gdańsk feared war with Sweden and needed somewhere to keep cannons, cannonballs and armour. The townspeople did not want a plain shed, though, and commissioned Anthonis van Obbergen to design a building modelled on the meat hall in Haarlem in Holland, in red brick and pale stone. Cannons stood on the ground floor and lighter weapons were stored above. Today students of the Academy of Fine Arts study here. This is where the walk ends: the Upland Gate is a few minutes away. On the front, look for Minerva, the goddess in a helmet.

Torture House and Prison TowerIn the Middle Ages these two brick buildings, joined by a wall, guarded the entrance to Długa Street. Once the city built new ramparts they were no longer needed for defence and were turned into a courtroom, a prison and a torture chamber. Hence the names: the Torture House and the Prison Tower. Beside the tower stood the pillory, where punishments were carried out in front of the whole town. On the wall of the Torture House, look for a stone figure with no head.

Uphagen HouseThe townhouse at 12 Długa Street shows how a wealthy Gdańsk merchant lived in the 18th century. Johann Uphagen, a lover of books and history, bought it in 1775 and furnished it to his taste. He insisted that the interiors stay unchanged after his death, which is why a museum opened here more than a hundred years ago. Inside are a drawing room, a dining room and a kitchen, and the walls of the rooms are decorated with painted insects, birds and flowers. Count the windows in the narrow front.

Golden HouseThe most ornate house on the Long Market. It was built between 1609 and 1618 for Mayor Johann Speymann to a design by Abraham van den Blocke. The whole front is covered with gilded reliefs: battle scenes and likenesses of rulers, among them the Polish kings Władysław Jagiełło and Sigismund III Vasa. Four statues stand at the very top, and above them Fortuna, the goddess of luck. Count how many storeys the golden front has.

Chlebnicka GateThe oldest of the Gothic water gates on the Motława, dating from the 15th century. Gates like this closed off every street leading to the quay: by day porters carried goods through them, and at night they were locked. Above the passage on the river side you can see the coat of arms of Gdańsk still without the crown, which the city received from King Casimir IV Jagiellon in 1457. On the street side a lily is carved, the old emblem of the dukes of Pomerania. Compare this coat of arms with those on the other gates.

St Mary's GateThis gate from the late 15th century leads from the quay into the prettiest little street in Gdańsk. On the river side you will see three coats of arms: Poland in the middle, with Gdańsk and Royal Prussia at the sides, tilted as if bowing to it. On the street side the city's arms are held by two lions. The tall house with a turret next door is the Naturalists' House, now home to the Archaeological Museum, and its tower has a view over the Motława. Walk under the gate and look for the lions.

Royal ChapelThe only Baroque church in the Main Town. It was built between 1678 and 1681, when St Mary's belonged to the Protestants and the Catholics of Gdańsk had nowhere to pray. King John III Sobieski supported the building work, hence the name and the king's coat of arms on the front. The chapel itself is on the upper floor, under the dome, while the priests lived on the ground floor. Look for the royal crown on the front.

St John's ChurchA Gothic church first mentioned in 1358. It stands on marshy ground and has been sinking for centuries: the east wall leaned almost a metre out of true and in 1679 had to be propped up with massive buttresses. In 1945 the church burned down and stood empty for decades. Today it houses the St John's Centre, with concerts and exhibitions. Inside, a great stone altar from four hundred years ago has survived. Walk around the church and look for the leaning wall.

St Nicholas' BasilicaThe only church in central Gdańsk that came through the war undamaged. That is why inside you will see what you cannot find anywhere else in the city: old altars, a pulpit, an organ and paintings several hundred years old. In 1227 Duke Świętopełk gave the church of St Nicholas to the Dominicans. In 1260 they received a privilege from the Pope that gave rise to St Dominic's Fair, still the biggest trading festival in Gdańsk. Step in quietly and look for the gilded altars.

Jacek TowerThe tallest of Gdańsk's medieval towers: with its weathervane it measures 36 metres. It was built around 1400 at the corner of the city walls so that guards could see from above what was happening outside. At ground level the walls are two and a half metres thick. The people of Gdańsk jokingly called it “Peek into the Kitchen”, because from the top you could look into the pots in the kitchen of the Dominican monastery. Count the sides of the tower. There should be eight.

Attraction 5

Neptune Fountain ★The god of the sea with his trident stands in front of Artus Court and is the symbol of Gdańsk, a city that lived off the sea. The figure was cast in bronze in the early 17th century, but the fountain was not switched on until 1633, because the work dragged on for years. Legend has it that Neptune grew angry at people throwing gold coins into the fountain, struck with his trident and shattered the gold into tiny flakes. That is said to be the origin of the famous Gdańsk liqueur with gold flakes. Look for the sea creatures on the base of the fountain.

Green Bridge and the Motława ★This is the best place to see that Gdańsk was a great port. Ships carrying grain, timber and goods from all over the world sailed into the city along the Motława. To your left runs the Long Embankment with its water gates, and further on you can see the dark outline of the Crane, which you will reach later. Across the river lies Granary Island, where grain floated down the Vistula from all over Poland was kept in hundreds of warehouses. A bridge has stood here since the Middle Ages, and it used to be raised to let ships through. Count the ships and boats on the river.

Mariacka Street ★All the wealthy streets of Gdańsk once looked like this. In front of every townhouse there is a stone terrace with steps, where the owners used to sit in the evenings. Rainwater from the roofs runs off through gargoyles, stone spouts shaped like dragons, fish and strange creatures. After the war the street lay in ruins and was rebuilt house by house. Today it is the kingdom of amber: amber craftsmen work in the cellars and on the terraces. Choose the gargoyle you like best.

Four Quarters Fountain ★A fountain you can run through. Water shoots straight out of the paving and the jets rise and fall, so you never know when you will get wet. It is guarded by four bronze lions, because two lions hold the coat of arms of Gdańsk. The fountain has been running since 2009 and recalls that the medieval Main Town was divided into four quarters, Kogi, Wysoki, Szeroki and Rybacki, whose borders met right here. The water runs in the warm months. Find all four lions.

Fahrenheit ColumnInside this glass column hangs a thermometer with a scale invented by a man from Gdańsk. Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit was born in 1686 a few streets away, on Ogarna Street. He built the first accurate mercury thermometers and devised the scale that is still used in the United States today. On it, water freezes at 32 degrees and boils at 212. Check how many degrees Fahrenheit it is in Gdańsk today.

Toilets / tickets / parking 9

Tourist informationThe Pomeranian Tourist Information Centre is inside the Upland Gate, right where the walk begins. Pick up a map and ask about opening hours for the viewing towers, the Crane and the museums.

Public toilet

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Photo Andrzej Otrębski, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

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