During our Baltic adventure our cruise director Marziana was from a small town in the southern part of Poland. She was as excited to welcome us to her country as we were to visit it. Before the port stop Marziana hosted an hour long introduction to common Polish words and phrases and her favourite polish food and drinks. Her enthusiasm and stories made us all the more excited to visit Gdansk.
Our ship docked in Gdynia so we boarded a ship excursion to travel to the city of Gdansk about an hours drive south. The drive through the port city gave us a chance to see the Oliwa Cathedral, the Gdansk Ship Yard and the Solidarity Monument honouring fallen workers. As much as we would have liked more time we were in port for a very limited time so took advantage of the excursion to get as much time as we could in the city of Gdansk and still return in time for sail away.
The bus dropped us off just outside of the gates for our walking tour of the Old Town. Our guide Michael was an Irish expat who had lived in Poland for a number of years and enjoyed sharing his perspective on the city. He was also an expert in Polish history and was able to provide compassionate insight into the countries struggle with occupation throughout history and the especially fresh and troubling current occupation of Ukraine by Russia. All of Poland, and Gdansk was no exception, were accepting Ukrainian refuges, mostly elderly women and children.
Both Germans and Russians had invaded Poland during the Second World War with the German concentration camp of Stutthof, which was established in 1939 as a prisoner of war camp, close to Gdansk. This is another popular destination to visit as it offers a sobering reminder of the horrors of war. It is on our list for a return trip to Poland.
Most of the Old Town of Gdansk had been bombed during the war but had been rebuilt in the traditional style. We
entered through the Golden Gate, the large ornamental arch that was once the entrance through the medieval city’s defensive walls. The main avenue, Long Street is lined with beautiful buildings with elaborate facades. There were a number of shops and restaurants but due to the early hour we were happy to find a cozy shop for pastries and coffee.
Our walk took us through other parts of the Old Town while Micheal provided a running commentary on the history of the city and the country. We saw the Long Market, Town Hall, Neptune’s Fountain and the gothic St. Mary’s Church. Although the exterior of the church was plain it is massive inside with beautiful chapels, a stunning high altar and a floor littered with ancient tombstones.
We ended back on the river bank before returning to our bus. This small taste of Poland only made us hungry for more and we will definitely plan to return.