What makes Gdansk one of the most unique cities in Poland? What stories are hidden in its streets and monuments? In the twelfth episode of AmberPodcast, we go for a walk around Gdańsk with Izabella Daszkiewicz, who will take us on a journey through the most beautiful corners of the city. We will visit the Long Market, Mariacka Street, St. Mary’s Basilica and the Gdańsk Crane – symbols of the city that hide fascinating stories. We will also tell you where to admire the panorama of Gdańsk and what places are worth visiting to feel its unique atmosphere. Turn on the AmberPodcast and go for a walk with us around Gdańsk – a city with a soul and history!
Anna Kordecka: Welcome to the second episode of our AmberPodcast series, devoted to the most interesting tourist attractions of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. The partner of this year’s series is the Pomeranian Regional Tourist Organization. Today we will take you to the heart of the region – Gdańsk, a city with a unique combination of history and modernity. In this part of the episode, we will focus on a walk around the historical corners of the Main Town. Our guide will be Mrs. Izabela Daszkiewicz, who will show us around the most beautiful and characteristic places in Gdańsk. We will visit the Long Market, the Neptune Fountain, Mariacka Street, St. Mary’s Basilica and the Gdańsk Crane – some of the most important symbols of the city. We will find out what stories are hidden in the streets of Gdańsk, where it is worth getting lost and which places you must visit to feel the real atmosphere of this seaside city. Welcome!
Izabela Daszkiewicz: Good morning, welcome.
AK: Let’s imagine that someone comes to Gdańsk for the first time. What places are a must-see on the sightseeing map?
ID: I would definitely direct my first steps in Gdańsk to the Motława River, where it is worth starting a walk along the Long Market, Długa Street and the Long Embankment. It is there that two symbols of the city are located – the Main Town Hall, where the representative Artus Court is located, and the Port Crane in the vicinity. While walking, you can also admire burgher houses and St. Mary’s Basilica, whose monumental tower towers over the panorama of the city.
For those who have more time, it is worth visiting the museums: the Museum of Gdańsk, the Archaeological Museum, the National Maritime Museum, the Museum of the Second World War and the European Solidarity Centre. It is also worth going to the Gradowa Hill, to Oliwa, as well as visiting the Wisłoujście Fortress and Westerplatte. One day is definitely not enough to get to know Gdańsk fully!
AK: As we hear, there are a lot of attractions. Since we already know what is worth seeing when visiting Gdańsk, I suggest that we try to show our listeners around Gdańsk. One of the main tourist attractions is the main town and the long market. What distinguishes the old town and its architecture?
ID: An interesting fact about Gdańsk is that we don’t have a market square or an old town. The city is divided into the Old Town and the Main Town, and it is the Main Town that is the historical center where tourists most often come. We start our walk around this part of Gdańsk at the Upland Gate, through which kings and invited guests used to enter. Then we go through the Foregate Complex and the Golden Gate, from where a view of Długa Street opens up – the main route surrounded by richly decorated tenement houses that once belonged to patricians, i.e. the richest inhabitants of Gdańsk. At the end of this representative street rises the Main Town Hall, and right next to it is the first of the symbols of Gdańsk – the Neptune Fountain. Behind it, we can admire the impressive façade of the Artus Court. Walking further along the Long Market, which serves as a market square, we reach the Green Gate on the Motława River. From here, there is a view of the Green Bridge, and a walk along the waterfront leads through the Water Gates – a key element of Gdańsk architecture. Gdańsk has a characteristic urban layout, the so-called comb system, where the Motława River is the main axis of the city, and streets ending with water gates depart from it. Among them, we distinguish the Green Gate, St. Mary’s Gate, the Holy Spirit Gate and the Crane – each of them hides its own stories and secrets. One of the most beautiful streets in the Main Town is Mariacka Street, but before we tell you about it, it is worth paying attention to the Gdańsk Crane, the Granary Island with rebuilt granaries and the Ołowianka Island, where the Sołdek ship, the first post-war coal and ore carrier, is moored. Finally, we can head towards the Old Town to discover more monuments and the extraordinary atmosphere of Gdańsk.
AK: Let’s go back to Mariacka Street. What stories does this picturesque street hide?
ID: Entering Mariacka Street from the side of the Motława River, we go through the St. Mary’s Gate. It is one of the most beautiful places in Gdańsk – the street has retained its old character and looks almost the same as in the nineteenth century. In front of each burgher tenement house there are porches – characteristic elevated terraces leading to the entrances of the buildings. It is worth paying attention to the facades – in Gdańsk until the 19th century, the numbering of houses was not used, so coats of arms and symbols were placed on the tops of tenement houses. They indicated addresses – for example, “The House under the Eagle” or “The House under the Turtle”. Walking towards St. Mary’s Basilica, it is difficult to notice, but the street rises slightly. In the Middle Ages, it was designed in such a way that rainwater and all pollutants flowed directly into the Motława River. Looking at the facades of tenement houses, you can see that they are quite narrow – usually two-axial or three-axial, i.e. two or three windows wide. Their size depended on the amount of the tax – the wider the tenement house, the higher the fee. One of the most characteristic elements of Gdańsk architecture are gargoyles – decorated gutters that drained rainwater, protecting the facades of buildings from dirt. In the 19th century, when the streets were planned to be widened, the authorities of Gdańsk considered removing the lintels to facilitate horse traffic and the introduction of electricity. The residents of Mariacka Street opposed this decision, thanks to which today we can admire it in its historical shape. In the past, there were merchant warehouses at Mariacka Street – the cellars under the porches were used as warehouses and an additional source of income. Today, this place is also called the “Fifth Avenue of Gdańsk” because there are many galleries of amber – a raw material that has been one of the most valuable goods in Gdańsk trade for centuries.
AK: Walking along Mariacka Street, at the end of it we reach one of the most impressive buildings in Gdańsk – St. Mary’s Basilica. Is it its enormous size that makes it one of the most important symbols of the city?
ID: St. Mary’s Basilica in Gdańsk is the largest brick church in the world – there is no larger building in this respect. Its interior can accommodate over 20 thousand believers. The construction of the basilica took a very long time – it began in 1343 and was completed only in 1502. Three generations of Gdańsk residents erected this monumental church. Initially, it was supposed to be much smaller, but as a rich port city, Gdańsk wanted to emphasize its power. After the departure of the Teutonic Knights in the fifteenth century, a decision was made to expand the basilica on an even larger scale. Its dimensions are very impressive – 105 meters long and 66 meters wide. The temple was built on a Latin cross plan and has two entrances. Entering from the west, under the tower, we can feel a bit surprised. The church is huge, its vault rises 28 meters, and the whole layout is a typical Gothic hall, where the aisles and the central nave are the same height.
What draws the most attention is its whitewashed interior. Why is the basilica so raw inside? Its construction was completed at the beginning of the 16th century, in the period when the Reformation reached Gdańsk. At the end of this century, under the influence of Protestant movements, the temple was transformed, and all medieval paintings were covered with plaster and whitewashed. A characteristic element of the church are also large, arched windows, typical of the Gothic style. Walking around the interior, it is worth looking under your feet – at the tombstones. In the Middle Ages, St. Mary’s Basilica served as a burial place where the richest inhabitants of Gdańsk were buried. It is not known exactly how many inhabitants are buried under the floor of the church. Going towards the main altar, it is worth paying attention to its monumental composition from the 16th century, depicting the coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The basilica also hides one of the most famous works of art in Gdańsk – the astronomical clock by Hans Düringer. It consists of three levels and in the Middle Ages it served not only as a clock, but also as an astronomical calendar. It is divided into several sections: it shows the lunar and solar cycles, church holidays and the passage of time. On the clock there are four figures symbolizing human life – a young man, an adult man, an old man and a grim reaper, which means the inevitable end. In the central part there is Our Lady of the Apocalyptic with the Child, and above it a 24-hour dial with twelve signs of the zodiac. Why were zodiac symbols placed in the church? This is what you can find out by visiting St. Mary’s Basilica. Above is the so-called figural theater – if you come to the church a few minutes before noon, you will see a procession of the twelve apostles who are going to paradise. However, one figure does not pass through the gate – it is the grim reaper, symbolizing death. Above them, the four evangelists are depicted, and at the very top of the clock are Adam and Eve – Eve strikes the quarters, Adam the hours.
In the past, there was also the famous painting “The Last Judgement” by Hans Memling in St. Mary’s Basilica, but the original was transferred to the National Museum, and only a copy can be seen in the church. Among other valuable monuments of the temple, it is worth mentioning epitaphs commemorating eminent Gdańsk residents and numerous side altars. One of the oldest treasures is the stone Pietà from 1410, as well as the sculpture of the Beautiful Madonna from the 20s of the 15th century, made by master Paweł. Its drapery looks like an imposed fabric, and yet it is made of stone – this is proof of the artistry of the artists of that era. Among the unique works of art, there is also a sculpture of St. Anna Samotrzeć, where the Blessed Virgin Mary sits on her lap and the Child Jesus on her lap.
AK: Thank you very much for this extremely vivid description of St. Mary’s Basilica. One of its characteristic elements is the tower, which rises to 82 meters. How many stairs do you have to climb to climb it, and what views are there from its top?
ID: Very important information – there are 409 stairs leading to the top. Initially, we climb a round staircase, climbing over 100 steps, and then we go over the vault of St. Mary’s Basilica to reach the very top of the staircase. Once we are at the top, there is a beautiful view of the four corners of the world. With good visibility, you can see the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Gdańsk, and in exceptionally favorable conditions – even the Hel Peninsula (although good binoculars would be useful for this). From the tower, you can admire the panorama of Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia, as well as the surrounding areas. On the horizon you can see moraine hills, the Kashubian upland, the Vistula Żuławy flat as a table and in the distance the bridge leading to Westerplatte and the Northern Port.
AK: I confirm! It is worth taking up this challenge and climbing over 400 stairs, because the view from the tower is truly stunning.
ID: And what’s important, it doesn’t take long to get to the top. Despite the considerable altitude, the climb takes about 15 minutes, and if there are many tourists in front of us – up to 20 minutes.
AK: St. Mary’s Basilica is not the only place from which you can admire the panorama of the Main Town. Where else is it worth climbing to see Gdańsk from above?
ID: There are several places in Gdańsk from which you can admire the panorama of the city. The closest to St. Mary’s Basilica is the tower of the Archaeological Museum at Mariacka Street, which is currently still under renovation. Another viewpoint is the tower of the Main Town Hall – it is worth climbing it, because you can see the carillon there, which is a set of bells characteristic of Gdańsk. There are 37 of them in the town hall. If you go towards the Old Town, you can climb the tower of St. Catherine’s Church, where the largest carillon in Gdańsk consisting of 50 bells is located. It is a great place to admire the Main Town, tenement houses and the most important monuments from a slightly greater distance. Another interesting viewpoint is Gradowa Hill – a natural hill 40 meters above sea level. From there, there is a panorama of the Main Town, the Old Town and the post-shipyard areas. It is also worth visiting the observation deck on the roof of the European Solidarity Centre, from where you can see the area of the former Gdańsk Shipyard and its characteristic cranes.
AK: From most of the viewpoints you mentioned, you can probably see the Gdańsk Crane – the oldest and largest medieval port crane in Europe. What is the best way to get to it and what is worth paying attention to when visiting?
ID: If we leave St. Mary’s Basilica, we can go back along Mariacka Street or Świętego Ducha Street towards the Motława River. Then just go to the Long Embankment to reach the largest and most recognizable monument of Gdańsk – the Gdańsk Crane. It is a massive structure consisting of two round, brick towers, between which there is a wooden connector. Today’s appearance of the Crane comes from around the fifteenth century. If you come closer, it is worth looking under the wooden structure, where there are two huge treadmill wheels. They can be compared to a hamster reel, but with a diameter of 6.5 meters! Two men could work in each of them, which means that four workers were able to drive the mechanism of the Crane. A rope, chains and a hook were attached to the treadmill wheels, enabling the loading and unloading of goods from small vessels sailing on the Motława River to the quay. There were also two additional wheels nearby, used to erect masts on ships. If you are planning a visit to Gdańsk, this is a great opportunity to see the Crane from the inside! Since May, after renovation, it has been open to tourists again. Inside, a modern exhibition has been prepared, which in an interesting way introduces the history of Gdańsk shipping and trade. We start our tour with port navigation, to which we are introduced by the voice of the ship’s captain. Then we move on to the former pile chamber, i.e. the place where the pile duty was collected. We can see what the trade goods looked like, how they were packed in barrels and bags, as well as find out what coins were in circulation and what was traded in the old Gdańsk. At the exhibition, we will also see the room of a Gdańsk merchant, and at the end we will go to a place that was particularly popular among port workers – a tavern. It’s definitely worth seeing!
AK: You are cordially invited – I have to go there myself! I would like to thank Mrs. Izabela Daszkiewicz, who showed us around Gdańsk and told us about its streets and the most important monuments in such a colorful way. In the next part of our conversation, we will visit Gdańsk again, this time discovering its history through museums and memorials that commemorate key events that shaped the city and Poland. We will visit the Museum of the Second World War, the European Solidarity Centre and the Amber Museum. I invite you to listen to the next episode – see you soon!
