Editor Pick
The Museum of Gdansk
- July 30, 2000
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Amanda from London, United Kingdom
This museum used to be the Town Hall, and some of the best things to see here are therefore the debating and council rooms, decorated grandly and impressively. Astonishingly for Polish museums, the museum has some captions and explanation in English, which adds to the enjoyment. There's a big section on the history of Gdansk upstairs. Take some time to examine the 1945 photos compared with those of the present day - the reconstruction is astonishing. Like Warsaw, Gdansk was practically burnt to ruins, but unlike the capital the reconstruction feels genuine and sympathetic. Although the building was almost razed to the ground in the war, most of the internal decorations, furniture, and even fireplaces and staircases were removed and hidden away during the war, so they are original. The museum is open from 10am to 4pm - with an extra hour in the afternoons in summer.
From journal Gdansk - beautiful, interesting, and romantic
Editor Pick
The Royal Way
- July 30, 2000
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Amanda from London, United Kingdom
All the main Polish cities have a Royal way, along which the King used to inspect the place. Krakow's is lovely, but I find the 16th century Way in Gdansk the most beautiful of the lot. The Przedbramie at one end was the town's prison and torture chamber (now, thankfully, not in use, although it was until about 100 years ago). It now has an interesting, if ghoulish, museum about torture and grisly death.
The whole street is lined with elegant, graceful houses, and triumphant gates. Next to the prison is the Upland Gate, which is covered in heraldic symbols of medieval Poland and Prussia. The Golden Gate wasn't ever part of the defences of the town, it was purely for decoration.
From journal Gdansk - beautiful, interesting, and romantic