Much more than shipyards

1. No other building in Gdansk is as massive, lofty and impressive as St.Mary's Church. Located on Ul Podkramarska right in the middle of the Main Town, it is a miracle of reconstruction. The huge Astronomical Clock in the north transept is a wonder of medieval engineering. Climb the steps to the viewing platform for a sweeping panorama of Gdansk and its surrounding suburbs.

2. Spend some time on ul Mariacka, an atmospheric street lined on both sides with side-by-side stone terraces. Running straight from St.Mary's Church to St.Mary's Gate, ul Mariacka is a paradise of exquisite amber shops that display charming collections of handcrafted amber.

3. Gdansk's National Museum located on ul Torunska south of the Main Town is a treasure-trove of fine fabrics, ornate silverware, elaborately carved furniture, porcelain and paintings. Hans Memling's famous original triptych 'The Last Judgment' is displayed in a room on the first floor.

4. Ul Dluga and Dlugi Targ are lined with the city's most beautiful buildings. A picturesque parade of brightly-coloured facades, gilded portals and fine architectural details fill up both sides of the street. The lovely Town Hall located exactly where ul Dluga opens into Dlugi Targ houses the History Museum.

Quick Tips:

1. Gdansk is a huge city of half a million people. The centre however can easily be covered on foot since it is small and mostly pedestrianised. Consisting of three historic quarters, Gdansk's centre is crammed with attractions, most of which are confined to the Main Town. If your time here is limited to a few hours, restrict your visit to the Main Town only. Within its numerous gateways, you can find the most refined reconstructions and the richest architecture in the area.

2. Gdansk's Tourist Information Office occupies a central place on ul Dluga, right in front of the Town Hall. It provides free information about sights and attractions, sells maps of the area and helps in finding accommodation. Better than this is the information centre on ul Heweliusza, right in front of the high-rise Hevelius hotel. The helpful members of the staff went out of their way to provide us with suitable accommodation when everywhere else was sold out.

3. Gdansk Tourist at ul Podwale Grodzkie 8 arranges private rooms around Gdansk. Before committing yourself, check carefully for location since most rooms are far away from the centre. Rooms are cheap and usually well-equipped.

Best Way To Get Around:

1. You will probably arrive by train at Gdansk Glowny train station, located west of the city centre. After passing through the underpass towards ul Podwale Grodzkie, you are only a stone's throw away from the city's main attractions. Gdansk's bus station is behind the train station. From here, take the escalator down to the underpass and follow the signs towards the centre.

2. The historic city centre is almost completely pedestrianised. Trams and buses however ply through the city's main thoroughfares that border the centre, making access easy. Very useful is Tram 8 which crosses the Motlawa before running towards the shipyards passing en route through Podwale Grodzkie.

3. Those who wish to travel beyond the centre are advised to use the frequent commuter train that starts at Gdansk Glowny and finishes off at Gydnia Glowna 21kms north, passing en route through Gdansk Oliwa and Sopot. Known as a kolejka or an SKM, the train runs every 10 minutes from 5am to midnight. Tickets can be bought from the appropriate ticket windows at the stations.

4. The best and cheapest transport ticket is a day pass. This allows holders access to trams and buses within the city of Gdansk.

Located right on the south edge of the main town less than 100m away from the Golden Gate and Ul Dluga, Dom Harcerza has an unbeatable location that makes it ideal for those who come here for just a couple of days. With many of Gdansk's attractions right on its doorstep, Dom Harcerza is the place to be if you want to savour deeply the cultural heritage of the city.

From the train station, tram no. 8 travels south on Podwale Grodzkie before it takes a sharp turn left towards the Motlawa. Stop just after the turn and you are only a stone's throw away from Dom Harcerza.

This medium-sized establishment in the heart of the city fills up quickly more for its location than for its luxury. Ideal for budget digs, Dom Harcerza offers 20 simple rooms that are clean and orderly but devoid of any modern amenities. The only redeeming factor is an aged bulky telephone that surprisingly has direct-dial connection.

Set up inside two separate buildings 20m apart on Za Murami, Dom Harcerza comprises a couple of dormitories and 10 doubles inside the main building while more doubles are squeezed inside a medieval red-brick watchtower on the west edge of the street. The ground floor of the main building is taken over by the Watra-Syrena cinema, renowned for the best sound system in the city. That said, expect the rooms here to be noisy, particularly when a film is being shown, at least twice daily. Much better for tranquillity and Old Town atmosphere are the rooms inside the watchtower. Spacious, cosy, and retaining all the elements of a medieval building, the rooms here are unquestionably good value. Extra-thick walls, small watch-out windows, and high ceilings contribute in making this place of accommodation a pearl of history. Add to this the meticulous renovation that all rooms here have recently experienced and you will understand why it's advisable to book ahead.

Arriving at Dom Harcerza with an English-only vocabulary will not be the easiest check-in, but this should on no account stop you from coming here. All members of the staff were helpful, courteous, and ready to do anything to make our stay the best possible. One of them was even kind enough to ask for an interpreter to make sure she was understood.

Dom Harcerza does not have a restaurant of its own, so no breakfast is served here. Go instead to one of the numerous eateries that line Ul Dluga and its neighbouring walkways. The food shops and cafes inside the Great Armoury shopping mall on Targ Weglowy open daily as early as 7:30am.

Almost completely destroyed during World War II, the numerous red-brick Gothic churches that embellish the city's streets have lately become once more the main reason for visiting Gdansk. All have been rebuilt mostly using original building material found among the debris of war and all have been furnished with such craftsmanship and dedication that only connoisseurs can tell they're not the real thing. I have visited and inspected thoroughly all churches in Gdansk and put them in order of decreasing architectural beauty. Here they are:

1. The top prize goes definitely to the massive Church of St.Mary. Located on ul Podkramarska, this structure of immense proportions boasts a 78 metres high bell tower that dominates Gdansk's skyline. Box-like from the outside, this church is considered to be the largest brick church in the world, its huge interior accommodating 25,000 people. Getting the prize for its vaulted interior structure rather than for its outside architecture, St.Mary's Church has a whitewashed vaulted roof supported on wonderful Gothic ribbed mouldings. Adorned with 31 side chapels and more than 300 tombstones, it is a miracle of reconstruction. Everything is so huge that at first sight, you get an impression of emptiness. But start walking around and you'll find astonishingly beautiful works of art that have been accumulated and preserved throughout the centuries. Of special mention are the uncovered frescoes that decorate the right corner of the church, the 4 metres crucifix above the high altar, the ornate wooden tabernacle and the painting of 'The Last Judgment'. The latter is a replica of Hans Memling's original triptych which you can also see if you visit the National Museum of Gdansk.

The most prominent item inside the church however is the medieval Astronomical Clock, an artistic work attributed to the famous clock maker Hans Duringer. Dating back to 1464, this 14 metres high clock that decorates the left transept has complex mechanical dials that show the time and date, the phases of the moon, the position of the moon and sun in relation to the zodiac signs and the calendar of the saints. Adam and Eve ring the bell on the hour. Make it a point to be here at noon when the twelve apostles move out of their hiding place followed by Satan, a short theatrical performance worth seeing. Those who are fit to climb the 405 steps of the winding staircase and dusty passages to the top of St.Mary's bell tower will be rewarded with a breathtaking view of Gdansk reaching as far away as Westerplatte.

2. The 14th-century Church of St.Catherine on ul Wielkie Mlyny is another Gothic masterpiece and the oldest place of worship in Gdansk. The most splendid and artistic piece of work inside is an 11 metres long mural attributed to the famous painter Milwitz. Located beneath the organ, it depicts the entry of Christ into Jerusalem. Another item that demands a close inspection is the Baroque church tower that was added to the Gothic structure in 1634. It encloses within its walls a 37 bell carillon that has chimed on the hour every hour since 1989. The tombstone of the astronomer Jan Heweliusz located in the church's chancel is worth a look for its historical significance.

3. The 15th-century Church of St.Nicholas on ul Swietojanska is the most wonderfully restored place of worship in Gdansk. Unlike other Gothic churches in Poland, St.Nicholas has a striking interior that is elaborately decorated and magnificent. Be sure to have a close look at the Renaissance multi-level high altar built in 1647 and at the splendid Baroque organ that dates back to the 18th century. Be here on a Sunday at 11:30am to listen to the children's choir accompanied by the fine tune of the church organ.

4. Located amidst medieval buildings on ul Sw.Trojcy, the Church of the Holy Trinity was originally built in the 15th century but reconstructed from scratch after the great damage it suffered during World War II. The whitewashed walls that support a magnificent vaulted roof, the unusually decorated high altar and the beautiful Gothic pulpit add up to give the church an interesting and wonderful interior. Located near one of the side doors, the 'Mater Misericordiae' chapel, dedicated to the Virgin contains a splendid replica of the original miraculous icon that is found inside the 'Gates of Dawn' chapel in Vilnius.

5. The Church of St. Bridget on ul Profesorska is known in Gdansk as the church of the Solidarity Movement. Lech Walesa, union leader, founder of the Solidarity Movement and later president of Poland attended Mass here when he was an ordinary shipyard worker. Destroyed completely during World War II, it was reconstructed in the 1970s according to a 15th-century plan. However, all interior prewar furnishings were lost, stolen or taken somewhere else. What you see today is an exhibition of contemporary handwork, mostly wrought iron decorations that depict the history of the Solidarity Movement. Most items are neither artistic nor fit for a church but are nonetheless interesting and unusual.

Attending for an organ recital inside Oliwa's grand cathedral is like being present for an award-winning premiere inside Vienna's majestic state opera. Nowhere is church music more pleasant or enticing, nowhere is the quality and pitch of the sound more full or flowing than within this cathedral, a structure that has unquestionably reached the highest standards with regards to acoustics.

Oliwa, 9km away from downtown Gdansk, can be reached easily by frequent suburban train from Gdansk Glowny train station. Once here, follow the crowds or walk southwest towards Al Grunwaldzka, a busy thoroughfare that runs eastwards towards Gdansk's centre. Use the traffic lights to get to the other side of the road; then walk north for about 50m until you reach ul Opata Jacka Rybinskiego. Turn left and walk straight ahead for a further 200m. On your right is the entrance to Park Oliwski, nowadays called Park Mickiewicza. You can wander for free as much as you like within the park and along the pathways that surround a diversity of small lakes, ponds, and meandering streams. The small but well-manicured French garden is the park's prime natural attraction. The Palm House, a medium-sized greenhouse that contains collections of exotic plants, palm trees, and ferns, is also worth a visit.

The principal building in the park at ul Cystersow 18 is the Abbot's palace, home to the modest Museum of Modern Art. The Abbot's granary that adjoins the palace at ul Cystersow 19 houses the excellent Museum of Ethnography. A huge collection of tools and implements used in days past by the craftsmen of the region is displayed here. The highlight of the park is unquestionably the Cistercian cathedral, an unusual but striking structure that dates back to the early 17th century. The church you see today is not the original building, which was unluckily burnt down by the Prussians soon after its construction. Neither is it the second or third replica, which were both destroyed. It is probably the fourth church built on this site by the Danish Cistercian monks, who were unconditionally expelled from the city in the first half of the 19th century.

The facade of this grand cathedral consists of a narrow central structure built in baroque style and resting against it, one on each side are two octagonal Gothic towers. The floor is below ground level, and so visitors have to go down some steps to get inside. Once here, the first thing that catches your eyes is the cathedral's unusual tunnel-like design. Having a length of 90m but a width of only 8m, it is regarded as unique with regards to its unusual dimensions. The sumptuous stucco work around the high altar is a real masterpiece of baroque art. The altar that adorns the left transept is a gem of Renaissance sculpture in wood.

Look behind you, as all visitors are doing, and examine the beauty of the 18th-century organ that is unquestionably the showpiece of the cathedral. Having 725 pipes and adorned with cherubs and angels playing the trumpet, it is a majestic and artistic composition of excellent workmanship.

Be present when an organ recital is being held and enjoy the wonderful church music for which the cathedral at Oliwa is renowned. Unusual sounds like the ringing of bells, the blowing of trumpets from moving angels, and the rippling of water accompany the normal fine tune of the organ to produce church music of unparalleled pitch and quality. Free-of-charge 20-minute mini-recitals are held daily every hour between 10am and 3pm. Full evening recitals are held every Tuesday and Friday during the months of July and August. Before leaving the cathedral, buy a CD with the recorded music to take back home.

It is neither metallic gold nor a precious stone; it is actually an organic material, a fossilised tree resin that was formed millions of years ago after the forested region that surrounded the Baltic sea was exposed to extreme climatic conditions. Thousands of coniferous trees that found themselves submerged under the frozen water of the rivers of Scandinavia more than 40 million years ago were later dragged by the flow of water into the Baltic when climatic conditions evolved. Called amber, this translucent material of much charm is not confined only to Gdansk and the shores of the Baltic. Deposits have in fact been excavated in U.S.A., Japan, and New Zealand, but nowhere were the deposits as abundant as along the Baltic coast. Baltic amber is also different with regards to transparency and chemical composition.

The diversity of amber is related directly to the organic source from which the material is derived and the physical conditions to which this source was exposed. Some varieties are almost as transparent as glass while others are as opaque as wood. The colour of amber is often light yellow; other varieties however may be dark yellow, orange, brown and in rare cases even black. Bubbles of air trapped inside a lump of amber ane not uncommon as are mosquitoes, small butterflies and spiders. After examining pieces with hidden creatures inside, one can easily come to the conclusion that some species of trapped insects have now become extinct. DNA studies have consequently provided biologists with a fascinating picture of what life in the Baltic region looked like 40 million years ago. An insect or a fragment of a plant trapped within a lump of amber makes the material more expensive. Professional amber collectors usually hunt for such pieces.

Since Neolithic times, amber deposits washed up on the Baltic shores were already collected, crafted and sold. Hundreds of years before the industrial revolution, numerous amber workshops, mostly located in villages east of Gdansk were already supplying tons of handcrafted amber. Since then, the amber industry never looked back and for several years, mass factory refining and crafting of raw amber was a vital part of Poland's economy. Today, with tourists from the west of Europe and the States becoming choosier, Polish artists and craftsmen are again revitalizing the amber industry by producing unique handcrafted pieces of amazing beauty.

Gdansk is a paradise for those in search of raw or crafted amber. However, since there's an abundance of low-class imported amber around, take care before you depart with your dollars. If it's too perfect, the probability is that it has been remelted and reshaped and not crafted as it should be.

In Gdansk, amber is sold everywhere. The open-air market stalls that fill up the pedestrianised street in front of the Motlawa river display a wide assortment. Likewise, the Sunday flea market along Targ Rybny comprises several side-by-side stalls that specialize in amber. However, unless you can check with a professional about the genuinity of the pieces you intend to buy, it is advisable to look somewhere else. Go instead to one of the chic shops that are exclusively devoted to selling amber. There are tens of shops from where to choose, mostly located along ul Mariacka behind St.Mary's Church and along Dlugie Pobrzeze in front of the river. Three shops that are to be recommended both for selling authentic pieces of handcrafted amber and for their wonderful display of unusual items are:

Hemeling, ul Mariacka 34;

Silver & Amber, ul Mariacka 36;

Teresa Wydra, ul Mariacka 49.

The best display of handcrafted amber in Poland is found inside Malbork's castle, located 50kms south of Gdansk. Trains from Gdansk Glowny train station to Malbork are very frequent and so the castle can be visited easily on a day tour. (See my journal: A fortress town).